Prescription for success

Ravi Gupta

Roman philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC-43BC) said “in nothing do men more nearly approach the gods, than in giving health to men.” 

Medicine, no doubt, is the noblest of all professions and the most lucrative one also. And these factors make it the most sought-after career and the top choice of toppers. However, earning all this respect and moolah is not a child’s play. The students need to put in anywhere between seven to 10 years to earn the required qualification to get established as competent physicians. Continuous updation of knowledge and keeping a track of new lines of treatments are a part and parcel of this profession. 

Tough road to admission

A total of 405 medical colleges offer approximately 53,000 seats for admission at the undergraduate level (MBBS) in the country. And there are approximately 300 dental colleges offering approximately 27,000 seats at the undergraduate level (BDS). Approximately 50 per cent these medial colleges are government-run, while the remaining are run either by charitable trusts or by private organisations. Admission to all these colleges is by a highly competitive entrance test. As many as 15 per cent seats in all government medical and dental colleges of India, excluding the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir, are filled by an All-India Premedical Test (AIPMT) conducted by CBSE, New Delhi. The remaining 85 per cent seats are filled through separate entrance tests conducted by the respective universities/institutions. Some of the government institutes have voluntarily agreed to fill their remaining 85 per cent seats also on the basis of AIPMT conducted by CBSE. These include:

• Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana 
• Directorate of Medical Education, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh 
• Directorate of Medical Education, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 
• Directorate of Health Services, Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar 
• Deptt. Of Health & Family Welfare, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
• Medical Directorate, Govt. of Manipur 
• Health & Family Welfare Department, Meghalaya 
• Department of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Odisha 
• Department of Medical Education, Govt. of Rajasthan 
• Govt. Medical College & Hospital, UT Govt. of Chandigarh
• Faculty of Medical Sciences, 
• University of Delhi 
• Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune 
• Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (UP); Hamdard University, New Delhi

These 13 medical colleges take the merit from the AIPMT and then admit students according to the laid down criteria of their states.

The admission into government-run institutes is purely on the basis of the merit obtained in the entrance test, while in the private institutes affiliated to the government/state universities, 50 per cent seats are filled on the basis of score obtained in the entrance examination of the state government, while the remaining 50 per cent seats are filled on the recommendations of the merit decided by the management of the institute (management quota seats). In Punjab, every private medical and dental college has 50 per cent seats in the government quota, 35 per cent in the management category, and 15 per cent are reserved for NRIs.

There are some private institutes that are either private deemed universities or belong to private health universities. The admission in these institutions is based on the merit prepared by individual institutions and government has little control in their admission process.

The cost factor

The fee structure of the government and private institutions is different. Generally the fees in government institutions can range from approximately Rs 15,000 per year to Rs 60,000 per year. In private institutions of Punjab the fees for the 50 per cent government quota seats is Rs 2.2 lakh per year and for the management quota seats it is Rs 6.6 lakh per year. The fee structure of private institutions which are not filled through the government entrance examination is quite expensive.

Tightly packed curriculum

Medical courses are extremely intensive and rigorous and include didactic lectures and practical classes from the very first day in the college. There are regular and periodic academic tests, on the basis of which the students are permitted to sit for the final examinations. The MBBS degree is of four-and-a-half years, and one-year of compulsory internship. The duration of BDS course is four years, and one-year internship. The degree is awarded after the completion of the internship.  

However, having just a UG degree is notIn the present era, the completion of undergraduate degree, usually, does not make a good career. Thus, doing a postgraduate (PG) degree course (MD/MS) is almost essential. For admission into PG course, one has to again sit for an entrance examination for getting admission into a government college or to pay very hefty fee for going to a private college. The duration of the PG degree course is of three-year duration. 

Opportunities for research 

After the basic undergraduate degree, the students can also opt for research by joining post-graduation streams in basic and paramedical sciences. Many of these doctors have the option of joining pharmaceutical industries as research and development scientists, while the others can pursue career in other research institutions like Indian Council of Medical Research, Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Communicable Diseases etc.

