Career counselling; questions and answers

Q1: I am an overseas Pakistani who is planning to study in medicine in DOW Medical University. I am planning to go for clinical pathology, critical care and anesthesiology. Which one of these has more value in Middle East and I would also like to know how I can get equivalency certificate from IBCC. (Anam Ali – Dubai)Ans: The fields you have chosen should have huge opportunities in Middle East and for your equivalency certificate, IBCC has a very informative website that gives details for students to apply for an equivalence certificate and once you have submitted an application you can authorise a relative in Islamabad to follow this up.

Q2: I am a student of second year (Pre-Engineering). I want to know the scope of criminology in Pakistan. I would like to take admission in BS Criminology. Is this degree valuable in market? (Hassan Malik – Karachi)

Ans 2: Criminology or criminal law along with social or criminal justice all are in demand in Pakistan. However, I am not sure being a Pre-Engineering student how would you cope with your studies but certainly this will demand hard work and focus.

Q3: I am currently doing MCom two years from BZU. I have achieved 65% marks in year one and now I am preparing for the second year. I have done BCom two years Annual (70%) and CA foundation before this. Please guide should I go straight towards MS or get another Masters Degree in the form of MBA. (Haris Sohail – Multan)

Ans: Your academic history clearly points out that you are a commerce, finance and accounting guy. I would recommend that you look towards doing masters in economics or financial management and then try to find a job in a financial institution or a multinational organisation.

Q4: I got 80% marks in FSc. I want to graduate in Human Nutrition. Kindly tell me about its scope in Pakistan. (Maham Jamil – Islamabad)

Ans: You seem to be an intelligent student; however, you have to be very careful when selecting a profession. Human nutrition is a good field but has relatively less opportunities in Pakistan. I think you would at least have to get a good master’s degree if you want to make a career in this field.

Q5: My daughter is in final semester of MPhil and she has CGPA above 3, she thinks that chemistry does not have much scope, should she do her PhD in Biochemistry and can she get a job in Dubai based on her PhD. (Jamal Khan – Lahore)

Ans: She should look at doing PhD in either biochemistry, biomedical sciences or clinical pathology. All of them have better opportunities than doing organic or inorganic chemistry. I cannot guarantee whether or not she would get a job in Dubai but certainly her prospects are higher.

Q6: My son is now appearing in Matric examination. He is an average student and can get 60% marks in Matric. Can he get admission in BSc (Engineering) in a private university. He is good in mathematics so which is better civil, electrical, electronic or mechanical after doing or ICS or DAE. My second question is what is the difference between BS-Tech and BS-Engineering? (Shakoor Ali – Sialkot)

Ans: If your son does well in his FSc then of course his chances of getting in a private university are always there. I would suggest he should explore the possibilities of electronic and computer engineering rather than mechanical or civil. The Bachelor of Science in Engineering is quite similar to the Bachelor of Engineering; however, the BS Technology is for those who do their DAEs and then wish to graduate in the same areas.  

(Syed Azhar Husnain Abidi is a renowned educationist in Pakistan, with more than 20 years of experience as a provider of education counselling services. He has represented Pakistan in over 100 national and international seminars, conferences and fora. He is the recipient of the most coveted civil award Tamgha-e-Imtiaz).