Mostafa Abtahi - Orthodontic Department, Dental Materials Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Negin Azizzadeh - DDs, Private Practice, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Hossein Bagheri - Dental Materials Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Alireza Ghasemzadeh - ۴Orthodontic Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Background Recognizing and reviewing the educational curricula of the specialized fields of dentistry and comparing it with the curricula of the top universities in the world will help to provide the necessary changes and corrections in postgraduate dental education, leading to more skilled specialists. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the orthodontics post graduate curriculum of Mashhad dental school with the top ۱۰ international dental schools. Methods Twenty-two of the world's top universities (۱۰ main and ۱۲ reserve) that offer orthodontics postgraduate programs were selected. A checklist including eight key factors and some secondary variables was prepared. These factors were classified as quantitative and qualitative. The checklist was filled with information provided by university websites and contacting program directors using email. A sample t-test and descriptive-analytic approach were respectively used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. Results Among the quantitative factors that were evaluated, only the “percentage of completely treated patients” was significantly lower in Mashhad dental school compared with that of the top ۱۰ international dental schools. There was no significant difference regarding the length of study, the number of professors, and the number of patients visited by each resident. Among the qualitative factors, the most diversity was seen in certificates awarded to graduates. Conclusions No significant difference was observed in didactic education, clinical training, and research project conduction between the orthodontics post graduate program of Mashhad dental school and top-tier international universities.

Orthodontics, Educational Curriculum, Postgraduate Courses