Disturbing doggy behaviour.....

End of an Era?

Allowing dentists from Asean, India to practise here will ease shortage

By April Chong
		Delegates checking out equipment at the FDI Annual World Dental Congress at Suntec City. The event, which opened on Wednesday, runs until Saturday. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

TWO new initiatives are in the works to ease the dentist shortage here by allowing more dentists from the region to work in Singapore.

Together with other recent measures, this can help bring down the dentist to population ratio, from about one dentist for every 3,400 people to one for every 2,200 within the next two decades, said the Health Ministry's chief dental officer, Associate Professor Patrick Tseng. He attended the FDI Annual World Dental Congress at Suntec City which opened on Wednesday.

Prof Tseng said an agreement is being discussed with India to make it easier for dentists from their top institutions to work here, as long as they pass a series of qualifying exams. Currently, their dentists are not eligible to sit for these exams. 'They are willing to export. They have 260 dental schools there,' he said.

A mutual agreement was signed earlier this year to allow dentists from Asean countries to practise in other member countries, subject to the qualification requirements in each country. This will be implemented in January next year.

This means, for example, any dentist from the Philippines or Thailand can apply to work here. Previously, only a restricted number of dentists from Asean could apply.

Thoughts:

1. There should be some kind of numerical restriction before the number of dentists with foreign certs explode. They've increased NUS student intake, trained dental therapists, more Singaporeans are coming back from abroad with dental degrees, and even foreigners (e.g. Malaysians) are studying in recognized universities abroad with the intent of working in Singapore. Bond free.
   
2. There is no shortage of dentists in private practices. The problem is filling crappy government jobs (read: more work, less pay. Bullying from tyrannical bosses optional). Maybe foreign dentists should also have a bond period (institution/ polyclinics) if they choose to work in Singapore. Just like local dentists. Better still, restrict them to government service.
   

If left uncontrolled, the demographics in Singapore will end up like the medical doctors', where there can be up to 5 or 6 clinics struggling to survive in as many HDB blocks. And, unlike the medical profession, dentists have a high initial outlay for the purchase of equipment and materials.

Saddled in debt, more and more in the profession, cynical and miserable, will become unethical salesmen, selling unnecessary treatment instead of giving honest assessments.

Dentists in the US lament....

Shit Happens.

Street dentists in india. Whoa.

Denture



Erm, Wire supported prosthesis?



Extraction




I think not even stingy locals will wanna receive free treatment there. Maybe we should play these in polyclinics. Lol

Gin-Nah

My friends and I encountered horrendous (and at some point even spiteful) service at Crystal Jade Holland Village yesterday.

Today a different group of friends were at one of our Condos. We washed up at the shower and had a dip in the pool, only for the security personnel to come invite us out again.

Their reason: We were not properly attired. (2 of us in trunks, 5 in shorts).

Moron to my friend (resident): You know, your father pay a lot of money to buy a place here, management will make noise if you all go into the pool without swimming trunks.
(That was crap because it was a new place with like, 5 families that moved in? There was nobody and no mangement to make complaints)

Also I would not feel so aggrieved if not for the fact that there were similarly attired people who weren't singled out.

An indignant friend of mine went to scout out these people and brought it up to the abovementioned security folks. Only then did they go over to have a discussion with the other guy in shorts, a middle aged uncle with his kids, before coming back to us. What he said bordered on comedy.

Moron: The resident there is with his kids, as you know today is Singapore's birthday, we don't want to spoil their mood, but I've confined them to that pool over there.
(WTF, how is National Day relevant to his special previleges?)

Me: This is double standards, if that's the case you can confine us to that pool as well.

Moron: No we can't do that, erm, his shorts are different ah.... I checked, those are for swimming and beach wear.... It's the waterproof material
(super WTF, even swimming trucks are not waterproof.... they get wet! That guy wearing wat... condom ah?).

Oh. So now some shorts are ok and some shorts aren't. And he conveniently gets to decide which ones are allowed too!

As my friend the police scholar (yes we had a police officer amongst us, so we weren't scared of them literally calling police) said, "Don't argue with these underachievers, they are low-lifes who feel shiok (empowered) telling other people what to do".
(He did look like his best shot in life, 20 years ago, was playing in the S-league btw)


Bottom line. We agreed that:

1. We were guests at my friend's condo, versus a resident.
2. He was older and more capable of kicking up a bigger, ass-whopping fuss.
3. The guard thought we were young punks who were as incompetent in life as him and thus would pollute the pool with our lower class perspiration.

They probably already had an opinion of us when we walked in all tired and sweaty. Had we driven into the premises with our BMWs, Mercs and Jags, we'd be treated differently. The rules apply only to some.

It sucks when you look Gin-nah. When you look gin-nah and are poor and unimportant as well....expect to be treated like you owe everyone money.

People always think they know better and tell you what to do, even when they're complete freakin' idiots, simply because they think you're a young pushover.

It's gonna be an awesome September

Californication


Dexter


House!


Lost


Heroes

Kicking myself. Damn those cold feet.

My cousin confirmed recipiency of the SAFOS scholarship. Very very happy for him.
Wishing him all the best in U. Penn!

Random musing

Was on the MRT with LGF this hot Sunday afternoon.

Me: Eh, Who do u think in our class is locum-ing right now?
LGF: Hmm.... Maybe Gaga (not his real name) la.... He got the locum face....
Me: Locum face?

