Plight of an Indian Dental Student

          PLIGHT OF AN INDIAN DENTAL STUDENT

Me:(to a MBBS 2nd year student via text) :Hey, can u tell me the name of mosquito is the vector for causing FILARIA?
                                                                           
He:I don't know but I guess it is Wuchereria bancrofti                                                                                                                
Me:Dude that is the worm which is carried by the mosquito. May God bless your future patients!                                                                                                                                           
He: I am not at all studying these days, I have pretty more  important things to tackle than studies
Me: Okay!
He : And let me tell you for your information that I was a scholar when I used to study                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          .
Me :When? During Kindegartens?
He: Just shut up! I AM IN MEDICINE AND U ARE NOT. SEE THE DIFFERENCE.

Its the same story everywhere in India. No one calls MBBS peoples as HALF DOCTORS when they go into specialisation. Every doctor has to be specialised in a specific part of human body viz neuro, cardio, derma or patient specific like gyaeno, pedo. But dental students are looked as underdogs, and they are not considered as a part of medical fraternity.

In my opinion the problem arises right during the admission procedures. Those students who are not able to clear the entrance exam for a MBBS seat go for BDS as a second option and throughout their life they live in inferiority complex. BDS has always been a second option in India and this scenario has not yet changed in India even after almost 50 years of commencement of dentistry as a professional course. But if we go elsewhere like the US or AUS the whole scenario is different...there are numerous different branches in dentistry itself tat we hav never heard of and most of all dentists are worshipped:)...
The second reason for this mentality is lack of awareness for oral hygiene. People hardly visit their dentist until the pain becomes unbearable. And tell me how many of then even know how to brush their teeth in right manner.

So the question arises "What to do?" . In my opinion students should not pursue dentistry as a second option. Merit list should not force anyone to study a subject which one doesn't like. The scenario should be such that, if someone is pursuing BDS, it should not mean at all that his/her MBBS counterpats had scored more than him/her in the entrance exam. And unfortunately if someone can't help it and are forced to pursue it (due to peer pressure or any other reason , then they should forget the past and get engrossed in the new path whole heartedly. " LETS NOT HOPE FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO RESPECT OUR PROFESSION, ITS US WHO HAVE TO INITIATE, ITS UPTO US" No one can belittle you and make you feel small if you yourself take pride in what you are involved with.

JOKE: One day, heart said that it was the most important organ, lungs said they were more important than heart...Eyes, ears, mouth said the same...This fighting irritated the Rectum it stopped functioning...Guess what happened... It's like that :))
We all know that dentistry isnt just abt teeth and smile....So if we think about teeth only n say "Dentists= the smile doctors" then it will be underestimation, if we think about our heart smiling due to the disease free body then ,yes DENTISTS= THE SMILE DOCTORS :)

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Written by
Kumar Anshul