I did a B.Sc. in Life Science and an M.Sc. in Botany. I want to do an MBA but have a speech impediment due to a cleft lip. I am insecure about the way I speak. Can I do an MBA? Which specialisation would be good for me? Usha

Dear Usha,

Your speech impediment does not disqualify or discount you from being a successful MBA student or a business professional. Select your specialisation based on your interest. If you prefer less verbal and more analytical process roles, you can consider Business Analytics, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Finance (Corporate Finance, Risk Management) or Sustainability or Environmental Management. If you are comfortable with communication in smaller settings, consider fields such as Digital Marketing, Brand Management, Product Management, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management, or Agri-Business Management or Environmental Consulting.

Have you considered working with a speech therapist or psychologist to feel more confident? Over time, you will also grow and become comfortable with yourself. There are CEOs, professors, and entrepreneurs globally with speech impediments, hearing loss, stammering, or cleft-related speech differences who lead successful teams, run companies, and teach others. Your speech difference is just one part of who you are; it is not all of you! You have been brave to get this far. Now aim for an MBA, which is more important than how you pronounce or cannot pronounce certain words.

I finished BDS, but was pushed into it. So I chose to do a Master's in Public Health in the U.K. to change to a non-clinical sector. I came back to India for personal reasons, but am struggling to find a job here. I was drawn towards writing and journalism before doing BDS. What can I do now? Bhagya

Dear Bhagya,

Unfortunately, this is a common experience for many students and professionals in India who end up in a field due to family pressures. Have you considered a role as a health writer, public health communicator, policy communication specialist, or technical writer for healthcare? Consider NGOs, health-focused think tanks, research organisations, media houses, CSR arms of companies, or health startups. There is a growing demand for science communicators, medical writers, and health journalists post-pandemic. Look at roles as Public Health Programme Manager, Policy Analyst, Research Associate, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist across employers like the Gates Foundation, WHO, UNICEF, NITI Aayog, PHFI, Piramal Foundation, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Jhpiego, PATH, and ACCESS Health.

Have your considered freelance journalism focused on health, science or environment? If you enjoy that, you could do a short diploma or certificate in Journalism either from a regular institute or an online one.

Other options include roles corporate health, CSR, ESG compliance, workplace wellness, in healthcare companies or start-ups.

I'm doing M.Sc. in Maths, and have completed my B.Ed. What are my career options? I would like stay in the world of Maths. Rajarajaeshwari

Dear Rajarajaeshwari,

You can be a Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) in a CBSE, ICSE, State Board school or event in schools following international syllabi. If you take the UGC-NET in Mathematical Sciences you can also teach at colleges. If you want to move to being a professor or a researcher, then consider doing a Ph.D., which will involve taking the CSIR-NET (Mathematical Sciences). Another option could bet to move into the corporate sector into Data Science and Analytics. Your Maths background is highly sought after in Data Science, AI, Machine Learning, Quantitative Analysis, and Operations Research. You can look at government organisations such as ISRO, DRDO, BARC, NPL and so on for Research Scientist roles. To join the Indian Statistical Service (ISS) or the RBI or other government jobs, you will have to take the relevant exams.

You can also consider Actuarial Sciences, which need Maths-intensive skills in insurance, pensions, and financial risk modelling. You will need to pass actuarial exams from IFoA (UK) or IAI (India). The work is Maths heavy and there is a high demand with excellent salaries. Quantitative Finance is yet another possibility with roles in quant research, algorithmic trading, and risk modelling. You could also explore being a Maths content developer or curriculum designer or online educator for ed-tech platforms.

I have done PG in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and want a fellowship in cleft and craniofacial courses abroad. Which universities offer this? Also, in which foreign country can I practise as a maxillofacial surgeon with just a licensing exam and no further studying? Gayatri

Dear Gayatri,

Global NGOs that offer fellowships are Smile Train and Operation Smile. Some of the renowned institutes that also fellowships are Smile Train-affiliated centres across the US; University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA; Craniofacial Centre at UT Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, Langone-Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery in New York University in the U.S. In the U.K., options are Great Ormond Street Hospital, London; Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool; and The Royal London Hospital. In Australia, look up Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne; Sydney Children's Hospital Network; and Adelaide Craniofacial Unit. Other institutes include Heidelberg University Hospital and Universitätsklinikum Freiburg in Germany and KK Women's and Children's Hospital and National University Hospital in Singapore.

Many fellowships are multidisciplinary and open to OMFS, Plastic Surgeons, and ENT Surgeons. Most require surgical experience (post-PG), good standing with your medical or dental council, IELTS/TOEFL (for English-speaking countries) and recommendation letters and surgical logs.

As far as practice goes, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia are the fastest pathway, offering high salaries and requiring minimal additional study. Australia and New Zealand will require one or two years of study and taking exams. Singapore and South Africa take a case-by-case assessment with exams and supervised practice. The U.K., the U.S. and Canada are most challenging for clinical practice unless you are open to further degrees or non-clinical roles.

Disclaimer: This column is merely a guiding voice and provides advice and suggestions on education and careers.

The writer is a practising counsellor and a trainer. Send your questions to eduplus.thehindu@gmail.com with the subject line Off the Edge

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