BDS course without internship!

Scrapping of Internship will affect the career prospects of Dental Surgeons in the country and Abroad

Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan

Recent decision to reduce the duration of the Bachelor of Dental Surgery -BDS course in the state will affect the career prospects of Dental graduates within the country and abroad. As per the directions of Dental Council of India, the state government has been compelled to reduce the duration of BDS course to five years with effect from 2008-09. Previously it was of four and a half years of study period with one year of internship. With this decision, duration of BDS course will become five years without having internship. During the one-year internship period, the student acquires more skill and confidence to work independently. After completing internship he/she can practice with confidence.

Dentistry is one of the important professional courses having immense career potential in United States and Europe. In USA Dental surgeons are earning more income than any other profession. In United States patient has to pay huge fee for dental ailments. Now a days more number of dental graduates from India are interested to pursue higher education from USA or UK. After completing GRE and TOEFL/IELTS with better scores, some of them are undergoing postgraduate and research programme in USA and UK. During their study period they are preparing for dental licensing examination. In order to successfully complete the licensing examination, a student will be required to undergo externship in United States/UK under the guidance of a licensed dental practitioner. A student without undergoing internship will find it very difficult to successfully complete the required externship programme and licensing examination. Overseas education is giving more emphasis to academic excellence; better facilities & resources with flexible curricula, cutting-edge technology, hands-on training and challenging research opportunities.

While overseas dental education is giving due importance to skill development and hands on training programme with internship and externship in leading hospitals, dental graduates under the new stream without internship will find it very difficult to adjust with the new situation. Need of the hour is to reintroduce internship programme in the BDS course so as to get the dental graduates more hands on training and skill development situations in order to practice with full confidence. Dental surgeons and dental faculty associations along with dental students strongly protested against this proposed move.

IELTS is the world's preferred English test

Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan
938000 candidates appeared for IELTS examination during 2007. When compared to last three years number of candidates appeared for IELTS have almost doubled during 2007. It can be due to new immigration policies, recognition of IELTS throughout the English speaking world and entrance requirements & criteria for admission. IELTS tests are conducted 48 times per year.

Recent study done by KPMG revealed that KPO i.e., Knowledge process outsourcing in financial services is expected to be worth 5 billion US dollars by 2010. It may be due to the success in off shoring business operations. India is expected to remain a preferred location for KPO activity in future. Lack of talent pool, requirement of high-level control, confidentiality and high-level control and enhanced risk management are some of the limitations in this sector. Process complexities, higher billing rates and skilled resource requirements differentiate KPO from BPO.

Studies on Real Estate

Real estate courses abroad

Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan

Real estate Business has acquired the status of one of the most profitable ventures in the country. In USA and European union growth rate in real estate sector far exceeds other sectors. Economists suggest that real estate finance, investment and appraisal are some of the emerging areas. In the Globalised era there is enough job potential for courses related to real estate in the country and abroad.

Recently many universities in UK are offering real estate courses. They offer Postgraduate programmes in corporate real estate & facilities management, Real estate investment & Finance and Real estate appraisal. These courses are of 24 months duration with an option to complete the course within a period of 72 months. All the modules within the above modular masters programmes are available on a continuing professional development basis. Students are required to attend the taught programme in the university for a short duration, ie, up to one semester and the rest of the course period can be completed on a continuing professional development basis through Internet. Students who completed four-year degree programme or postgraduates can apply for the e real estate courses.

MSc Corporate Real estate and facilities management course is aimed at professionals employed in real estate market. This will help the student to acquire skills and knowledge necessary to manage complex corporate real estate portfolios in the emerging business context. The course includes corporate real estate, strategy, practice, finance and performance management. MSc real estate investment and finance can be used both as an entry in to the expanding area of real estate finance and investment. MSc real estate appraisal is aimed at developing successful career in commercial real estate sector. The programme focuses on economics, ethics, law and environment pertaining to real estate globally.

One of the pioneering universities in UK, University of Reading is offering postgraduate programmes in real estate management. Since the taught course duration at Reading is of short period, students can complete the programme at a lesser expense. Those who require financial support during their stay at Reading can do part time work @ 20 hours per week. For more details visit www.reading.ac.uk/rep

Potential for Biotech research

Potential for Research on GM crops in India

Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan

Genetically modified technology has always attracted skepticism, resistance and controversy, yet its use continues to grow in many parts of the world. Says US Grains council. Despite pest and pricing worries, many Asian countries have welcomed biotech crops. Be it farmers in India, China, Vietnam or Philippines, it is all over Asia and the Indian subcontinent that farmers are happy with the use of new products on offer in the agriculture marketplace. Public sector institutions presently carry out majority of developments in crop biotechnology. According to the International Service for the Acqisition of agri-biotech applications, the total area of approved GM crops reached 102 million hectares in 2006. Of the 9 million hectares in India about 38 percent was on Bt Cotton in 2006 and the area coverage is expected to increase to 75 percent by 2010. While Governments and environmental groups argue over the safety and morality of GM crops, many farmers in Asia are quietly working with scientists to overcome minor problems they are experiencing with this technology. In India agriculture biotechnology space has grown in the past one decade and has witnessed projects in large number of private and public sector. The investment has also shifted to some extent purely application oriented research to a mix of basic and applied research. Several biotech companies catering specialized research services to seed companies lack in house research facilities, which creates opportunities in agri biotechnology.
India had realized several years back that to increase food, feed and fiber production from the current level, use of biotechnology is imperative. Several institutions under Indian council of Agricultural Research and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research under department of Biotechnology, Government of India are actively applying biotechnological tools to enhance productivity and quality of agricultural crops. Agricultural universities, traditional universities and other R&D institutions are funded by DBT through external grants to support research on transgenic crops. Bio-safety of Biotech crops is one of the growing areas of research in the Biotech sector.