Study to be a doctor in India
To enter the medical profession, academic excellence and a desire to serve others is necessary. The training is long and arduous and doctors must always keep abreast of advances in technology.
To enter the medical profession, academic excellence and a desire to serve others is necessary. The training is long and arduous and doctors must always keep abreast of advances in technology
The Vedas (ancient Indian sacred texts) contain references to medical and physiological lore.
The compendia of Charaka (renowned Indian practitioner of Ayurveda in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD) and Susruta (a well-known surgeon in India in the 4th century AD) are producers of a fully evolved system of medicine and surgery which resembled those of Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen in some respects, and in others, had developed beyond them.
In India, the two systems of medicine generally adopted are allopathic and the indigenous systems.
Allopathy is practised by physicians and surgeons who have completed their MBBS or Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.
The Ayurvedic and Unani systems are practiced by those who have done BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) and BUMS (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery) respectively.
Another popular system is homeopathy for which the qualification is BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery).
To enter the medical profession, academic excellence and a desire to serve others is necessary.
The training is long and arduous and if specialisation is your aim, there is a further four to five years of training after a five-and-a-half year year MBBS degree course.
As in other disciplines a high degree of technology has entered the field of medicine and with rapid advances, constant interaction at scientific meetings is important to keep ones knowledge up-to-date.
A profile of three top institutes
All India Institute of Medical Services (AIIMS)
Address: Ansari Nagar, New Delhi - 110 029
Website: www.aiims.ac.in
About the institute: AIIMS was established in 1956 as an institution of national importance teaching undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.
The institute has comprehensive facilities for teaching, research and patient care.
It awards its own degrees. Teaching and research are conducted in 42 disciplines.
AIIMS is the leader in the field of medial research, with more than 600 research publications by faculty and researchers in a year.
AIIMS also runs a College of Nursing and trains students for B.Sc(Hons) Nursing (post certificate) degrees. AIIMS provides health cover to an approximately 2.5 lakh population through the Centre for Community Medicine.
Courses: AIIMS offers both undergraduate and postgraduate course. The undergraduate courses include MBBS, BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), B.Sc in Nursing, Ophthalmic Techniques, Medical Technology in Radiography Speech and Hearing and Human Biology.
The postgraduate courses include MD (Doctor of Medicine), MS (Master of Surgery) and MSc (Master of Science).
Eligibility for MBBS: Pass certificate in class 12 under 10+2 system (or equivalent examination) with physics, chemistry, biology and English.
The candidate must have secured a minimum of 60 per cent marks in aggregate. You should be 17 years as of December 31 of the year of admission.
Seats: Every year 50 seats are available for admission to the MBBS course. Seven seats are reserved for the scheduled castes and four seats for the scheduled tribe candidates in India.
Five seats are kept for foreign nationals nominated by the Indian government.
Entrance exam: A candidate has to qualify in a competitive entrance examination conducted by the institute at five centres. These are Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
Pattern of exam: The entrance examination for MBBS/BDS is of three hours duration and consists of one paper of four parts, each containing objective type multiple choice questions.
The questions are based on physics, chemistry, biology and general knowledge.
The general standard of the exam is that of class 12 under the 10+2 scheme/Pre-Medical/Intermediate Science or an equivalent exam of an Indian university.
Jawarlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER)
Address: Dhanvantrinagar, Pondicherry - 605 006
Website: www.jipmer.edu
About the institute: JIPMER traces its origin to 1823 when a medical school called Ecole de Medicine de Pondicherry was established by the French Government.
In 1956, the Government of India took over the medical college on the transfer of Pondicherry.
The college was upgraded as a regional centre and named the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research in 1964.
The institute is affiliated to Pondicherry University and conducts a number of medical and paramedical courses.
The JIPMER campus is located on the highway of Pondicherry.
It is spread over 195 acres of sloping land. The campus is self-sufficient and houses it own post office, bank, shopping centre, hostels and residential complex.
Courses: JIPMER offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The undergraduate course includes MBBS, B.Sc in Medical Laboratory Technology, and a Bachelor of Medical Record Science.
Postgraduate courses include MD and MS, MSc in Medical Biochemistry and PhD.
Eligibility for MBBS: Students who are Indian nationals, aged 17 years on or before December 31 of the year of admission.
They should have passed the higher secondary examination (Plus 2) with an aggregate of 50 marks in physics, chemistry, biology and English which must be the subjects of study.
Seats: Your merit in the entrance exam is the criterion for selection to 46 seats. Some seats are filled on merit through the all India entrance exam conducted by the CBSE board.
There are 14 vacancies for the general category, 8 and 4 seats respectively for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and 20 seats for citizens of Pondicherry.
There are 11 seats for those passing the All India entrance exam and 18 for Government of India nominations.
Entrance exam: JIPMER conducts an entrance exam on an all-India basis in Pondicherry, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram.
Pattern of exam: The exam is based on the CBSE syllabus for class 11 and 12 students.
It consists of 200 multiple choice questions in botany, zoology, physics, chemistry and English. There is no negative marking.
Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC)
Address: Sholapur Road, Pune - 411 040.
Website: www.armedforces.nic.in
About the institute: AFMC was set up in 1948 in the immediate post-World War II period. Over the past 50 years, it has grown in its functions and has become one of the best medical colleges of the country.
The graduate wing is affiliated to the University of Pune. It is recognised by th
