Career Hotline
Lure of cure
Pervin Malhotra

Q I cleared the Class XII Board Exam with 94 per cent marks. I want to be a doctor. Is there any scholarship or fellowship scheme, which can help me to study in a foreign university? Also, tell me about the institute in India where I can fdo research in the medical field.

A You have got a very good percentage in your Class 12 exam. I would suggest you to complete your MBBS in India from a good medical institute like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) (www.aiims.edu ), Maulana Azad Medical College, (www.meramamc.com), Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) (www.afmcpune.com , CMC, Vellore etc.

Then, if you want to go abroad for further studies, you can apply for courses in allied medical fields such as genetics, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, immunology or public health. It is relatively easier to get admission to high-end courses leading to research in these fields, with some scholarships etc thrown in.

Count your choices

Q I am in final year of B.Tech Engg (E&C). I have a good command on mathematics and score maximum marks in the subject. I want to be a professor in a foreign country (preferably, USA). Please advise.

A Teaching in a foreign university is not so easy. Most of the universities abroad hire students who have completed their Ph. D from a reputed university, have a good number of published papers and teaching experience showing in their CV.

However, if you score really well in GRE (1500+) and are highly recommended by your professors, you may most likely be on the way to a good research programme at some of the reputed universities in the US like MIT School of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, Stanford University (CA), or University of California, Berkeley, after your B. Tech. These universities have a great international standing for their quality of education.

At the time of joining your programme in the US, make sure you take a shot at the competitive test for Assistantship that will be offered by your university.

Highly coveted, Assistantships are not very easy to get as they have many contenders. If you are lucky enough to bag an assistantship, it will significantly subsidize your tuition costs in the US (which can be astronomical). Moreover, it will give you a taste of teaching in an American university. They normally fall under the following categories:

Teaching Assistantships: You will be expected to interact via teaching with the undergrads.

Research Assistantship: You will work under a professor assisting him/her with research.

Grader Position: You won’t have any student interaction. You only have to grade their work.

Fellowship: Requires no work from your side but is difficult to get. Only awarded to exceptional students.

Shop for a job

Q I am a 19-year-old student of Class XII. I want to set up my own retail business. Please guide me.

— Arshi Khan

A When you hear success stories of people like Bill Gates or Dhirubhai Ambani who quit studies after school, it may be tempting to believe that education doesn’t matter for the entrepreneurially inclined. But unless you have an idea that is absolutely time-critical which just can’t wait, it’s probably better to complete your education.

For one thing, it’s unusual for someone your age in business to be taken seriously. More importantly, college offers a tremendous all-round experience.

Besides the regular course work, there is valuable learning outside the classroom, which has a direct bearing on whatever you undertake. The social bonding and extra-curricular activities and opportunities for self-exploration and widening your mental horizons which college life offers is a tremendous asset that will hold good throughout your life. Besides, a degree can be critical for pursing higher studies or even a job later. For instance, even though Microsoft was founded by a couple of college dropouts it is unusual for them or most other companies for that matter, to hire anybody in a key position who has quit his or her education midway. Most importantly, the world is becoming an increasingly competitive, complex and specialised place.

This in turn makes college education (UG & PG) as critical today as high school education was at one time. "Go to college", implores Bill Gates, the world’s richest and most successful entrepreneur-industrialist who now strongly regrets having left Harvard midway. So, for now, enjoy your college life and complete your graduation first which will automatically open up many opportunities for you in future.

Regulated coaching

Q We are studying in a private college in Gurgaon which is affiliated with a foreign university. We have heard that the government now plans to regulate these institutes. We have already paid a hefty amount of money for admission.

If the government decides to regulate the FEI’s, our education and money will be wasted. Our parents are very worried.

A Despite the fact that Indian students like you are spending huge amounts on foreign-affiliated courses, the government has only recently woken up and begun to formulate policies to check the infiltration of sub-standard universities.

There is a move to ratify the Regulation of Foreign University Entry & Operation (Maintenance of Quality and Prevention of Commercialisation) Bill, 2007 to regulate the entry of foreign institutes setting up campus in India.

The proposed Bill to make registration of all FEIs compulsory will make things tough for the 140-odd FEIs already operating in India (without AICTE or any other approval). An FEI will be granted autonomy as a recognized university only if it is approved by the University Grants Commission. The FEI must also ensure that the quality of programmes is of the level of courses offered on Indian campuses.

In a case such as yours, where you are already enrolled in an FEI, the government would make alternative arrangements for students and even compensate employees (faculty etc) from the FEI’s financial kitty in India.

However, institutions of global standing will be exempted from this requirement subject to approval by an advisory board consisting of UGC, AICTE, MCI, etc.

If the FEI collaborates with a recognized Indian university, the latter should ensure the foreign university’s conduct.

The Bill also says that the commercialization of FEIs would be prevented and they cannot repatriate gains to their countries. Besides, franchisee will not be permitted.

The FEIs have to get a NOC from their embassy in India and an Accreditation Certificate from appropriate regulatory bodies of their parent country.

The popularity of these institutes stems from the fact that they offer market-oriented professional courses e.g. law, accounting, management, financial planning, etc.

For example, the US based CFA Institute which is a institution of global repute with operations in 130 countries and responsible for creating professional investment managers was asked by AICTE to discontinue its operations in India. The Bill also seeks to regulate the number of hotel management institutes currently operating in India without AICTE approval.

So far AICTE has approved three institutions in India with foreign collaborators one of which is the Institute of Hotel Management of Aurangabad (affiliated to the University of Huddersfield, UK) which offers a degree in HM.

Cheque list

Q I retired as a bank manager a couple of years back. I need some work now, less for money, more to engage my time. Please help.

A Perhaps the best way to help oneself is by helping others: Join a voluntary organization.

Here’s a relatively new opportunity that has come up which may match your needs and field. Increasing cases of borrowers failing to service their loan and consequent problems have made some banks resort to debt counselling through what are euphemistically called credit counselling centres. In 2007, Bank of India started Abhay and ICICI has launched Disha. Other banks are likely to follow suit.

Credit counselling centres broadly cover three areas: financial education, credit counselling and debt management. Typically, these centres conduct one-on-one sessions with financially-distressed borrowers. They then contact the nodal officers of banks involved and brief them on the broad indebtedness of the borrower.

Banks are also considering pooling their resources, so that a single counselling centre in a locality may serve borrowers of several banks. If each bank launches its own centre, then it could also lead to a dearth of good counsellors, a profession which largely comprises retired bank officials and ombudsmen. Counsellors are typically paid a stipend for rendering such voluntary services.

If you like, can become one of the counsellors.

Testing time

Q When I was studying in a Class 10, I wanted to appear in the National Talent Search Exam, but because of personal problems I was unable to do so. At present, I am studying in B.Com-I. Now I want to know if there is any institute or organisation that conducts a National Talent Search Exam for college students?

A Unlike the National Talent Search Exam which is conducted for students of Class VIII - Class X, there is no such national level talent search exam for college students. However you can apply for scholarships offered for meritorious students by private trusts, your state government and your own college/university.

The writer is a noted career consultant