Courses After 12th Science In Medical Field

In India, medical education continues to be one of the most prestigious branches of higher studies.

The number one choice for medical field aspirants has always been an M.B.B.S. degree. A major number of students choose Science (PCB or PCMB) after 10th with a dream of landing up in any of the best M.B.B.S. colleges in India or abroad.

However, the list of medical courses is quite extensive and includes many other courses like B.H.M.S., B.A.M.S., B.Sc. Nursing, B.D.S., B.O.T., etc. at bachelor’s level along with a number of other Certificate and Diploma courses.

In this article, I have mentioned eight such alternatives the demand for which has increased over time.

1. B.D.S.(Bachelor of Dental Surgery)

B.D.S. is an undergraduate course in dentistry. The Dental Council of India awards this degree to a student on completion of 5 years of study including one year of internship.

With a B.D.S. degree, one can proceed to join Government or Private Hospitals, Indian Defense Services, Public Health Centres, Community Health Centers or start one’s clinic.

However, after completion of B.D.S. pursuing a Masters in Dental Surgery (M.D.S.) would uplift one’s career prospects significantly.

Specialization:

At the undergraduate level, there are no specializations. However, at master’s (M.D.S.) level candidates are available with numerous specializations such as:

• Oral Medicine
• Endodontics
• Oral Pathology
• Orthodontics
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Community Dentistry
• Periodontics
• Prosthodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry

Duration:    

The duration of B.D.S. is 5 years including 1 year of internship.

Eligibility:

Candidates must have passed 10+2 with either Physics, Chemistry & Biology (PCB) or Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Biology (PCMB). Besides the candidate must have scored at least 50% marks. Most of the Dental Colleges in India provide admission on the basis of national/state/college level entrance exams.

Some of the best colleges:

• Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences
• Manipal College of Dental Sciences
• Bharati Vidyapeeth Dental College and Hospital, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University
• Government Dental College & Hospital, Nagpur
• D.Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth

2. B.H.M.S.(Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery)

According to the World Health Organization, homeopathy is recognized as the second largest healing system in the world.

What makes this branch popular among people around the world is that it does not cause any side effects on the body.

According to an ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce of India) report, there has been a consistent and significant increase in the number of people resorting to Homoeopathy over Allopathy.

As per the same report, the number of patients resorting to Homoeopathic treatments was 40 to 50 million in 2006-07, which grew up to 120 million in 2011.

This shows the expanding scope for this branch of Medicine in India and countries.

To start a career in homeopathy, after 12^th, one must get a B.H.M.S. degree.

Specialization:

• Gynaecology
• Pediatrics
• Homoeopathic Pharmacy
• Psychiatry
• Obstetrics
• Dermatology

Duration:

The duration of B.H.M.S. is 5 ½ years including 1 year of internship.

Eligibility:

Candidate must have passed 10+2 (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) with at least 50% marks from any recognized board. Moreover, most of the homeopathy colleges in India provide admission on the basis of state and national level entrance examinations conducted commonly for M.B.B.S. and B.D.S.

Some of the top colleges for B.H.M.S. are:

• Bharati Vidyapeeth Homeopathic Medical College, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University
• National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata
• Motiwala Homoeopathic Medical College
• D.Y. Patil Homoeopathic Medical College & Research Centre, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidya Pratishthan Society

3. B.A.M.S. (Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine, & Surgery)

Ayurveda has gained acute importance among people in the last decade. It is about curing the root of a disease, not its symptoms; this is one of the reasons that people have started preferring it to other means of treatment.

The other reason that lures people towards Ayurveda is that it has turned out to be a permanent cure for chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes and is less expensive as compared to the allopathic treatments.

All this has led to an increasing demand for Ayurvedic Doctors in India.

To have a career as an Ayurvedic Doctor, you need to get a B.A.M.S. degree. A B.A.M.S. degree provides one the same status as an M.B.B.S. degree. This degree enables one to prefix Dr. before one’s name.

Duration:

The duration of B.A.M.S. is 5 ½ years including 1 year of internship.

Eligibility:

Candidate must have passed 10+2 examination with at least 50% marks from any recognized board. Most Ayurveda Institutes/colleges provide admission on the basis of state/nation/college level entrance tests.

Some of the Top Colleges for B.A.M.S.:

• Ashtang Ayurved Mahavidyalaya
• Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Ayurved
• Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore
• Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar
• Shri Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur

4. B.Pharm.(Bachelor of Pharmacy)/D.Pharm. (Diploma in Pharmacy)

Pharmacy is the science of preparing and dispensing medicines. A Pharmacist usually dispenses drugs according to the prescriptions written by a Doctor.

