I got this precious opportunity of leading an Asian team of international students who were studying nursing in a university conference some days back. Every student who was to take part in the oral presentations was to opine why they felt they could build a career on nursing.

Eventually, it was my turn to express my opinions on why I had chosen the field. I iterated that a person’s key to success would always be determined by the professionalism, not by the profession. My opinion had struck a chord among all who were present in the conference hall, with appreciation coming from one and all.

I was happy to know that my fellow participants had taken to my opinion well, but at the same time, I was forming a question in my mind. What if I had expressed the same opinion back home? Would I have got the same positive response? Your guess is as good as mine.

Absolutely, not! Why is it that we, in Nepal, prioritise the profession more than professionalism?

Doctors and engineers, however mediocre, get the respect more than anyone else. And believe me, most of the times, they get the respect they don’t really deserve. A doctor, who would serve in a pathetic clinic and earn 7,000 a month, would collect more appreciation than a chartered accountant earning more.

A father in Nepal is likely to scream at the top of his voice, expressing his excitement if his son gets admitted for medical studies. No remorse, if that would have cost the father a lifetime’s income. A college would go all out to facilitate and advertise if their ex-student would go on to become a MBBS student. No harm with that, but then, why don’t they even think of other students who might have achieved more success in the field of arts, social works, journalism?

Whatever profession we choose, what matters at the end of the day, is success. If one has what it takes to achieve success, he will eventually succeed regardless of profession. Changes in attitudes are certainly the order of the day, but what’s more surprising is that even the new generation is reluctant to explore new territories. It’s high time that we, in Nepal, started realising that no profession is superior or inferior if one can take it to new heights.