10. What After BDS: ALL THE GOVERNMENT JOBS FOR A DENTAL GRADUATE

In India, Govt. jobs have a huge fan base. It is always sought after and it comes with a sense of security and pride. So, it’s natural for every BDS or MDS to be curious if there are any Govt. job options for them. The answer is Yes.

You can broadly classify the Govt. job for a dentist scenario into two types

1. Related to core dentistry. 2. Govt. Jobs not related to dentistry.

As a graduate or postgraduate, you are eligible for both types.

What are the Govt. jobs NOT related to dentistry?

I have come across many real life dentists, who after dental graduation, wanted to enter in non-dentist govt. jobs. With the help of their hard work & dedication, they prepared for the exams, cleared those, and now are placed in various state and central govt. posts. So, are the various jobs available for you to try? As a graduate/post-graduate, you are eligible for all the Govt. posts. (as per published age criteria & required qualifications in the job postings)

UPSC Posts – 3 Types of Civil Services

UPSC involves 3 stages – preliminary, mains, and personality tests. Once you clear these 3 stages you will be eligible for the services below. Based on the rank and vacancies you will be given a service. By the way, these are considered services instead of jobs.

1. All India Civil Services

• Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
• Indian Police Service (IPS)
• Indian Forest Service (IFoS)

2. Group ‘A’ Civil Services

1. Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
2. Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS)
3. Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS)
4. Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS)
5. Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS)
6. Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES)
7. Indian Information Service (IIS)
8. Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS)
9. Indian Communication Finance Services (ICFS)
10. Indian Postal Service (IPoS)
11. Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS)
12. Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS)
13. Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS)
14. Indian Revenue Service (IRS)
15. Indian Trade Service (ITS)
16. Railway Protection Force (RPF)

3. Group ‘B’ Civil Services

1. Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service
2. DANICS
3. DANIPS
4. Pondicherry Civil Service
5. Pondicherry Police Service

Please note: It’s not easy to transition from a BDS curriculum to highly competitive UPSC exams, where candidates from various streams and all over India compete with their best efforts. However, there are many success stories in the dental or health science community who have successfully cleared the exams and are now in services. Just like UPSC, there are state services exams too. You can appear for those too in your state. If you clear those, then you work for the govt. state services.

Should you try for these Govt. (UPSC) & State Services exams

You can, only if you are passionate about getting into Govt. services and are prepared to work the hardest for the exams. The entrance exams for UPSC and state services are highly competitive. The exam is tough with 3 stages. You have preliminary, mains, and personality test/interview. You must clear all the three stages. If you clear the exams the returns are great – prestige, financial security, permanent job, and the power to bring about changes in society.

GOVERNMENT JOBS FOR DENTALSTUDENTS

Starting from the 1st day of BDS till finally completing MDS, a young and curious student goes through a lot of changes emotionally. Let me put it keeping myself in perspective. When I joined BDS, I particularly had no idea why am I doing it.

Evolving with the updating times

As the saying goes, in the job or earning market things are always on the move. So, it helps to think out of the box and gather additional skills that may pay you rich dividends. This is now more prominent with the advent of the internet and multiple ventures/startups powered by the internet (requiring skills of all types). So, if you have an additional skill, that has a need in the market, then you always have a chance to leverage it to make more earnings.

Note: The options we are discussing below, may not be for everybody. But I have come across enough number of young people from dental as well as other health sciences background, who have taken up these additional works with all seriousness & fun. And, they are making substantial subsidiary earnings in addition to their earnings from their primary profession. Many have cleared their student loans with these additional earnings. And in the current scenario of COVID19, when the regular dental clinical practice has decreased, their online works are still bringing them the required finance.

 With thousands of internet-based ventures out there, there is a constantly growing need for educated professionals who could fit into various roles for companies. Do not assume that all such online jobs are for engineers and tech persons only. Every company in various sectors (Tech, E-marketing, Health, Publishing, Finance, Marketing, Designing and so many more) wants passionate individuals who know the basics for the job they are looking for and are eager to learn more.

And if you think, not many are working online from the health fraternity, you are slightly wrong. World over, young health science students, graduates and even working professionals have taken up well-paying part-time online works where their primary expertise or skills (in a different hobby) are in demand.

Benefits of the Online Works:

• You are not bound by geographic location. You can work from anywhere. All you require is a stable internet connection.
• There are a variety of professional works to do, even if you are not an engineer. For example, if may great in English or any particular skill that people want to learn.
• In most of the companies, you get paid in USD – on a monthly or hourly basis.
• With time, if you are able to secure a place in a prime online venture, they not only provide a great salary but also lots of additional perks.

