Self- Efficacy and Career Enhancement Of Bayero University Dental Graduates

Traditionally, clinical student mentoring has focused on advancing mentees from novice to more respectable positions within clinical practices. Mentoring, a relationship where an expert (mentor) offers career, psychological or instrumental support to an individual with less experience (protégé), can enhance the protégé’s career behaviour and development. With medical entrepreneurship on the rise, a focus on students' entrepreneurship and career development abilities is critical for leadership, team building, and business practices. The objective of this research was to understand the career decision-making self-efficacy factors relevant to the strategic framework of the faculty of dentistry, Bayero University career enhancement initiative. The participants were students and alumni of the faculty of dentistry, at Bayero University Kano. A survey research design was adopted and quantitative was used. Data was collected through a structured (close-ended) questionnaire using a career decisionmaking and self-efficacy scale of 25 items. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this research mapped the intricate relationships between the research variables, offering insights into how targeted career enhancement initiatives can bolster self-efficacy and guide students toward successful careers in dental practice. Findings from the study indicated that planning and goal selection were significant predictors of career choice, while self-appraisal, occupational information, and problem-solving showed varied influences. The study recommends a structured mentoring program for dental students and alumni targeted toward both academic and dental practice. This will provide them with professional networking opportunities, career planning, personal growth and entrepreneurial skills development.