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medical and allied courses

Join the healers’ club

No doubt the choice of career in medicine continues to be the first preference of students of medical stream. Therefore, it is not surprising that each year more than a half a million students sit for entrance examination conducted by CBSE for admission into MBBS, for nearly 60,000 seats across the country.

prescription for success: With one doctor for approximately 1,700 persons in India, this is one profession with no dearth of jobs

Dr Dhruva Chaudhry

No doubt the choice of career in medicine continues to be the first preference of students of medical stream. Therefore, it is not surprising that each year more than a half a million students sit for entrance examination conducted by CBSE for admission into MBBS, for nearly 60,000 seats across the country. The competition is intense and till last year not more than 30,000 seats of public sector medical colleges were available through either NEET or state conducted tests as rest of the seats were in private colleges. However, from this year admission to all seats of MBBS, irrespective of governing nature of medical colleges, will be available through NEET only by a centralised counseling at central and state level respectively. Almost 15 per cent seats will continue to be in the central pool as earlier except Andhra Pradesh/Telangana & Jammu Kashmir. Therefore, meritorious students will have a wider choice of colleges available to them this year even though the competition will still be very very intense.

MBBS is a five and a half year course including one year of internship. After MBBS students can either join various government health services or pursue post graduation in different streams of medicine and surgery. Corporate and private sector being firmly entrenched provide additional avenues of working to the medical professionals nowadays. The profession enjoys high social respect and is relatively well paid. Doctors can start their own practice and be entrepreneurs; the advantage being that one can decide one's own pace of work and work-life balance. Of late because of corporatisation of medical profession there has been erosion of faith and trust, however, it continues to be the most sought after profession among students. The students opting for medicine, therefore, must have mental toughness, aptitude, empathy, and patience and should be sympathetic listeners.

Healing with nature

If someone is not interested in modern medicine but has an interest in Ayurveda, then they can opt for four-year training course in BAMS (Bachelor of Ayuervedic medicine & surgery). It is quite a popular course and most of the universities conduct a combined entrance test for BAMS, nursing, physiotherapy etc. On its completion post-graduation in various branches of ayurveda can be done as well. One has to have good knowledge of Sanskrit for this course. GOI and state governments are actively encouraging and promoting the spread of ayurveda by opening new outlets in civil hospitals and medical colleges. New universities are being opened only for teaching, training and research in ayurveda. In fact, BAMS graduates are providing primary care to a large segment of society in semi-urban and rural areas. Other courses in alternate system of medicine are homeopathy, Siddha and Unani. These are also of four-year duration and admissions are made along with BAMS.

Nursing care

Nursing is a popular choice among girls after medicine and dentistry because of huge demand of nurses abroad as well as in the country. Nursing is the profession that provides the real healing touch. Nurse is an important pillar of healthcare delivery and actively participates not only in patient care but also in managerial roles in the hospital. Majority of nursing schools have been upgraded to nursing colleges and degree of BSc. in nursing is given after four years of vigorous training. After BSc., they can pursue either MSc. or PhD to become specialised nurses or teachers in nursing colleges. After BSc, a majority easily find jobs in organised private sector as well as abroad. Alternately students can also do GNM training course of three years and follow it with post basic training of two years to receive BSc. in nursing. Of late boys have also started joining the profession, though it continues to be dominated by females.

The pharma route

If someone has an interest in chemistry and drugs in particular, then he can consider pharmacy as a career. A majority of institutions and universities award bachelor's degree in Pharmacy (B.Pharm). However, some institutions also provide diploma in pharmacy. Pharmacy license is essential to establish chemist shops. After under graduation one can pursue PG in different branches of pharmacy. Common choice is to either join pharmaceutical industry or start one's own enterprise besides teaching as a faculty provided one has done PhD.

Pharmacists are now also playing an active role in the management of patients by auditing and participating in evaluation of correctness of prescriptions.

Physio is popular

Training to become physiotherapist is another popular choice of students. Majority of institutions of repute as well as universities provide undergraduate as well as postgraduate courses in physiotherapy. Role of a physiotherapist to nurse an individual back to functionality after an injury is crucial. Same is true regarding their role in rehabilitation of individuals having neurological weakness, joint stiffness, heart and lung diseases etc. There is always an option to start one's own practice as well.

Finally, one can join BSc. in medical stream. or an alternate career in administration, management and business.

Opportunities are immense. It depends entirely on one's aptitude, interest, hard work and will to follow one's dream. Healthcare sector will be at the forefront in the near future and will provide maximum opportunity for jobs.

