Professionalism and challenges in dental education in India

Abstract

"Professionalism in dentistry is not guaranteed by simply issuing a graduation degree. That status can only be granted by the public whom it serves. There are three main characteristics that are shared by any profession: delivering the best possible education to its students, giving priority to public service over self interest, and enforcing regulations and codes of ethics through self government (1). The dental profession holds a special position of trust within society which in turn grants certain privileges not available to the public at large (2). In return, the profession makes a commitment to uphold ethical values and principles, including those of justice, integrity and fairness. Upholding those values remains a daunting challenge. Self preservation is ingrained as the foremost principle of human nature. But dentists worldwide expect their peers to uphold an altruistic ideal. This is a professional obligation and a "social contract", the basis for granting professional status (3). Dentistry in India is currently being challenged to maintain its professional character according to the standards described above. This is partly a result of pressures applied to the educational system. This paper hopes to highlight those challenges, offer some solutions that have proven to be effective in Canada, and serve as a call to action."