Specialised fields

For the broad specialties of General Medicine and General Surgery, simple PG degree (MD and MS), in the present era of super specialisation does not end the studies. Thus, many students opt for super specialisation courses like DM and MCh. The duration of these courses is two years. 

The specialties other than broad specialties like Orthopaedics, ENT, Eye, Radio-diagnosis etc, where high levels of psychomotor skills are required, the students have to generally undergo post PG fellowships/Senior Residency to acquire the skills which is usually of three-year duration.

So even if a student is able to pursue the medical career without any break, the youngest student who would be able to confidently establish himself/herself as a competent specialist will be around 29 years of age.

Dental sciences

A large number of medical students are now opting for the very lucrative field of dental sciences  and take admission in BDS course. Dental cosmetology is the latest trend not only in metros but also in smaller centres, making emterprising students get into this branch of medicine. Specialised subjects like peridontics, oral pahology, orthodontics have increased the scope of this field manifold. CMC, Ludhiana, Government Dental College Amritsar, PGDIS, Rohtak are some of the top colleges in the region.

— The writer is Professor, Orthopaedics Department, GMCH, Chandigarh

---

Top league — Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana

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 1326-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. 

It was set up in 1934, as Arya High School. The institution was recognised for LSMF (Licentiate of the Punjab State Medical Faculty) in 1938. The following year, the Managing Body decided that the Ludhiana Medical School should thereafter be called "Arya Medical School" and the hospital attached to it "Dayanand Hospital". In 1964, consistent with the policy of the Government that the Arya Medical School expanded to become an MBBS College, which came to be known as Dayanand Medical College & Hospital. The institution was later recognised by the Medical Council of India for the MBBS course as well as several speciality and super speciality courses and is affiliated to the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, Punjab. Apart from a number of postgraduate courses, 70 students are admitted every year for MBBS through the PMET conducted by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.

The DMCH College of Nursing offers BSc Nursing Degree and has 100 Seats. Post-Basic BSc Nursing Degree Post Graduate Degree in Nursing Medical in different disciplines is offered at the college.         

It is the only institution in India having in its Department of  Orthopedics, the facility of a unique technique of external fixators perfected by the internationally renowned Prof. Oganesyan from Russia.

DMCH is the only institution in North India, which has an entire floor of Intensive Care Units (ICUs) with 157 beds incorporating all the critical care areas. Hero DMC Heart Institute (HDHI) offers non-invasive cardiology. The diagnostic equipment includes 3D Echocardiography, Stress ECHO/Contrast ECHO, Peripheral Vascular Doppler Studies, Holter Monitoring System, Treadmill Testing (TMT), SPECT-CT Gamma Camera. 

 The institute has three state-of-the-art operation theatres managed by a highly competent team of five MCh level cardiac surgeons and five cardiac anaesthesiologists. The range of surgical procedures are performed here.

---

Top Medical colleges

Christian Medical College,Ludhiana
www.cmcludhiana.org
Seats: All India open (13); Christians (15+31); NRI (11); SC/BC (3)
USP: Among the oldest medical colleges in the region it includes includes Christian Medical College, Dental College, College of Nursing, College of Physiotherapy and Institute of Allied Health Sciences. 

Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh
www.gmch.gov.in
Seats: 50
USP: Since its inception in 1991, GMCH, has maintained high standard of medical education in the City Beautiful. The state-of-the-art hospital has been an effective training ground for thousands of students from the region.

Government Medical College, Amritsar
www.gmc.edu.in
Seats: 150
USP: One of the oldest colleges in the state, it has maintained eminence in instruction and patient care for over 60 years.

Government Medical College, Patiala
www.gmcpatiala.com
Seats: 150
USP:  The college famous as GOMCO is affiliated to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot (Punjab) for MBBS, BDS and various other courses. The Facilities for postgraduate training leading to MD/MS degrees exist in almost all the basic and clinical subjects

(Based on selected lists from India Today, Outlook and other surveys)