HYDERABAD: After investing more than five or eight-years into earning Bachelors of Dental Surgery (BDS), Masters degree in the same profession, dentists are shedding aprons for good to join call centres, medical transcription job, health insurance policy advisors and other professions.
While private dental clinics pay a salary of around Rs 25,000 for Masters holders, dentists with only Bachelors qualification are offered a dismal Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month. If a person completes Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and Masters of Dental Surgery (MDS) from a government college, he can complete the course within Rs 2 lakh. However, if they complete the two courses at a private dental college, the costs go up to Rs 13 lakhs or more. It takes around Rs 5 lakh to set up own dental clinic.
Dentists said that they have to take loans to pay fees and to set up their clinics. Since they do not get good salaries and business is not encouraging, it becomes a task for them to repay loans.“Dentist and patient ratio in Hyderabad is overwhelming-while it should be 1(dentist):1000(patients). It is 100:1000 in the city,” said Dr Banu Sekar, member of Telangana Dentists Association. He added that since prospects in the profession are not bright, those with Bachelors degree joined Call Centres, Medical Transcription job, and other professions. “Some of my colleagues joined real estate business as there are fewer opportunities,” he said.
Dentists said that there are around 1,300 Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) seats and approximately 300 Masters of Dental Surgery (MDS) seats. “Usually people spend one year after BDS to secure a Masters seat as there is heavy competition. I studied for a one-and-half year to bag a masters seat in a private dental college. Despite putting in so many efforts and spending lakhs of money, private dental clinics pay `25,000 or a little more. Who would like to pursue such a profession? Many of our colleagues gave up on the profession and joined other jobs,” said Dr Najiv, one of the Masters graduates.
The association members said that there is a severe dearth of government jobs too. According to them, though recruitment notifications were issued, by Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) and Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP), for recruitment of 20 dentists, the process was not completed. Only 10 assistant professor posts were filled in government colleges.
They urged the government to look into their issues and consider them for government jobs. While pursuing he profession in other countries in other countries is an option, they have to spend three to four years to earn a license to practice there.
IMA docs hold protest against Bill
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Dentists threaten to launch indefinite hunger strike
Hyderabad : Dentists with Masters degree who could not complete their one-year senior residency, threatened to launch an indefinite hunger strike if they are not allowed to complete the government service on a stipend basis.
The 1-year government service after post graduation in medicine or dental specialisations, is called Senior Residency-where PGs work for a year in government hospitals. Earlier, Medicine PGs could register their degrees with State Medical Council only after completing 1-year government service. However, following the government’s decision in March, the one-year service is no more mandatory to register their degree.
Only a few PGs are selected for senior residency and stipend of Rs 70,000 per month will be paid. While the one-year service was not mandatory for Dental students pursuing a three-year masters course.