Drawbacks of the Online Works:

• It’s not for everybody. You need to be motivated to work for it after your regular day job. Time management gets difficult.
• You do not need to be a technical expert but you should know your way around the internet.
• You should dedicate time to realize what skills you have that can be used gainfully. Sometimes you may need to update yourself further.
• You should be aware enough to select good ventures that lay down clear-cut work details and policies. So, you must research any potential company you want to apply as a safeguard from any possible frauds.
• It is not EASY MONEY. It demands a lot of hard work, dedication, and late-night work depending on your location. It’s equally difficult to get a job if you plan to work under a reputed online venture. Any openings in a reputed venture are competed for by people from all over the world. And even after managing to get an online job, your work is under constant evaluation.

Can a health professional such as a dental surgeon or medical specialist work online?

Yes, they can, What you need to understand is the category of online works.

• Directly related to your core specialty: Online works related to patient diagnosis and referral. Dentistry and health sciences are based on direct diagnosis and treatment. Online consultation is being used in many places to prescribe medications to manage patients’ symptoms. But there is still the requirement of direct treatment. This is more applicable to doctors who are already attached to corporate setups or have established a private clinic with a steady flow of regular and previous patients. They provide online consultations via Zoom/Skype to patients and if necessary prescribe medications, advise further investigations or schedule an appointment.
• You can still work in the health sector jobs that do not involve direct diagnosis or treatment. If you have additional skills along with your core dental specialty, such as E-mail marketing, social media marketing, an MBA, online content writing, etc, then you can work gainfully in health apps & websites, medical/dental equipment & product companies, Health/Dental/Medical magazines and many more options. Example: Have you noticed the e-mails and social media updates that you receive from dental companies every week or month explaining to you the details of new products and also inviting you to a webinar/product description. The persons behind these marketing are usually dentists who have skills in marketing and expertise in dentistry. They get paid an efficient salary that increases with time thus forming great side earning.

Confused! Let me give you some real-life examples of skills that people from every profession (including BDS, MDS, MBBS, Health Professionals) are using online/offline to make great additional earnings. Some of these works may be directly related to the professional expertise you are qualified in (like dentistry, medicine), and in some, you can gainfully use one of the skills that you have mastered over the years.

Working directly under an Online Venture

Benefit: You work under a company that takes care of the infrastructure, logistics, and operational costs. The pay is great in USD and the work experience also helps you in switching to other companies when the time comes.

Drawbacks: It is not easy to get these jobs in reputed online ventures. They set high standards and you’ll need to go through a multistage evaluation. Also, as the pay is great so is the expected work quality.

Your fluency in English and expertise in any Academic/ Non-Academic/Technical or other skill: If your English speaking, writing & typing skills are good then it can be leveraged in many ways. (you may be asked the proof of your proficiency in English or the Academic Subject that you want to teach or the sector the company deals in like a Dental Implants company. You need to clear evaluation tests.)

• • Online teacher: at educational websites where you can teach English from kids to non-English speaking people.
  • Online expert teacher (in any specialty): Other than English, you can also teach people any topic that you have experience in – for example, how to work as a dentist in Europe, dental practice management, or public speaking skills. There so many aspects you can teach.
  • Online translator – Translating documents and assignments for users.
  • Online customer support via e-mail and chat: You can provide expert support to users for a company via e-mail and chat. The basic need is fluent and conversational English. For example, you can provide e-mail support for a dental company/online health cart, or a product/tech that you are experienced in using.
  • Online proofreading works – correct, edit, and improve the writing of clients.
  • Social media manager – Use your skills to be part of the social media management team for ventures.
  • The above are just a few and there are so many possibilities.

The basic premise in the above works is that – you work for a reputed company on an hourly pay basis or a fixed monthly salary. You work under a company culture, completely online along with many other people from different countries. But keep in mind, it is not easy to get through the selection in an online job. Many reputed companies have a multi-step selection approach. It starts with your e-mail application (that may be overlooked). If you get the initial response, then you might be given a series of tasks/interview. If you are able to complete the steps adequately well then you will get the approval to join as a paid member of the company.

Working as Independent Free Lancer

Benefits: You are independent. You are not answerable to any boss as you are the boss. All the profit that you make are yours.

Drawbacks: You are in charge of everything. Right from starting your venture to managing every aspect of it. Sometimes, it may take months before you start making some serious online earnings. It can also be stressful and frustrating.

