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Medicine

So, you want to be a doctor...

Even as the career options for students widen, the chosen dream doesn''t change. Medicine is still what most parents and most students see as first choice. And rightfully so, for, the noblest of professions commands a lot of respect and also assures returns throughout life. Also, medical today isn''t just about being a doctor; it is about so many other things as well.

HERE TO heal: Most streams in medicine require a high degree of skill, which is why the returns are good, and not just in terms of money. Tribune photo

OP Kalra

Even as the career options for students widen, the chosen dream doesn't change. Medicine is still what most parents and most students see as first choice. And rightfully so, for, the noblest of professions commands a lot of respect and also assures returns throughout life. Also, medical today isn't just about being a doctor; it is about so many other things as well.

Okay, facts first. India presently has 413 medical colleges with an intake of nearly 54,000 undergraduates each year for a five-and-a- half- year training programme. For the uninitiated, admission to medical schools, especially in public sector, takes place through a common all-India entrance examination conducted by CBSE, where more than half a million students appear each year. Many state governments, including Haryana, and institutes such as AFMC Pune, carry out admission in their medical colleges as per the merit list of this test in addition to admission against all India seats, which are 15 per cent of the total seats in government medical colleges, except Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Jammu & Kashmir.

Some state governments, as well as the country's premier medical education institute All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), hold their own entrance test. The situation is likely to change with a central government notification to have a one common entrance examination for the country. More than 50 per cent seats in MBBS are in private sector and these institutions admit 50 per cent from the state quota; the rest are chosen on the basis of a test conducted by them or their consortium.

After MBBS, a majority of students tend to follow the post graduation path. However, of late, a number of avenues have opened up like never before in medical teaching, public health, health and hospital administration, civil services, medical transcription, medical journalism, research, pharmaceutical industry as well as a career in social sector, especially in policy, planning and with non-governmental organisations.

Choices galore

As mentioned before, more than 5 lakh students appear for admission in medical and dental colleges each year and vie for a total of not more than 60,000 seats. Therefore, a substantial number of students are not able to get admission in the coveted MBBS course. However, hospitals and health don't just mean doctors. We need a large number of professionals in allied and paramedical sectors. So if you are interested in this profession then you could also check out a career in nursing, physiotherapy, laboratory technology, pharmacy, audiology, respiratory therapist, radiology and radiation technology, optometry, genetics, biotechnology, bioinformatics, forensic sciences, dietetics, or be an emergency medicine technologist, occupational therapist, operation theatre technologist, dialysis technologist, perfusionists, etc.

Until a few years ago, very few institutions would provide training and skills in the said disciplines. But as the organised private sector grows and expands along with public sector institutions, the huge gap in demand and supply of both nurses and paramedics is slowly being bridged.

The market forces have ensured upgradation of diplomas and certificates to degrees and all health universities in the country are teaching and training in majority of these as well as in many more subjects. The basic essential requirement for admission to any of these continues to be Plus II. A three-year course gets you BSc degree. One can further pursue post graduation and PhD in respective streams such as nursing, physiotherapy, medical lab technology, etc. and join faculty positions. A majority of these streams are service-oriented and require high degree of skill and use of information technology. Salaries are equal to other fields though less than medical professionals. What gives them the edge is that they can start their own enterprises such as a laboratory, pharmacy, physiotherapy and occupational centres, diet counselling centres, etc.

Emerging & exciting

Emergency technicians are essential for the establishment of pre-hospital care in the state and country. Radiology and radiation oncology technologists are needed to run radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation oncology units. Students who wish to join biotechnology can not only pursue their dreams by joining the corporate world, as it is the future of biosciences, but can also pursue research and become the next discoverers and innovators besides becoming mentors to the next generation by joining universities and laboratories as teachers. Forensic sciences is an another emerging field, where one needs experts in various subspecialties of forensic medicine like forensic entomology, botany, toxicology, DNA finger printing, etc.

