Looking beyond the very first step
R. Sujatha
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A student may choose any course, but can remain a professional provided he continues to learn all his life
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It is not enough to ensure that your ward gets a seat in his chosen course of study. That is only the first step.
The struggle to get into college may end with admission but parents cannot relax. For them it is the first step in preparing their child for a sure-fire career, say experts. The experts who participated in the pre-engineering and medical counselling at The Hindu Education Plus Fair this weekend note that education goes beyond cut-off marks and getting into the best college.
While engineering aspirants must opt for good colleges, when it comes to medicine, just getting a seat in a medical college should be the consideration, as the cut-off marks leave students with little choice.
"When you enter the counselling hall, have a list of options," C. Ramachandran, former Secretary of Medical Admissions in Tamil Nadu urges students. Students should not narrow their options to allopathic medicine. Traditional Indian systems of medicines are much sought after in villages. Most of these courses take in students with a high score in TNPCEE examinations, and language skills are important.
"When you choose a course and career in health science you learn only with experience," Dr. Ramachandran says.
Students could opt for less sought courses such as those for the food and drug industries that will never close down. A degree in pharmacy would enable to set up quality laboratories in the country. "With a growing population and increase in diseases, everybody has work."
Unlike in engineering where students could take up a wide range of courses and avoid the long queues for jobs after college education, in medicine, students should get into any college they are offered admission, the panellists say.
A mere degree, however, is not enough. Students must learn interpersonal skills, and parents must support up to 10 years of higher education. The parents' job does not end with their children getting the coveted degree. The struggle to establish oneself in a chosen career continues at least up to the age of 35. A degree gives basic knowledge but not the skills needed for a workplace.
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