Educational environment as perceived by dental students at King Saud University

Objectives: Main objectives of the present study were to develop a baseline information about dental students' perception of their educational environment at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh; and to investigate the role of four different variables on the students' perception. Methods: Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was distributed among 497 undergraduate dental students, in the second week of the first semester of the academic year, from second year students to interns studying in the College of Dentistry of King Saud University (KSU). Results: Response rate was 60.73%. Mean for the total DREEM scores was 108.42/200. DREEM subscales mean were above 50% of the total score. DREEM overall score showed no significant statistical difference among the four variables investigated, except the academic year, where the second year students scored significantly higher (118.36 +/- 15.8) compared to the interns (105 +/- 21.3). Conclusion: Students' perception of educational environment in the KSU College of Dentistry was satisfactory. However, several weak areas were identified which need some attention and consideration. (C) 2018 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.