Every dentist wants to go for higher dental education. But it demands a lot of time and financial investment. So, think properly before you decide on it.
Never go for higher dental educations for Wrong reasons.
Ask yourself practical questions and see that you are not taking a wrong decision.
This article will provide you the answers to those questions.
Top Questions To Help You Decide: Are You Fit For MDS/Higher dental education?
TOP 5 REASONS: Do Not Go For Higher Dental Education For Wrong Reasons
It’s that time of the year when many fresh dental students would be finishing their internship and graduating as a doctor. All of them looking forward to the future with equal amounts of anxiety and excitement.
Most them would be first generation dentists having absolutely no clue of how to go about it. A majority of us feel doing a post graduation or an abroad dental education is the ultimate thing you could do after dental graduation.
- Many would be preparing for the upcoming exams seriously.
- Some would be trying their best to study regularly. Some would have begun with full enthusiasm and gave up midway.
- Some would probably be waiting to just try their luck without much effort.
- Some will be waiting with cash in hands to go abroad for higher dental education.
No matter what, the ultimate aim is always MDS or Post Graduation or Higher Dental Degree abroad.
But there are many questions that need answers.
- But should you just join MDS/Higher dental education in a private or abroad college by spending a huge amount just because your friend did it?
- Should you prepare for one of the toughest entrance exams (AIPG/NEET) just because some of your seniors have tried and got through and some are still trying.
- Should you prepare for one of the toughest entrance exams (AIPG/NEET/NBDE/DDS) just because some of your seniors have tried and got through and some are still trying.
In the current scenario, this approach may not be good anymore. Never base your decisions on what others are doing. Have you ever heard the lines
“One man’s paradise is another man’s hell”
What may be correct for your friend may be wrong for you! So the need of the hour is to take the decision based on your situation and resources. So you need to decide on your own.
But wait … before you decide …
read these top questions which will help you to decide if you should do MDS or go for a higher dental education abroad ????
Let’s Start: A Little Recap
1. How We Ended Up Doing BDS/Dentistry and
Now Waiting For MDS/NBDE/DDS ??? Fate ???
But, what is strange is most of us are just repeating the same thing we did some years back. Just for a small recap, let’s think of how most of us actually ended up here.
Let’s Recap … When you had just passed your 12th Grade =
“You have To Get Science … Everyone in Our Family Is Science”
image credits:giphy
It all probably started from your 9th or 10th grade when your parents started telling you to-“study well so that you would be getting into science group.” Being a doctor is a thing of pride for many ambitious parents. So, they directly or indirectly push their kids towards a career in Health Sciences.
Once you belonged to the science group, you gave up every other thing you ever loved to just to keep trying to get into any one of the “only” two professions that parents consider a profession in the real sense:
An engineer or a doctor.
You gave multiple exams and kept slogging those two years and finally landed up in an engineering college or a medical college.
Those of you who couldn’t get a medical seat compromised by taking up dentistry.
That almost sums up how most of us ended up doing Dentistry.
If you notice, most us never had the choice or the chance to think of what we really wanted to do. We did most of these things because everybody else did it or probably what we were told to do.
None of us really took the time to think if we really wanted to do what we are going to do and how it really feels like. It’s sad that it happens in many countries that the biggest decision of our life was not our own but it was influenced by others.
” BDS/Dental Graduation is Over … Shall I do MDS/Higher dental education ??? “
Now that we yet again stand at the crossroads of our next big decision,
why are we blindly doing things like a herd of sheep?
BDS/Dental Graduation is over !!!
What To DO Now … MDS/Higher Dental Education ???
All of us want to do a PG/Higher Dental Education,
but how many of you really enjoyed your UG/Dental Graduation?
How do you think you would enjoy doing your MDS if you never really enjoyed BDS?
Have you asked yourself this question?
In my opinion here are some reasons why some people should not be doing a PG or spending a huge amount of finance to pursue higher dental education.
Unless you get a Sponsored seat … it usually involves 2 to 3 years of preparation (with no guarantee that you will get) you are going to spend Millions for Higher Dental Education in private institutions in your own country or abroad.
Go Next Slide: to See 1st Reason Not to MDS / Higher Dental Education (NBDE, ADC, DDS)
Your friend spent Millions for higher dental education … Should You Also Do The Same?
Press Next to go to the next slide
1. First Reason Not To Do MDS/NBDE/DDS/ADC
My Friends Are Doing, So I will Also Do
Never rush to do PG/MDS/NBDE/DDS/ADC just because others are doing it.
Never follow the herd until unless you really want to do it.
“Hi … I have joined MDS/NBDE/ Abroad dental course by spending Millions
What! You doing it really?
I will also do MDS/DDS/NBDE somehow … even if I have to take millions of loan or years to clear the entrance exams!”
even if I have to take millions of loan or years to clear the entrance exams!”
Decide for yourself if higher dental education is going to solve your purpose. If planning to do in private then check seriously if you have the money to sustain yourself during and after the MDS course.
If funds are short then it is better NOT TO DO private Higher Dental Education in your country or abroad.
You don’t want to be in a situation where you have no money left after Higher Dental Education, stressing how to pay the bank loans & struggling to open your Dental Practice but one of your dental friends (Who Understood he is not ready to spend millions in higher education) instead has opened a good practice and is doing well.
You might have to visit his/her clinic and ask for consultations!
Next Reason: Don’t Do Higher Dental Education thinking
Oh! people will look down upon me if mm not MDS/Post Graduate!
2nd Reason Not To Do MDS
Don’t Do MDS thinking – your own dental friends who would be doing higher dental education would look down upon you
This is one of the most foolish reasons to do MDS/NBDE/DDS/ADC etc.
