Numerus clausus in dental course

The Commentary on "Tomorrow's University" (Ibn Campusino, The Sunday Times, October 19) merits some comment. In the second paragraph the numerus clausus in the Physiotherapy course is deplored, and then dentistry is discussed, presumably decrying also the numerus clausus pertaining to the dental course.

I do not think that inordinate queues are to be found outside private dental clinics, and receiving dental treatment at the many clinics all over Malta and Gozo is relatively easy. Certainly, there are no long waiting lists at Government dental clinics directly attributable to a shortage of dental surgeons.

The numerus clausus in the dental course has mean that there has been a steady flow of new graduates which has more or less kept up with demand. There is no numerus clausus in Italy, with the result that dental students often qualify without having ever treated a live patient.

In the next paragraph the problem of oversupply of B.Ed. graduates is suggested as a University failing without admitting that this could be the result of unrestricted entry to the course (i.e. absence of a numerus clausus).

Ophthalmology is a post-graduate speciality, whose training is outside the scope of the University. It may be true that an ophthalmic surgeon is taking appointments for 2005, but that is more the result of a quirk of the Maltese mentality than a shortage of ophthalmic surgeons in Malta.

The problem of DNA testing is mostly not one of personnel but more of facilities and costing. Should the authorities (not the University) find that it is cost-effective to carry out forensic DNA testing in Malta, the required personnel would not be too difficult to find. The development of cardiac surgery would be the model to follow.

Finally, I believe that there is one field the University can usefully engage in, and that is Continuing Education Studies to keep its graduates up-to-date with recent advances and practices.