Table 5 Opinions of patients and students related to the dimension “Strengths in the training in professionalism”

• The number of graduates who work in the public service is important, they get involved because they want to be dentist in rural areas, most of them are interested in the public service. Student

• A professional from the University of Chile knows how to work it out with the tools available in order to treat a patient properly and to help him/her, I think that in a health centre, let’s say, in a very rural area, he/she will be able to work things out to attend his/her patient. Student

• I think that it is important to know how to face the problems and try to find a solution with the resources available, and maybe all these difficulties we have make us strong in this aspect. Student

• I think it is like the responsibility, reliability they show towards their patients, the responsibility towards what they assume. Patient

Positive evaluation by the patients

• The students take it very seriously, very responsibly and make great efforts, and it struck me because it is not easy to find it … the teacher is attentive, he/she is looking around and knows where to check again soon, so you can feel this atmosphere of tremendous professionalism that you don’t find anywhere else… Patient

• I have been attended very well and they also make sure that everything fits well; the same goes for me as a senior citizen, if I have a problem, if I feel bad at any time, they are always extremely concerned, teacher and student, so I am very happy… Patient

• In these three years, I have seen that student and teacher care is directed towards doing things right, doing things in an excellent way, in other words, it has to be done better than just well… Patient

• They (the students) have been extremely sympathetic, I don’t know, what can I tell you, I’ve been through tough family stuff, they heard about it and came to ask me… so this … it fills me … because I totally trust these kids, totally … Patient

• I think they are the best, I am “pro-University of Chile” and for me the professionals graduated from this University are really the best, without a doubt. Now, about their values … the commitment, the efficiency … I have the best opinion of the professional from the University of Chile … Patient

New curriculum

• The training is comprehensive and so they will not ask for programmes but rather for comprehensive discharges, where you understand that you are treating patients, not teeth, so this is where the more professional speech should be directed, that is the commitment of the student towards the patients, not towards his/her study programme, I think that in this sense, it is positive. Student

• I think it is very good that instead of focusing on the number of actions, it focuses on a patient in a comprehensive way. Student