Career Guidance

A graduate in medicine has a large number of specializations to choose from. Some of the popular specializations are:

• Ophthalmology - An ophthalmologist is a specialist in diseases of the eye, and works to both diagnose problems and treat them with the use of surgery and medicine. Most ophthalmologists are concerned with both the medical and the surgical aspects of eye conditions. However, if you are averse to operating it is possible to specialise only in medical ophthalmology.
• Anaesthetics - An anaesthesiologist is a highly trained medical specialist who makes anaesthesia related medical decisions and is responsible for the safety and well being of the patient during an operation. This includes maintaining the patient in a state of controlled unconsciousness, providing pain relief and monitoring the patient's critical life functions as they are affected throughout surgical, obstetrical or other medical procedures.
• Obstetrics and gynaecology - Obstetrics and gynaecology includes women's reproductive health and pre-natal care, as well as labour and delivery. Physicians often practice a mix of obstetrics and gynaecology, but some may specialize in one area. Additionally, physicians may further sub-specialize within the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, such as in maternal foetal medicine or reproductive endocrinology.
• Psychiatry -Psychiatry is one of the oldest medical speciality areas. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in the treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are sometimes confused with psychologists, and while there are many similarities between the two professions, there are also many important differences. There are a number of different speciality areas in psychiatry like Addiction psychiatry, Adult psychiatry, Adolescent and child psychiatry, Forensic psychiatry, Geriatric psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry that one can go for.
• Paediatrics - A paediatrician is concerned with the physical, emotional, and social health of children from birth to young adulthood. He/she deals with the biological, social, and environmental influences on the developing child, and also the impact of disease and dysfunction on their development.
• Pathology - Pathology entails the analysis and examination of human tissue, bone, and bodily fluids for abnormalities. Pathologists in hospitals and clinical laboratories practice as consultant physicians, and their inputs are critical for the accurate diagnosis of diseases as well as to determine the cause of death in the deceased.
• Surgery - A surgeon is a physician who has trained specifically to operate on patients in need of surgical procedures. Some surgeons are specialized in a particular type of surgery, such as brain or heart surgeries while other surgeons, called general surgeons perform surgeries that are broader in scope and are not highly specialized. The training period for surgery is longer than for most other disciplines.
• Orthopaedics - Orthopaedics is an extremely competitive field focusing on the diagnosis, treatment, and repair of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. Orthopaedics is primarily a surgical speciality, although there are a few physicians who practice non-surgical orthopaedics such as sports medicine, or physical medicine.
• Cardiology- Cardiologists provide health care to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and conditions of the heart and the cardiovascular system. Because the field of cardiology encompasses so many different types of diseases and procedures, there are many different types of cardiology one may choose to practice. Keep in mind that a cardiologist is different from a cardiac surgeon.
• Neurology- Neurology is the branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the nervous system, including brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and muscles. Neurologists treat a wide range of disorders, ranging from epilepsy and migraine to acute neurological emergencies such as stroke, meningitis, encephalitis and chronic conditions (such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease).
• Dermatology- A dermatologist is a physician trained to treat diseases of the skin. Dermatologists treat anything from a fungal or bacterial infection of the skin to various types of cancer. In addition to medical treatment of skin conditions, dermatologists may also do aesthetic, elective procedures for patients who wish to improve skin tone and decrease signs of aging.

As a student of medicine, it is almost always advisable for to go for a specialization after completing MBBS before you start working. However, in addition to MBBS, a student should complete a House Surgency or internship for at least one year.

Doctors can find vast job opportunities in

• Government or private hospitals
• Nursing homes/clinics/health departments
• Medical services of the army, navy and air force
• Charitable institutions
• Medical colleges and training institutes
• Research institutes
• Private practice/ self employment

• The degree level qualification for a medical profession is MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine And Bachelor Of Surgery) which is of 5^1/2 years duration (including 1 year internship).
• After MBBS, candidates can go for post graduate level studies (MD or MS), which is usually of 3 years duration through another entrance.
• Post Graduates (MD or MS or M.Sc in Medicine) can further opt for super-specialisation. i.e. they can go for Ph.D in any specialised area of the medical profession.

• AIIMS, New Delhi
• AFMC, Pune
• Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi
• Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
• University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
• CMC Vellore, Ludhiana
• Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Science, Wardha
• St. John Medical College, Bengaluru
• JIPMER, Puducherry
• BHU, Varanasi
• Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (AMU), Aligarh

• Analytical mindset
• Adept at handling pressure situations
• Good memory and recollection ability
• Extreme focus and concentration
• Willingness to learn throughout life
• Sympathetic temperament
• Strong sense of responsibility

NEET

Starting from 2013, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) will allow medical aspirants to take a single entrance examination to get admission to almost all medical colleges in India, including private medical colleges.

• Eligibility Candidates must have passed class 12th with a minimum of 50% in aggregate of Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology from a recognized board.
• Test pattern NEET-UG is a single stage test based on objective type questions. The test would comprise of questions from Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology. The duration of the test would be three hours and the number of questions would be 180 (45 questions from each section).
• Important dates (indicative)

  Date for applying- 1st week of December

  Date of examination- 1st week of May