If working under a company is not your cup of tea at present, then you can also use your skills to start your own freelancing venture. Some of the most popular freelancing options are:

• Freelance writer: Its a very broad section including a variety of writing jobs. If you are good with words then it’s an open season for you. Few examples below:
  • I have many postgraduate friends who provide freelancing journal editing and proofreading services.
  • I know multiple BDS & MDS professionals who write for various online health portals getting paid per article basis and with time many have joined as monthly paid staff writers.
• Freelance Paid Survey Jobs: There is a multimillion-dollar survey market out there where all big companies spend money to get genuine users’ opinions on their products, customer support, or company.
• Freelance Designing, PowerPoint presentation, Data Evaluation, Data mining for journals.
• In short, the possibilities are endless as long as you can work hard, have patience and persevere.

So, how should you approach these additional on-line earning opportunities?

Going freelancing or working for a venture online has its perks. But, do not get swayed by all those on-line portals urging you to leave your primary profession (in which you have invested time and money) and jump into freelancing or working for a venture full time. Take your time to get more experienced in these online works and also working to improve your primary option. As you get more experienced in managing both – then you can decide what’s best for you!

The best-case scenario is getting the best from both. For example, during my post-graduation, I was completing all my duties as a resident and in the evening, I will invest 4 hours writing content for the websites of 2 European dental companies.

In my first 4 months, both companies paid me an average of $25 per 500 words+ article. (It may not be that much in the international market, but from an Indian POV, it is definitely a good amount). Per month I used to write around 4 articles.

The contents were getting good traction and social media shares. After around 6 months of freelance writing per article pay basis, one of the companies offered me a regular staff position with a great fixed monthly salary.

I got the editorial duty to maintain the company blog along with 3 other writers from France, UK & the USA. I continued the work even after completing my post-graduation and during my practice. This not only gave me a platform to share my writings but also great additional earnings.

Are these online works & earnings just HOAX, LIES or are there any truth or does anyone benefit from it?

Point of caution: Every profession in this world has hoax and lies. For example, quacks practicing dentistry & medicine and also earning thousands per month from patients. The same is the case with online ventures too. Hence, you need to be cautious before selecting. If it’s freelancing then its completely under your control. But if its a company you will be working for, then check the history, reviews, background, and reputability of the company. Under no circumstance, pay any money, to anyone. No reputable company will ask for money for a job. Good companies do not want your money, they want genuine talented people to work for them.

Keeping those points of caution in mind, I have over the years worked in many online works during my entire education. Here is the short summary of works I did:

# Freelance Writing  # Freelance Proof Reading #Freelance website designing for dentists  #Freelance promotional video creator for doctors/hospitals #Freelance app testing #Freelance designing using PS and Editors

#Worked as an Online CS for WordPress Plugin company # Worked as Online CS for design software

#Managing and running my own blogs since 2009

Collectively all the works have helped me immensely over the years. It was not easy managing time between education and online works. But it helped me in so many ways.

• It helped me to fund & complete my post-graduation.
• Over the years I created adequate savings to help me kick start my clinic in a grand way (which I currently paused due to COVID 19 pandemic).
• I invested in MF, Stocks that helped me in compounding the incoming finance.
• It also taught me the skills of multitasking and managing finance.
• It provides you additional skill experience, expertise, and potential earning source.

Young Dentists are ready to make their own way

Many career streams we discussed in this article are different from the traditional dentistry.

Once there was a time when a dental surgeon or a health professional always selected the traditional pathway of career. But, the younger generation today are open to good avenues even though it may be different from traditional dental career. You may not realize that its the new way! However, managing DentalOrg.com, we have come across so many actual cases, where a dentist or a health professional, chose to take a different route with proper planning and have a successful career – financially & socially.

For example, read this real-life story of a BDS pass-out who was facing the same problem as many other of her dental friends – of not being able to find a financially suitable job. She wanted to do MDS but the fees were too high. To rub salt in the wound, a dental establishment where she tried to work, offered her Rs 3000 per month (from morning 9 AM to evening 8 PM)! She rightfully was deeply insulted and declined the so-called job offer.

To start her own clinic she would need investment and she did not want to ask that money from her parents who had already spent a lot on her education. So, she took a very different approach.

She was smart, articulate, with a fashion sense. So, she tried her luck in the aviation industry and started her career as a flight attendant. After 2.5+ years in the aviation industry, she is working for Emirates and drawing a monthly salary of 2.5 lakhs INR. She is saving up money, pursuing a distance MBA with plans to join the management of a corporate dental/medical setup when she leaves the aviation industry. Today she not only supports her family financially but she is also earning much more than she expected. Also, visiting all the exotic places on earth in the job, is like a cherry on the top. If you are hard-working and have the capacity to think out of the box, then there will always be doors open for you.

You can read the complete story here:

FROM 32 INTACT TO SKY HIGH

Welcome, We are back with a new story that will interest and motivate you to think out of the box. As the saying goes ” Winners don’t do different things, they do things differently “.

… Check Next Final Slide …

for the Summary of all the points on “What After BDS”