Plenty of smiles as: Altamash dentists graduate

Amid rejoicing, graduates worry about future prospects .

KARACHI: It was the day they had all been waiting for. The Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine (AIDM) held its third convocation to honour the classes of 2010 and 2011 at a hotel here on Saturday. Many of the graduates, or rather newly crowned doctors, seemed to have a hard time digesting it all. 

“It (the title) brings more responsibility for us,” one graduate said to her friend. ‘It does feel so different. We have finally made it after four years of hard work,” the other replied.

AIDM conferred degrees upon 95 students from the two batches. Maliha Hameed, who achieved four positions, three honours and 12 distinctions, was declared the best performer of the batch of 2010, while Tahara Jamil, who made four first positions, 10 honours and 16 distinctions, was judged to be the top graduate for 2011.

AIDM Principal Dr Mohammad Altamash acknowledged the prominence his institute has gained as a centre of dental education in Pakistan. He said that apart from its recognised BDS and FCPS programmes as well as a postgraduate programme, AIMD also has a collaboration mechanism in place with the Karolinska Institute of Sweden for a PhD programme, and an exchange programme for its students and teachers.

Professor of Periodontology at Karolinska Institute Sweden, Prof. Per Erik Engstroem, said his institute was impressed by AIDM and therefore decided to start joint-education programmes with it.

AIDM’s associate academic dean, Prof. Dr Bob Gollaher, however, was quick to warn the new graduates that in order to be successful in their profession, they should not slack off at this point. “This newfound independence may seem energizing and entertaining to you, but, unfortunately, it is just the beginning, as you have to continue your medical education,” he said.

While lining up for pictures after the convocation was over, the new dentists were preoccupied with the future. Haq Nawaz Khan, who hails from Swat, said that he plans to continue his education and find work in Karachi to support himself, but that it was not easy to get a job soon after graduation.

Another graduate, Sidra Khan, said that while finding a job is not too difficult, it might take a lot of time to actually get one, as it is common for people in the profession to hold on to their positions for a long time.

Nawaz and Sidra both agreed that the private sector pays more than the government sector. They said that while a fresh graduate may start working at Rs20,000 to Rs30,000 per month, the best possible scenario is for someone to have their own clinic, preferably located in a posh area. A successful private facility can earn a dentist up to Rs500,000 every month, they said.

Parents accompanying the fresh graduates also seemed relieved that their children have finally got something as proof for all their toil during the last few years. “We’re very happy,” said Mr and Mrs Nizami, whose daughter was one of the graduates. “We have never studied the subject, but have visited a dentist several times over and therefore find it to be a very interesting profession,” said Nizami.

It seemed that quite a few graduates had already tied the knot of matrimony. However, numerous female graduates appeared determined to pursue their careers, along with maintaining their family responsibilities. For example, Uzma Asif, who has a one-year-old son, said she is planning to start her career and will continue her education.

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila, who was the chief guest, congratulated the new graduates and also urged them to raise awareness about mouth cancer among people, as it is becoming more common in Pakistan. Prof. Dr Muhammad Qaiser, of the University of Karachi, also spoke.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2012.