(Cue background Music - Locum Face by Dr. Gaga feat. Colloquialisms)

* * * * *

Mo mo mo -ney
Mo mo mo -ney

I wanna charge em' like they do, unlike poly
drill em' fill em' bill 'em, full fee, there's no subsidy (I love it)
Work in institution, stuff I use all quite jia-lat
Etchant in the tube and yet already it is hard. (Expired b4 I graduated, true story!)

Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
Work secretly, must earn more money
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
Pay my school fees, or Ah-Long find me

Can't see my, can't see my
No they can't see my locum face
(I could be anybody)
Can't see my, can't see my
No they can't see my locum face
(Cover up with my PPE)

L-l-l-locum face, l-l-locum face
(Mo mo mo -ney)
L-l-l-locum face, l-l-locum face
(Mo mo mo -ney)

I wanna buy out bond but I really bo-lui,
People say can take loan and that it's interest free
Juniors earn $16k^ it makes me feel quite dumb (^month of June, allegedly true)
You'd think after so long that I should already be numb

Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
Siam NDC/ HPB*, hide from KCT (* delete where appropriate)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
Gian Ferrari, but buy Suzuki

Can't see my, can't see my
No they can't see my locum face
(Don't have time to lim my kopi)
Can't see my, can't see my
No they can't see my locum face
(Don't have time to kua dian si ki)

L-l-l-locum face, l-l-locum face
(Mo mo mo -ney)
L-l-l-locum face, l-l-locum face
(Mo mo mo -ney)

I won't tell you I'm moonlightin'
meet or see you
Cause I'm bluffin' 'bout my workin'
I'm not lyin'
I'm just tryin'
to keep on part-timin'

Just like an FON in clinics
Suck your life dry 'til you quiver
I promise this, promise this
Cheque in hand cause I'm marvelous

Can't see my, can't see my
No they can't see my locum face
(Everybody take mass MC)
Can't see my, can't see my
No they can't see my locum face
(wah zo gang si wah eh dai ji )

x 3

L-l-l-locum face, l-l-locum face
(Mo mo mo -ney)
L-l-l-locum face, l-l-locum face
(Mo mo mo -ney)
x 3



(Edit: Youtube's a bitch about copyright.... Embedded from Tudou instead...)

* * * * *

I think I need a freakin' hobby.

Photoshop Artist paints Megan Fox

Absolutely brilliant

Thoughts of a stock-market "investor"

What teeth problems can lead to muscular trouble?

French left-back Aly Cissokho's move from Porto to AC Milan is in danger of collapsing over a dental problem, the Serie A club's chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Thursday.

Milan had been expected to announce earlier this week that the 21-year-old was their first signing since coach Carlo Ancelotti and playmaker Kaka left for Chelsea and Real Madrid respectively after Galliani said he had struck a deal with the Portuguese side.

But the problem uncovered in a medical on Tuesday prompted the Italians to seek to renegotiate the terms of the transfer, which Italian media said was worth around €15 million.

"Our doctors found some problems with his teeth which cause muscular trouble, which he has and which could deteriorate," Galliani told Sky television.

Excerpt: www.Soccernet.com

Any idea what this could be?

Anyone but....

....Manchester United.

Elated at Barcelona's victory.


Waking up at 1 plus in the morning.
Cabbing down to Tiong's place.
Adrian's many many SMSes.


Worth it.

Because Man U did not win.
Slept soundly at 530 and woke up an hour later feeling even better.

'Nuff said.

(P.S. The better team DID win)

Restless

I wonder if fellow dentists suffer the same unbearable ennui at work.

I'm sometimes bored to tears at what I do, and that's despite being at what I consider one of the best postings in government service.

The freedom to do things that many of my friends haven't since school days.

And yet, just a little under 2 years, and I think I see almost all I'll be doing for the next 20.

I remember procedures that I used to look forward to. They were mostly Firsts. My First unsupervised LA-Ops, First crowns, First endo molars using new systems. Firsts draw that excitement, the tingle in doing something with an element of the unknown, and that little challenge put to yourself.

After that it's just like re-doing a 5000 piece jigsaw. You've done it, you've seen the outcome, you know you can do it, it's just a matter of time before u get it done. And then it becomes, well, work.

Strange then, that the reward for grasping techniques is the ebbing of interest and the need for new challenges. Something new to learn, to play with, to hone and master.

Maybe that explains the need for courses, new materials, new toys. A new tool tugs at your curiosity, the learning curve is a thrown gauntlet, and you get that sorely missed sense of accomplishment when you try something new and do it well. It's expanding the boundaries and doing things differently that makes you less of a captive within the confines of your job scope.

So friends who enthusiastically recount how reservist training is a refreshing change, you know you're bored. But hey, only another 30 years of work to go.


Photo courtesy of "Tide to Go", used entirely without permission.
Copyright© Ignored 2009

Blue is the colour!

Chelsea v Liverpool

A nail-biting, edge of the seat contest. Pity I didn't catch it live. That would have been fan-freaking-tastic.

Queef

Was watching the latest southpark episode and learnt a new word. Queef. Go wiki it.

The repairmen at my workplace are contracted to a certain Hong An Pte. Ltd. The back of their polo-T's proudly emblazon the letters HONGAN. All Caps, no spacing.

It looks like a word i used a lot in dental school in when things didn't go well.

Departures.

Winner of Best Foreign Film at the Oscars this year.



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