— The writer is Professor & Head Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak And Dean Students Welfare Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak

Dental sciences

Dentistry is the other stream of modern medicine that has become popular among medical stream students. There is high demand for qualified dentists in different fields even though of late this profession had lost some sheen primarily because of mushrooming of dental colleges, poor quality of training and limited post graduate seats with high fees of the courses.

Dentistry has advanced significantly and different specialisations and sub specialisations are now well entrenched. Admission to BDS courses also takes place through the common entrance test conducted for admission to MBBS i.e. NEET. The same is true now for admission to post graduation courses as well.

The number of seats in MBBS and BDS courses are limited, therefore it is not surprising that a large majority of medical aspirants will not be able to get admission in medical or dental undergraduate courses. However, there is no reason to be dejected. Medical profession does not mean doctors only. We need a large number of nurses, paramedics, physiotherapists, dietitians, technicians, laboratory personals etc. in the organised sector of healthcare.

Lab jobs

Those who are not interested in bachelor's but want to pursue a career in patient care, can consider training courses for emergency medical technician (EMT), hemodialysis technician, OT technician or assistant, ICU technician, perfusionist, etc. all these courses have an immense potential particularly with dialysis technician as GOI in previous budget announced to open dialysis unit in each district hospital and medical colleges. Similarly EMTs are an essential component of life saving ambulances and pre-emergency care.

Top Colleges

Government Medical College, srinagar

Estd: 1959

Website: http://www.gmcsrinagar.net/

One of the oldest medical colleges in North India and first one in J and K. Over 4000 doctors have graduated fromGMC till now. Medical college also trains para-medical staff.

Sri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, Dehradun

Estd: 2002

Website: www.sgrrmc.com

Cources offered are MBBS (100 seats), Paramedical Courses: BPT (Bachelors of Physiotherapy) , nursing and s, Bachelors of Medical Lab Technology among others.

DMCH, Ludhiana

Estd: 1964

website: www.dmch.edu.in

Dayanand Medical College & Hospital (DMCH) Ludhiana, is considered the top league medical college in the region and the infrastructure and facilities offered here are offered nowhere else. It is a 1,326-bed (Including 800 teaching beds) tertiary care teaching hospital in North India. The institution has an imposing complex of modern buildings and is equipped with all kinds of modern facilities for providing excellent care to the patients and training to the undergraduate and postgraduate students. All the clinical departments, along with the diagnostic laboratories provide round-the-clock service at the campus. Apart from a number of postgraduate courses, 70 students are admitted every year for MBBS.

PGDIS, Rohtak

Estd: 1962

website: www.pgimsrohtak.nic.in

The Post-Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences (PGIDS), Rohtak, is a premier dental institute of the region offering undergraduate as well as postgraduate courses in dentistry. The institute offers BDS course with 60 admissions per year and MDS courses in nine dental specialties with 30 seats. Besides, it also runs Dental Hygienist, Dental Mechanic courses and PG Certificate courses in Oral Implantology and Endodontics. PGIDS Rohtak has been ranked among the top 10 dental institutes of India for the past seven years. Several alumni of the PGIDS have made it to the national and state civil services and cracked the CAT and other prestigious competitive exams.

IGMC, Shimla

Estd: 1966

website: www.igmcshimla.org

Premier Medical Education Institution of HP, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC)Shimla has 131 PG seats and 100 MBBS seats. IGMC has post graduate courses in 20 disciplines and over 2,900 MBBS students, 923 postgraduates and 377 in diploma students have passed out from the college so far. IGMC has also been granted the status of Regional Cancer Center by the Government of India, thus providing much-needed comprehensive cancer care to the cancer patient. The alumni of IGMC which celebrated its golden Jubilee in 2016 are occupying key positions in premier medical institutions in India and abroad.

Region Scan

Christian Medical College, Ludhiana

Estd: 1894

Website: www.cmcludhiana.in

Christian Medical College, Ludhiana has been designated as a Regional center for faculty development by Medical Council of India, to train teachers in the art of teaching from medical colleges in the state of Punjab, Himachal, J&K and Uttrakhand.Courses offered are MBBS; Diploma (Anesthesia, OBG, Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, Radiology, Radiotherapy).

Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh

Estd: 1991

Website: www.gmch.gov.in/

one of the best medical college in city. State of the Art Medical institution attached to a 686 bedded hospital.course offered is mbbs with 50 seats.

Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma

PGIMS, Rohtak

Estd: 1960

Website: pgimsrohtak.nic.in

H S Judge Institute of Dental Sciences & Hospital, Chandigarh

Website: dentalsciences.puchd.ac.in

Government Medical College, Amritsar

Website: www.gmc.edu.in