Scope for psychiatry teachers
Pervin Malhotra
Q. I am practicing as a psychiatrist in Hoshiarpur. I have a great passion for teaching based on my 10 years of experience. Since I have some free time in the mornings, I would love to teach in a medical college. Is this possible/permitted? — Dr Kamini Saroor
A. You are in luck. The recent amendment in the Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998, allows medical colleges to set up their independent selection committees to appoint private doctors as visiting faculty without requiring any permissions or approvals from the MCI.
We have an army of qualified specialists and experienced private practitioners in districts and villages who are conversant with the ground realities of diseases and healthcare conditions. Considered at par with the professors thanks to their extensive hands-on experience, these practitioners can help medical colleges improve their standards.
The faculty shortage is a huge challenge in most medical colleges in India. There’s a gross disparity between available faculty and the quantum of increasing students across private and public medical colleges. Although every college has a basic contingent of teachers, there’s room for improvement without hampering the existing setup. Coming as a veritable boon, this move will allow private doctors like you to teach on a need basis without having to be permanently employed as faculty.
Courses in Gender Studies
Q. While doing my BA in sociology I briefly learnt about Gender Studies and got very interested in the subject. Can you suggest some PG courses in north India and the job prospects in this field. — Avantika prakash
A. As you may have broadly gathered, Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary field that analyses gender identity and representation. It includes women’s studies (concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics). While the treatment of women in society has significantly improved, there’s still much progress to be made. Men’s studies and queer studies also form part of the course.
Quite a few universities offer gender studies as part of their undergraduate programmes in social sciences. However, at the PG level the scope for in-depth studies narrows down to specialisation in specific gender issues. Nonetheless do keep in mind that this isn’t a subject for bookworms who’re content with theoretical study. Conducting surveys and disseminating awareness require extensive fieldwork.
Besides contributing to the government’s gender sensitization programmes, you can look at working with NGOs that offer opportunities for fieldwork and advocacy for victims of domestic violence and hate crimes. So if you’re interested in giving the fair sex a fair chance, go for it.
Dream of a fair society where there’s no gender discrimination…where men and women enjoy equal opportunities to develop their potential – at work and in politics? This may be the field for you. Needless to say, you must be passionate about doing your bit for creating an equitable society.
Here are some Univs in North India you can check out:
Delhi University (Women’s Studies & Development Centre), JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia (Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women Studies) offer programmes on gender sensitisation and socio-political issues concerning women’s development at different levels.
Ambedkar University, Delhi offers a 3-tier inter-disciplinary M.A. in Gender Studies (2-year) with an exit option after Year-1 in which case, you’ll be awarded a Diploma.
Chandigarh University, Chandigarh also offers a Masters in Gender Studies.
