Becoming a doctor is a childhood dream for most kids. There is perhaps no other career, which commands such respect and awe as medicine. The power to heal has traditionally placed the medical profession several rungs above all the others. A doctors' profession involves a lot of hard work and at the same time, it brings also with it the satisfaction of having cured patients. They diagnose illnesses and prescribe and administer treatment for people suffering from injury or disease.
A simple MBBS degree is however not enough for making a successful career in medicine. There are now areas of specialty and super specialty within medicine and its various branches like surgery, cardiology, neurology etc. Other than specializing in a particular branch a doctor may also have to acquire IT skills necessary to operate and use sophisticated medical equipments, which not only help in exact diagnosis of an ailment but also provide options to use non-invasive methods of treatment, which was not possible till a few years back.
The advancement in medical sciences has increased our longevity and decreased mortality rates. However industrialization and technological advancement has adversely effected our environment and lifestyles that has manifested in new types of diseases and ailments, which pose a challenge to the medical fraternity. The demand for medical professionals for therapeutic treatment as well as research work is ever increasing both within the country and abroad. The ongoing liberalization of economy would bring still better opportunities for these professionals in terms of both remuneration and research and working facilities.
Educational Qualification:
Candidates who have passed 10+2 exam with physics, chemistry and biology are eligible for the MBBS course. Selection for the course is through highly competitive entrance exam. The all India entrance exam conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSC) admits students on an all India basis against 15 per cent of the total seats in all Medical and Dental Colleges run by the Central Government, State Governments and Local Bodies except in Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. There are also separate Entrance Exams conducted by Medical Colleges affiliated to the Universities run and managed by the State Governments that admit students on the basis of state domicile. Medial Colleges in some states also admit students on the basis of their performance at the 10+2 level.
The MBBS Course is of five years' duration, including the period of internship. While a MBBS degree prepares a candidate for practice as a General Physician, it is not sufficient for providing specialist treatment to patients. Therefore most Medical Graduates proceed to complete their Post -Graduate studies by going in for a 3 years MD/MS course. The major areas of specialization include General Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Cardiology, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Psychiatry, ENT and Pathology. Further super specialization’s which require a two years training after obtaining MD/MS degree of study are also available in the areas such as Plastic Surgery, Neuro-Surgery, Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Endocrinology, Clinical Hematology and other subjects.
At present there are 162 medical colleges in the country out of which 158 have been recognized/ approved by the Medical Council of India. Among the 158 medical colleges, the Government runs 109 and the remaining 49 are private medical colleges. The admission capacity in the above colleges is about 17,000 students per annum. Getting into a medical college is the toughest challenge, especially in the better-known ones. A leading newsmagazine has rated the following colleges as the top ten medical colleges in the country.
1. AIIMS, New Delhi
2. CMC, Vellore
3. AFMC, Pune
4. KEM, Mumbai
5. GMC, Mumbai
6. JIPMER, Pondicherry
7. Faculty of Medicine, AMU, Aligargh
8. MMC Chennai
9. Bangalore Medical College, Bangalore
10. Lady Hardinge, New Delhi