What it calls for

Medicine and its allied specialties, including paramedics and nursing, require hard work, team spirit, selfless service, high degree of motivation and impeccable integrity. It's challenging and daunting, but not impossible. One has to learn skills to not only excel in the profession, but has to be a communicator par excellence — someone whom the patients can trust.

Over the years, significant changes have taken place in the society and practice of medicine as a profession because of the changing social milieu, value system, complex regulatory issues and increasing cost of technology. The profession has lost some of its sheen because of perceptions among public that their welfare has become prisoner to the greed of market forces. Therefore, the primary aim of individuals joining medical profession should be service and not profit where patients believe that you are genuinely concerned about their welfare and have empathy for them.

— The writer is Vice-Chancellor, Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak

Spreading smiles

Dentistry: You happily pay a visit to this professional to get a million dollar smile. Yes, we are taking about dentists and dentistry. Dentistry as a profession has become more demanding and because of its promising nature, a lot of young aspirants are entering this profession. Government colleges are usually a preferred destination for studying, though the number of seats available there is limited, as is the number of colleges in comparison to private institutions. When opting for a private college, choose the one that has an approval from the Dental Council of India. The Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) degree programme is a five-year course that is divided into four parts each of one-year duration followed by a year of internship. A BDS degree alone is not considered enough to succeed in this profession so you will have to go for a Master of Dental Science (MDS) degree. Admission to this course is through a general, nationwide competitive examination. The All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Exam conducted by the CBSE is common for both the MBBS and the BDS. There are also private colleges that admit students on an all India basis. But to be eligible for practice, you must ensure that the course chosen is approved by the Dental Council of India.

Ayurveda

Several students, who are unable to make it to MBBS courses, explore Ayurveda, a form of preventive medicine system. The entrance examination for BAMS includes All India Pre-Medical Test organised by CBSE for admission of students to reputed Ayurveda institutions all over the country. Some universities in various states carry out their own entrance examinations. You can get into professions like clinical practice, academic research, management and drug manufacturing.

Institutes around you

Shri Dhanwantri Ayurvedic College, Chandigarh
Government Ayurved Mahavidyalaya, Patiala
Guru Nanak Ayurvedic Medical College & Research Institute, Ludhiana

Homoeopathy

Homoeopathy is a system of alternative medicine based on the doctrine of Like Cures Like. You can opt for Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) degree. To pursue this, you must also have qualified 10+2 in science with biology as an optional subject. Like any other regular medical course, it requires five-and-a-half years' medical training and one-year of compulsory internship. Seats to BHMS are available with various universities and are filled up through an All-India Entrance Examination. After the successful completion of your studies, you can work with hospitals in the private or public sector or open your own clinic.

Institutes around you

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi
Homoeopathic Medical College, Abohar
Institute of Homoeopathic Medical Education & Research, Fatehgarh Sahib
Guru Ravidas Ayurved University, Hoshiarpur
Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Homoeopathic Medical College, Ludhiana

Making the choice

There is always a conflict in the minds of students and their guardians regarding whether to select a subject or an institute. I personally give preference to the subject followed by an institution. It is extremely important for any student, who intends to study medicine or an allied other branch, undergo an aptitude test, preferably before applying or joining a course. This becomes all the more important because there are a large number of choices at hand. In addition to the ones we discussed here, students can choose veterinary medicine, which deals with prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries in animals

Do more research

In a short span, clinical research has become one of the most preferred career option for graduates in medicine and its allied fields owing to many factors: the rise in demand for professionally trained clinical research professionals, India becoming a hub for clinical trials, tremendous scope for higher growth and attractive pay packages. With all major pharmaceutical companies and Contract Research Organisations (CROs) setting their base in India, the clinical research business is projected to grow $1.5 billion by 2010 and the demand of CR professionals would be about 50,000 by 2010.

Top Medical colleges

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

www.aiims.edu

Course: MBBS

Seats: 72

USP: India's top-ranked medical institute operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Christian Medical College, Ludhiana

www.cmcludhiana. org

Seats: 75

Course: MBBS

USP: Since 1894, the college has maintained its reputation. It was the first medical school for women in Asia

Govt Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh