Tuesday, October 26, 2010

L-E-A-D session in Jaipur- 24 Oct 2010

Jaipur is fast turning out to be a heavenly place to visit after the hustle and bustle of NCR. I have been visiting this city for the last couple of years and it is transforming into a beautiful metro.
 My latest visit was to conduct a session of  practice management etc. which received an overwhelming response, including an insert from the DAINIK BHASKAR on 25 Oct. It is heartwarming to note that the gennext of dentistry is serious about learning the ropes as the session saw some spirited interaction from the participants which made it mutually very satisfying.
Once again I received proof of the great hospitality that Jaipur and its inhabitants offer to you!
Had a great time and look forward to going back soon :-)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

For Sale - INDIA

This must be the mother of all scams.
India is being sold bang in full public view. And all and sundry are busy putting their hands together lauding!!!

The government is going to  meet its target of divestment this fiscal by putting 10% of  Indian Oil stock for sale.
The target is Rupees 40,000 crores.
What will happen to this money?
Remember what happened to most of the 70,000 crores spent on commonwealth games???
Well i am willing to bet good money on the fact that this money too will be fairly & honestly divided amongst our leaders.

Coal India stake sale is already on. And if you recall many PSUs have already been sold in part.
So, what's  my point? '
Simple.
Our leaders are selling the country's assets in bits and pieces. And it's not as if people like you and me are buying  crores of these shares. I hope somebody who loves India is buying them or else........!!!
Who owns these assets?
Us the people of this country.
Where should the money thus acquired be spent?
On India's development. Which sadly is NOT happening as it ought to.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

My answer is NO....what's yours???

A dacoit forcibly gains entry into your house, makes himself comfortable and stays with you for ten years. For some reason you are unable to throw him out during those ten years where in he tortures your family and you in all possible ways imaginable. Your hard earned money is snatched and taken away for his personal use and some of that money he sends back to his kith and kin (imagine his guts!!!). In short he grows at your expense over the years, in fact so much that he is seen as a very strong person in your neighborhood. He also intrudes on some of your neighbors and even adjoining neighborhoods and exploits everyone the same way.
However during these years, he gives everyone enough food to keep them alive and also showers favors on those who help him run his reign of terror.

After ten years with great difficulty you get rid of him.

Would you like to associate with him once he leaves?
Would you INVITE him back and honor and thank him once he visits?
Would you spend your hard earned money to make his visit luxurious?
Would you spend that money to commemorate his existence and celebrate the fact that he owned you once?

If your answer to any of the questions listed above is a NO, then
WHY ARE WE STILL A PART OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH???!!!
My question to you: Should we continue to be a part of the British commonwealth?
Do leave your  answer in comments section or just vote alongside the blog.
Thanks.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Practice management is just like running a marathon!




Running is an amazing activity!
Especially when you are neither running away nor towards, but just running for running's sake :-)
My tryst with running began in 1992 and have I have been running ever since. Neither away nor towards. Just.
Have run three half marathons. The exhilaration that one experiences on crossing the finish line is beyond words. Will be there on 21st November for the third Airtel Delhi Half Marathon too. Am aiming to complete in under two hours.

Are you going to be there?
Running a marathon is quite akin to a good dental practice and performing good dentistry! More on this some other time.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

ATM- AllTimeMoney or Automated Tension Machine???

Money makes the mare go! and how!
Gone are the days when one could go to a bank, wave at some known faces, fill a form, get a token, wait for it to be announced and then a human being aka the teller would hand over the moolah to us. Hopefully with a smile.
Alas, we have machines now, which have made our lives much easier and the interaction inanimate. Just punch the debit/credit card, pin number and voila!!! the money is right there.
UNTIL YESTERDAY........
........when my ATM debited my account twice but handed out the money only once.
The bank said wait for 24 hours, the machine will self correct and the money will be in your account. Well the wait was not fruitful. The second trip to the bank saw me filling up a complaint form. All i received was an assurance that the bank will check its records and IF my claim is genuine the money may be in my account in about 12 days. Yes TWELVE days! Technology helps me withdraw in 60 seconds and human intervention takes upwards of 12 days.
Looking for some empathy from fellow humans :(

Monday, October 11, 2010

Is there life after BDS/MDS? aka BDS/MDS- so what do we do now?

One of the most frequently asked questions I face from students/interns/graduates/dentists at large/audiences pertains to the future that awaits them once they leave the protected environs of a dental college.
 I am reminded of the famous dialogue in the JUNGLE BOOK movie wherein the vultures (styled after the famous FAB FOUR of the rock group beatles) sit on a tree and ask," WHAT DO WE DO NOW?" . 
 What is the correct answer? 
My most frequent answer is "different strokes for different folks!" Each has his/her own ambitions so we all take different routes hoping to reach our destination one day.
But what I am worried about is the situation staring at us in the face today. How does a dentist make a living out of dentistry? Many amongst us have left the herd altogether to pursue and master worlds hitherto unknown to the conventional dentist. We find dentists in BPO industry, dental product industry, corporate healthcare systems, clinical research industry to name but a few. 
Point is why don't we get trained in some or most of the above in the dental colleges? Or at least there ought to be career counselling once a graduate is about to leave. One finds it very amusing that the dentist is trained and thereafter left to her/his own devices to eke a living out of dentistry, or in proverbial terms we feed them to the sharks of the real world out there on the street. 
Do leave your comments. 


Sunday, October 10, 2010

phew!!! done.....at last :-)

For the last couple of months life's been a swirl, as I was shifting my pediatric dental practice... to a mall.
Probably the first ever pediatric dental clinic in a mall in our country :-)
Was a herculean task.
Done now.
Feels great!

 I wonder how a fresh graduate goes about setting up a practice all on his/her own. There is a vacuum in the dental services industry when it comes to guidance/active help for establishing a new practice. Of course once we have the practice in place it is just the beginning of another steep learning curve because now begins the task of experiencing first hand how patients treat us and vice-versa. Also how difficult or easy is it to make a living from what we have been taught. Things like:
How to get patients to the practice?
How to get patients to accept our treatment plan?
How to go about running a practice on a day to day basis?
How to market the practice and then gain from it.
Discounts or no discounts?
Charge more or less?
Call a consultant or do everything on one's own?
Sadly, nobody offers any help, and what is available is usually not customized.