Recent data indicate that there is a critical shortage of dental faculty in U.S. dental schools.
It is apparent from the literature that little reliable information presently exists that explain this shortage, and few data that explain why new dental faculty chose to enter academic careers. This project has as its goal the collection of information that could be of benefit to dental educators and administrators in developing strategies to address this shortage of new faculty. To this end, a survey instrument has been developed that identifies 37 possible factors that may be considered by dentists or dental students who are considering an academic position. Respondents are asked to rate the importance of each factor in making this decision, and whether the factor was considered to be a positive or negative influence on the decision. A survey was prepared that identified 37 factors that new faculty may have considered to be important leading to their decision to enter academic dentistry.