Dr Rupesh Laljee
Greetings to all the smile designers and Occlusion engineers.
This is a term I repeatedly use to address Prosthodontic students and young graduates whenever I get an opportunity to do so . I have come across a few students who had expressed their feeling or apprehension in the direction in which they were heading after their graduation or post graduation. Many find themselves suddenly floating without direction which I feel is due to lack of planning . Planning a career in dentistry or Prosthodontics starts the very moment you join the stream . Not after finishing the exam. Wikipedia defines planning as ‘the process of thinking about the activities required to achieve a desired goal. It is the first and foremost activity to achieve desired results which I feel is an apt definition of the plan I am speaking about.
So planning is an integral part in ones professional life . Many of us are good clinicians because of our treatment Planing ability .I have always believed in the popular adage -Failing to plan is planning to fail - What I meant to reiterate is the need to plan your career and there by your life well in advance .Be sure what you are going to do as soon as you finish your graduation . This will stem a lot of that disappoint that can arise from the feeling of “ floating in space“ syndrome which I had mentioned before.
Friends I would also like to mention a similar but important point which I feel all of us should inculcate and practice . The point I wish to touch upon is that of promoting our speciality . You should all remember that YOU are the best ambassadors of your profession and speciality. Unless you promote what you do , no one else will or can do that. We have to come together and come to the forefront in educating and creating awareness on what Prosthodontics is and what a Prosthodontist does , its various avenues of service in stomatognathic system , aesthetics, occlusion and maxillofacial rehabilitation . The PROSTHODONTIST DAY which was celebrated on the 22nd of January is a right initiative in this direction . The Indian Prosthodontic Society head office a few years ago had conceived this idea of celebrating a day exclusively for the Prosthodontists to instil a sense of pride and passion and also with the motive of a focused promotion of the specialty on that day. Today the whole of Asia has come together in joining the IPS in celebrating it along with us.
I am extremely happy to tell you that this year we witnessed an unprecedented bout of euphoria and celebrations all across our country where every corner of the country joined hand in hand and shouting in unison
PROUD TO BE A PROSTHODONTIST.
Be proud of what you are and what you do . Be proud of you being an IPS member . Be a leader in what you do always. Tell the world this is what I do and this is what I am. I am a PROSTHODONTIST.
Jai Hind
Dr Rupesh Laljee
Hon Secretary
Indian Prosthodontic Society