Never think on that line that your friends with a higher dental degree will look down upon you!
Considering the current situation in dentistry – MDS or dentists with higher dental education people have nothing much to boast about.
Jobs in colleges (particularly in India) are so dry that there is no surety even dentist with higher education will get an academic post.
In fact, if some BDS/Dental graduate has somehow spent millions in private MDS/Abroad education thinking that after the higher education they will join as a staff … then they might be surprised.
Next Reason: Don’t Do MDS/NBDE/DDS
Just Because
Your parents have lot of money
… See Next Slide …
3rd Reason not to do MDS/DDS/NBDE/ADC
Your Parents Have Lot Of Money To Waste
(Though you are not interested in the course)
In this case, the dentist has no issues spendings millions for higher dental education or a 5-star dental practice.
But don’t take it as a reason to do go for higher education.
Assess truly & faithfully if you really enjoy dentistry?
Ask yourself do you still want to continue higher dental education?
If the answer is NO … then don’t go for higher dental education as you don’t need the degree for earning.
You already have enough of money & comfort …
so search for something that will be more fruitful for you.
4th Reason Not To DO MDS
Your relatives are constantly asking about
your future plans and trying to give their opinion.
Never plan and do MDS/Higher dental education hastily just because some silly relatives are bugging you.
In the current scenario, it’s not wise.
Most of the relatives won’t help you or come to your rescue financially.
So you don’t need to do anything to get their approval.
You do what is most feasible and possible for you.
This is the most irritating scenario faced by a young dental graduate. While he/she is just finishing the internship, his/her close school friends or cousins are already drawing a good salary from their company.
In social events he/she sees his/her cousins and friends relaxing and oozing with confidence that regular money or salary provides.
Then comes the really nasty aunties who start comparing their kids work-salaries and start Bombarding you with questions:
When are you opening your clinic?
Did you join any college as a staff?
What is your salary?
These interactions put a lot of pressure on young graduates. It forces them to develop a sense of inferiority complex. In spite of being a professional doctor, the immediate shortage of money is heightened to such a point that – dental graduate start questioning their career choice.
In such a crunch time – many graduates hastily decide to go for the higher dental degrees with a feeling that it will shut up the nagging friends and relatives. But such decisions are many times not planned. As a result, the young Dental / Medical graduate gets into even tougher financial position trying to afford the costly higher dental education courses.
And the final and most irritating question by relatives –
“You won’t charge me any money for dental treatments … in your clinic?”
Your reaction on hearing so much bullshit … “Just shut up you Idiot “
Social functions become like interrogation sessions …
“Just a dental graduate! It has no value”
Your neighborhood aunty who doesn’t even know how many branches are there in dentistry starts saying that dentistry has no value unless you go for higher education.
Don’t even listen to her.
Do what possible and best for you.
See Next Reason
Don’t do higher dental education hoping that you will get a job after 3 years.
Yes! that’s the fact.
… See Next Slide …
5th Reason Not To Do MDS:
Don’t do higher dental education thinking that after
you complete the higher dental education you will surely get a JOB and lot of money.
We Got Job … Right After Higher Dental Education! Really!
gif credits:giphy
In the current scenario of dentistry, you need to face the facts … the really real facts!
Don’t do MDS/Higher dental education thinking that after the completion you will definitely get a job. The number of MDS or dentists with the higher dental degree are increasing so rapidly that all departments are completely saturated. So there is very less chance of you getting a job … until unless you have a big influence working for you.
The senior people you see well settled as academic staffs/professors in different colleges … passed their MDS / Higher Dental Education some 10 to 15 years back.
For the new generation dentists, there is no such luxury.
So you better be prepared for the hard truth.
I have Got a Job !!!
(Not Sure AnyMore)
When Should you Do MDS / Higher Dental Education?
So, after the last few slides, you must be wondering, if you should at all go for higher dental education or not.
The aim of this post is not to make you feel that going for higher dental education is futile.
Rather the aim of this post is to make you realize that you should not go for higher dental education for the wrong reasons.
Decide to do go for higher dental education when
- You genuinely develop an interest towards a particular subject in dentistry.
- When you feel you lack in a particular aspect of dentistry that you would like to nurture.
- When you yourself feel that doing a PG/Higher education at this time would contribute to your skills majorly.
- Only if you really enjoy dentistry and its something that you deeply desire.
- When you are mentally ready for working hard to qualify the exams and financially ready to spend the money required for the education.
We all are aware of how competitive this world is.
Most of us might think that if we don’t hurry up we might fall behind our counterparts.
But, I feel we need to give ourselves some time to make a clear decision to know what we want from life.
The Final Take Away Points: Let’s Do It Our Way
Why is it that all of us are rushing into something just because everybody is doing it or somebody else said so?
- I believe it would be ideal to give yourself some time (if you haven’t given already) to assess where you lack and what you need to work on.
- Give yourself that time for self-assessment and then decide what to do ahead so that at least this time you would be really sure of the decision you are going to take.
- If you ever felt you do not enjoy this field do not be afraid to do what you love. Do not be afraid to chase your dreams and listen only to your heart. There are chances to succeed in any stream that you choose.
- There are many examples where dentists have moved away from dentistry to other professions out of their wish and doing well. All depends on timing and hard work.
Remember, success comes only to those who really love what they do.
Go ahead guys, and all the very best for your future and always remember,
“It is never too late to be what you might have been”
Article by: Dr. Keerthika Natarajan
Writes at DentalOrg.com have written some very useful article that will help and guide you in your dental career decisions. You can check some of the articles below.
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