Compassion is the keyword

Dr. Priti Gupta 

Unhealthy lifestyle has lead  to several health issues. Junk food in diet and sedentary day-to-day living  have increased the number of cases of infertility. According to recent studies, approximately 45 per cent of couples are facing problems related to infertility. Also, there is an approximately 20-30 per cent increase in such cases. Infertility has become a cause of concern for medical fraternity in the past decade. 

Medical science is trying its best to come up with feasible solutions to this problem. Couples who aren’t able to naturally become parents seek the option of IVF. Thus, the clinicians and management team involved in IVF need to be experts at the job.  

IVF is surely a game changer in the field of medical science. Genetic screening, single-embryo transfer, frozen embryos along with other new medications are solutions to infertility issues. All this makes IVF-specialty an evolving field. And there is ample scope to make a career in this medical stream. 

If you are keen on pursuing a career in this field, consult a fertility expert or a counsellor to know the details about job responsibilities. 

Decoding infertility

Work pressure, continuous stress, anxiety coupled with increasing level of pollution are taking a toll on the reproductive health of both men and women. However, all is not lost. Developments in the medical field, in the form of IVF, have brought a ray of hope in lives of many couples. IVF is an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) where the eggs and sperm are fertilised outside the womb and in the laboratory under controlled conditions. 

Educational knowhow

Education in IVF has opened various career opportunities. For those aspiring to pursue a career in IVF, the courses revolve around endocrinology, stimulation protocols for IUI, follicular scan, semen processing, elaborate usage of stimulation drugs, etc. Further, there are also training programmes on patient counseling, etc.

In addition, there are several certificates and diploma courses in colleges that impart education in clinical embryology and assisted reproductive technology. Some popular courses are transvaginal ultrasound or follicular tracking, fertility problems, obstetrics and gynecology, etc. Plus, doctors expert at ovulation induction and intra-uterine insemination are also eligible.

Also, there are courses on semen analysis, semen washing as Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) and Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). Hands-on training along with theoretical knowledge on the subject matter will decide the eligibility of an individual.

Career opportunities

There are a plethora of career opportunities in this field. Other than embryologist and fertility expert, there are scopes in fertility hospitals, clinics, research labs, etc. There are positions like fertility researchers, professors, senior andrologists, healthcare scientists, etc, that one can aim and apply for. IVF enjoys a huge NRI market as well. Several couples visit India for IVF treatment, which is more affordable as compared to other countries.

Most of the insurance companies do not cover IVF abroad, hence India is a preferred hotspot destination for people coming from overseas.

Skillset

A candidate should have the ability to write research papers, pursue academic research and comprehend the developments in the medical field. Plus, the methods to counsel and sympathise with the couples, address their apprehensions and guide them accordingly should be one’s forte. One must remember that this is a crucial matter for people and should be handled with care. Thus, along with laboratory and analytical, documentation and record-keeping skills, it is important to have strong interpersonal communication skills. 

—The writer is IVF & fertility specialist