If you are genuinely fired with the passion for devoting your life to selfless social service and wish to contribute your mite to the upliftment of society, medical profession is one of the service career options that you can go for.
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Apart from being one of the noblest professions since ages, medicine is also a very respectable and lucrative line offering rewarding career opportunities both in public and private sectors. The biggest reward is service to suffering mankind, a laudable humanitarian concept. Today, with the proliferation of health hazards all around the globe, doctors have come to be seen by every society as the apostles of health security and vanguards of future growth. So, it is very important that they must resist the alluring considerations of hefty pay and perks and dedicate themselves to the great cause of serving the mankind.
Two factors have given a fresh boost to bright career prospects and opportunities in the medical profession. These are: (i) Emergence of healthcare as major concern in all nations, irrespective of their global developmental status, and (ii) the spate of unprecedented scientific technological developments in the field of medical science and research.
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The profession has wide scope for expansion in the country taking into account the abysmally poor state of affairs in healthcare sector with only six doctors and barely 10 beds for a populace of 10,000. Further, both in the public and private sectors, a large number of hospital/ nursing homes etc., are being opened to cater to the healthcare of a burgeoning population. Medical profession is essentially about the healthcare of patients. there are several crucial tasks, which medical practitioners, working in hospitals and clinics, have to perform. Some of these can be summed up as follows:
- Take into account the medical history of specific cases of illness or problems presented by the patient together with information regarding his/ her previous illnesses and any illnesses of relatives.
- Keep the patient under close vigil in course of treatment, conduct regular checkups and examine the patient’s physical status using clinical skills and order or performs laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures; assess the findings and make a diagnosis.
- Recommend suitable treatment of the patient, which may involve recommendations on life-style changes, prescribing medicine or giving medication, vaccinating against infections or contagious diseases, or in the case of injuries or otherwise closing wounds, removing foreign bodies or setting broken limbs.
- Give counseling to patients on diet, exercise, avoidance of detrimental habits such as smoking and consumption of alcohol, and overall health maintenance.
MBBS Course
In order to enter the Medicine profession, one has to complete the 5.5 years MBBS in Allopathic course. 10+2 Pass students, ambitious to enter this profession, must have Physics, Chemistry & Biology at the Senior Secondary level.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts. All India Entrance Examination for admission to MBBS / Dental Course for 15% of the total seats for these courses in all Medical / Dental Colleges run by Union of India / State Governments, Municipal or other local authorities in India except the States of Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
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The All India Pre-medical / Pre-dental Entrance Exam is held in two stages – Preliminary in April and final in May, every year. Indian nationals completing 17 years of admission are eligible to appear in the competitive entrance test.
Since the last date of submission of application is November and the 10+2 exam conducted by CBSE is held in March, 10+2 candidates, desirous of taking up Medicine as profession, can apply provisionally, subject to fulfilling the conditions later.
After the MBBS course, which is offered by various colleges and institutes in different States, one can go in for specialization in Anatomy, Anesthesiology, Biophysics, Biochemistry, Cardiology, Dermatology / Venereology, Endocrinology, Neurology, Nuclear Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Surgery including Neuro Surgery, Urology and so on.
Where to Study?
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Besides CBSE, the following Colleges / Institutes offer admission to Medical courses on all India basis by conducting entrance test:
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ansari Nagar, New Delhi-110029.
- Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Sholapur Road, Pune-410040. Website: www.afmcpune.com
- Christian medical College (CMC), Ludhiana.
- Christian medical College (CMC), Thorapadi Post, Vellore-632002. Website: www.cmcvellore.ac.in
- Institute of Medical, Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Varansi-221005. Website: www.bhu.ac.in
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry University, Dhanvantry Nagar, Pondicherry-605006. Website: www.jipmer.org
- Jawaharla Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002.
- Medical Collge, Bhartiya Vidyapeeth (Deemed University), Dhakawadi, Pune-411043.
- Manipal Academy of higher Education (Deemed University), Ground Floor, University Building, Madhav Nagar, Manipal-576119.
- Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, P.O. Sevagram, Wardha-442102
- Padmashree Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (Deemed University), Navi Mumbai.
- St. John’s Medical College, John Nagar, Bangalore-560034.
- Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical & Technological Sciences, Gangtok-737102. Website: www.smuhmts.edu.
- Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Porur, Chennai-600016.
- Vardhman Mahavir Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi (Affiliated to GGS Indraprastha University, Delhi).
Apart from the abovementioned medical colleges / institutes, many medical colleges run by trusts / privately managed bodies in various States have provision for 50 percent open payment seats.
Entry Prospects In Some Premier Medical Institutes: A Brief Overview
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
This is the largest autonomous Medical Institute in India. The Institute releases admission notification in December every year. Candidates have to apply before the month of February.
Exam date: First week of June every year.
Seats: 34
Eligibility: 10+2 (Biology) with 60% marks.
For SC/ST it is 50%.
Entrance test: Question Papers are for 200 marks in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, GK.
Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune
This is one of the famous Medical Colleges in India. After completing medical course, students generally work in Armed Forces medical Service. Most of the course fee is paid by the Armed Forces.
Exam Date: Notification appears in the first week of January.
Total Seats: 130 (105 boys, 25 girls)
Eligibility: 10+2 (Biology) with 60% marks.
Age: Between 17-22 years.
Exam: Written test in for 200 marks.
Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Banaras
This is an internationally reputed University. There are 33 medical science departments in this university. Imp. Dates: Notification is released every year in January. Last date for applying (by post) is February. If candidate wants to apply personally, last date is in March. Exam date” Screening test (May second week) and Main exam (June second week).
Total Seats: 35
Eligibility: Candidate should have passed 10+2 (Biology) with 50% marks. For SC/St, it is 40% marks.
Age: Between 17-25 years.
Exam: 200 marks for objective (screening) test. 200 marks for subjective (Main) test.
Jawaharla Nehru institute of Postgraduate medical Education and Research (JIPMER)
This institute is run by the Health and Family welfare Ministry of the Central Government.
How to apply: Application form can be obtained by post or by hand between February and March. Last date to apply is in March.
Exam date: Last Sunday of May.
Total seats: 75
Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore
CMC is a well-known Institute for Medical Studies. The MBBS course is conducted in three stages. After completing this course, there are some classes on communications and ethics.
Applications: Applications are available from the first week of March. Last date to apply is the second week of April.
Exam Date: Last week of May.
Total Seats: 60
Eligibility: 10+2 (Biology) with 60% marks.
Exam: An objective paper of 120 marks for a duration of 3 hrs. (Subject: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, General Ability).