The 'glory' promised for culture ad new ideas in the next century - breve análisis sobre los posible cambios profesionales en el nuevo milenio - TT: brief analysis about the possible professional changes in the new millennium

Hispanic Times Magazine, August-Sept, 1998 by Jane M. Rifkin

No single story in history from the annals of science so captivated the world's attention as the creation of Dolly, a cloned sheep. Cloning became a reality, and the vast implications of that feat will have momentous effects upon numerous facets of the law, medicine, industry, and education.

Although there was a slowdown in the demand of M.B.A.'s during a wave of corporate downsizing in recent years, demand for their highly-skilled services is now soaring. New M.B.A. graduates can expect as many as 10 job offers; and expanded opportunities for their services will be evident in education, business, and a variety of other fields. Most important, the curricula is being re-engineered at most colleges which offer the program, to produce well-rounded interdisciplinary courses and real-life learning experiences.

The New Millennium M.B.A.'s will have new opportunities, as the schools lure recruiters to campus, sponsor job fairs, and teach students to research potential employers by using state-of-the-art computer databases.

Job prospects for lawyers will soar in the next century. Back in the 1980's, America's 720,000-plus lawyers were in a golden career era. Then, when the economy went into recession, the legal profession suffered a financial retreat. The next five years is predicted to see drastic changes in law jobs. This unstable climate has forced many law schools to take a new look at how effective they have been in helping graduates find employment. Many are revamping some training, honing in on the individual's aptitude for specific legal avenues. Just as the decade of the 90's saw a surge in entertainment and malpractice, the areas of science and medicine will enter the picture for them big time.

Consider Dolly. The controversy surrounding human cloning is just beginning. Scientific legalities will be a major force in determining the future status of mankind. Whereas law students were formerly well versed in legal theory, their training will have to expand to the actual practice of the law as it affects scientific experimentation and practice, and medical implementation of new ideas, practices, and procedures.

Medical science changes daily. Those men and women entering medicine will be forced to deal with questions that go far beyond the age-old basics of diagnosis and treatment. They will confront questions that contain medical, social, and economic components.

Example: Physicians and judgment calls:

In recent weeks and months pharmaceutical companies are feverishly developing 178 new compounds aimed solely at the symptoms of aging. The anti-impotence treatment Viagra alone accounted for a remarkable 78 percent of all new prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. earlier this summer. Potential side effects have already emerged.

No matter how headstrong or well-informed a patient, the doctor still is the one responsible for dispensing any prescription drug. Then there is the new diet pill called Meridia; Renova can make wrinkles disappear; Lipitor is a new pill to lower cholesterol, and on and on. These drugs require a physician's prescription, and a judgment call as to what patients are candidates for what drugs. Then -- in typical fashion, a few months or years down the line, there will be reported negative side-effects of certain medications. Enter the medical legal expert.

It will most assuredly be a "glory" dawning of a new century for engineers. In a society increasingly dependent on technology, the engineering profession will continue to flourish. Telecommunications, microelectronics, and computer engineering are desirable specialties. Biomedical engineering promises long-term career advantages (specialists in this field design and test medical devices and implants). The field is comparatively new, with great potential for the new millennium, and generally requires classes in mechanical, electrical, and materials engineering.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by the year 2005 computer engineering will surpass mechanical engineering to become the second-largest specialty (next to electrical engineering).

Consider the field of education. A decade ago, most prospective teachers were undergraduates. But today more than 40 percent of education students in some campuses are enrolled in fast-track post-baccalaureate programs leading to certification. And in years hence, the demand for better trained teachers will be accelerating.

There has been an astonishing surge in popularity of the interest in serious literature. Whereas 50 some years ago, there was only one graduate program in the nation in the field of creative writing -- today there are 44 such programs. About 200 universities offer M.A. or M.F.A. degrees in creative writing. Fulfilling creative impulses has vast implications beyond writing the great American novel. Writing enhances every career choice, and the burgeoning interest in this facet of the arts surely will enhance America's literary community.

There has been a dramatic transformation in the field of communications within the business industry. From the telephone companies to the marketing firms, employees have been offered classes in computer technology training. In most job descriptions, employees who for one reason or another did not comply -- their positions were either downgraded or they were terminated.