Only one in 26 gets into dentistry

Despite the number of interested parties, access to this career is not the most complicated. In this Top Is dentistry. Only one in 26 people entered their classes in 2023, The degree offers 50 places and, taking the latest data on CiUG applicants as reference, 1,302 people requested it (533 of whom chose it as their first option). Therefore, only one in ten of those most interested in pursuing a degree could enter.

María José López Couso, Vice-Rector of Degrees at the University of Santiago, says that This funnel effect happens all the time in the health sciences, “They are degrees with good job placement and significant attractiveness. In the case of dentistry, the demand increases because it is a unique degree within the Galician university system and the entire geographical area of ​​reference (the entire northwest of the peninsula),” he explains.

This is followed by a double degree in Physics and Mathematics, with only a dozen spots and about 200 applicants. However, of the students who marked it as a priority, one in 8.9 were able to use it. “The number of locations is something that must be planned according to the resources we have,” López Couso says of the small proposal. “It is important that the quality is guaranteed. That’s why we see other dual degrees with similar limited spaces,” he points out.

Like the first two, other health sciences such as Nursing and veterinary medicine generate considerable interest among students, In A Coruña it ranks fourth in complexity of nursing access. 2,297 people chose it, but most did not consider it a priority. Only 383 made it to first place. Grades for this degree have increased by 16% over the past eight years. For example, in Santiago it increased from 9.72 in 2015 to 11.34 in 2023.

It is like this veterinary doctor, in Lugo. The cut-off score in 2023 was 11.16 and there were 925 applicants. Of these, two-thirds indicated it as the preferred option and only one in six was able to put forward their preference.

One of the trends in recent years is mental health-related careers. There is a resurgence in pedagogy or psychology: there is greater interest because they act as transversal professions, essential in many companies or educational systems. Therefore, students should be one in ten to achieve this.

Study together at USC Computer Engineering and Mathematics, Like other dual degrees, it also has only 10 places. There were 136 interested parties in the case, 50 of whom marked it as their first priority.

In eighth place is the only UVAGO degree to feature in the top 10, Aerospace Engineering, taught at the Ourense campus. Every year an offer of 50 places is filled. One in eight students uses it.

Finally, a successful exit into the labor market does not always set the direction for future students when beginning a degree. Fashion or occupation still influence selective behaviour. For example, the double degree of Journalism and audiovisual communicationWhich is one of the most sought-after degrees in the Galician university system.

Degree is in last place Biotechnology (One of the highest scores in the system, with 12.39). In their classes, only 50 places are offered, as opposed to the approximately 800 applications they receive.

José María Suárez Quintanilla is President of the College of Dentistry of Galicia and professor at USC in several subjects of the university degree required to practice the profession. It is warned that, despite some places being offered so as not to overwhelm dentists, the high percentage of foreign students may lead to an absence of professionals in the coming years.

-Why do so many students apply for this career?

-It is a degree that qualifies you to practice directly after five years, in others you have to acquire a master’s degree or specialization, but in our case, once you complete the final year you can work in practice. Can start doing.

-Why are so few places offered each year?

-The numbers depend on the dentist-resident ratio. Secondly, because it is a very high cost career. USC is probably one of the colleges in the entire country that has the highest expenses considering the number of students. Materials are very expensive, facilities are constantly being renovated, the number of teachers is very high. We practically have two per student. For the cost of training one dentist you can make four lawyers.

-Is it in line with the needs of the society?

-Basically, more dentists cannot be offered than the registered population. However, we currently have students from the four Galician provinces, Castilla y León and other nearby regions who do not have this qualification. Due to an imbalance in the selectivity tests, this year 35% of the places were filled by students from other autonomous communities. This puts us in a situation where within 15 years we will have a shortage of professionals.

-How is the sector right now?

-We have a great geographical spread. The number of dentists in Galicia is very high compared to other autonomous communities. There are population centers that do not have professionals because it would not be profitable. Right now, putting more professionals on the streets will only increase unemployment or, worse, underemployment.

-How much does a dentist charge?

-Salaries vary greatly, but for professionals the contract is set between 1,500 and 3,000 euros. Now many clinics are not owned by dentists, they are owned by people who have nothing to do with it.

-Should there be public dentists? The cost may not be affordable for everyone…

-Yes, it will be necessary. What dental health care boils down to is basically keeping the mouth as healthy as possible. When they are healthy, interestingly, dentists can perform many more activities than when they are diseased. Therefore, we demand that public benefits be increased as the level of poverty and marginalization is very high in our country. These people will not be able to access personal counselling. Families have been under great strain financially since the 2008 crisis. Many people have not been able to recover.

-How much does a Spanish family spend on average at the dentist?

-It’s about 250 or 300 euros per year. A portion of that money must be financed by the state.

-Over time, has the dental deformity become more or less? How do I change?

-Pathology is different. Earlier there were mostly cavities. Now, with more post-Covid incidents (mainly) due to stress, we see gum problems, oral lesions or bruxism. The condition of the patients’ mouth worsened after the pandemic. We don’t know what may happen after the virus, or because of the emotional changes happening in society. This affects the mouth and our tissues also get damaged. There has been an increase in injuries that was not seen before, which we believe is due to the so-called lasting impact of COVID.

-How does it appear?

-The presence of oral lesions, the presence of changes in taste, gum problems, especially gingivitis in those who maintain adequate oral hygiene, and all those resulting from bruxism.

-Do you go to the dentist more or less now?

-The good thing is that there are more now. Galicia is one of the communities that has the greatest culture of maintaining adequate dental health, influenced by family and parental care, which is usually very stable.