D.Pharm. enables one to obtain a license to open a drug store. While B.Pharm. lets you be a medical representative at any of the Pharmacy companies or pursue a Master’s degree (M.Pharm.), if you are further interested in research.

Specializations:

B.Pharm. is a generalized course with no specializations. However, at Master’s (M.Pharm.) level candidates have the following main specializations to choose from:

• Pharmacognosy
• Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Pharmaceutics
• Pharmacology
• Biochemistry
• Pharmaceutical Engineering
• Biopharmaceutics
• Drug Regulatory Affairs

Duration:

• B.Pharm. (4 years)
• D.Pharm. (2 years)

Eligibility:

Candidate must have passed 10+2 (PCB) examination from any recognized board. Most of the Pharmacy colleges offer admission on the basis of state or national level entrance examinations conducted every year.

5. B.Sc. Nursing/D.G.N.M./R.A.N.M.

As per a WHO report, there is an urgent requirement of nurses not only in India but also in other developed countries. Countries like US, UK and UAE hire nurses from developing countries like India at fairly handsome salary packages.

This demand for nurses has been there for a long time; even then the number of students enrolling for nursing courses has remained low. The reason behind this is that conventionally Nursing was considered to be a female dominated profession. Besides, the job of a nurse is among the most challenging jobs as they have to work long hours and handle a lot of physical and mental stress.

However, considering the career prospects and high salary packages offered to nurses, even male candidates have started to enroll for nursing courses, Kerala is one leading example.

Only candidates aged between 17 to 35 years are eligible to apply for Nursing courses. The duration and eligibility criteria for different Nursing courses are hereunder:

Course	Duration	Eligibility
B.Sc. Nursing	4 years	Candidate must have passed 10+2 with Science (PCB) with at least 45% marks from any recognized board.
Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery Courses (D.G.N.M.)	3 ½ years	Candidate must have passed 10+2 with relevant subjects from any recognized board.
Revised Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife	1 ½ year	Candidate must have passed 10+2 with relevant subjects from any recognized board.
Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing	2 years	Candidate must have passed GNM (General Nursing & Midwifery) from any recognized Nursing School.

Some of the best colleges for Nursing are:

• Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Nursing
• D.Y. Patil College of Nursing, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth
• College of Nursing, CMC Vellore
• Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal University
• Father Muller College of Nursing, Mangalore
• Department of Nursing, AIIMS

6. B.P.T. (Bachelor of Physiotherapy)

Physiotherapy is the treatment of injuries, diseases and disabilities by means of massage, exercise, and other physical methods instead of medicines and drugs.

Courses like D.P.T. (Diploma in Physiotherapy) and B.Sc. Physiotherapy are also available for Physiotherapy students. However, if you are looking to work in private sector, B.P.T. is the most sought after degree by employers.

Note: There is still some confusion as to whether Physiotherapists can use the prefix “Dr.” before their name or not.

Duration:

4 ½ years

Specializations:

• Cardiopulmonary
• Geriatric
• Neurological
• Orthopaedic
• Paediatric
• Integumentary
• Sports
• Gynaecology and Urology
• Lymphatic Drainage

Eligibility:

Candidate must have passed 10+2 with relevant subjects from any recognized board.

Some of the top colleges for B.P.T. are:

• Deccan Education Society, College of Physiotherapy
• Amity Institute of Physiotherapy
• Dayal Singh College
• Deen Dayal Upadhaya College
• Keshav Mahavidyalaya

7. B.O.T. (Bachelor of Occupational Therapy)

Occupational Therapy treats a physically or mentally disabled person by involvement in certain activities. It is all about making the daily life of a differently abled person better and easier.

Occupational Therapists help their patients become independent to the maximum possible extent.

Specializations:    

• Physical Dysfunctions
• Paediatrics
• Cardiopulmonary
• Cumulative Trauma Disorders
• Community
• Neurological Disorder
• Geriatric
• Mental Health.

Duration:    

The duration of B.O.T. is 4 ½ years including 6 months of internship.

Eligibility:   

Candidate must have passed 10+2 Science (PCB) from any recognized board. Most of the colleges or institutes provide admission on the basis of entrance examinations conducted at national or state level.

8. B.M.L.T./D.M.L.T. (Bachelor of Medical Lab Technology/Diploma of Medical Lab Technology)

A Lab Technician’s work includes:

• Setting up, cleaning and maintaining laboratory equipment
• Diagnosis of diseases like cancer, diabetes, AIDS
• Assisting the physicians in prevention and diagnosis of a disease by testing tissues, blood, urine etc.

The leading career prospects as Lab Technicians are in Hospitals, Clinics, Research, and Teaching.

To start your career as a Lab Technician, you can go for a B.M.L.T. or D.M.L.T. Though most Lab Technicians are masters of all trades; the following are the primary specializations in this field.

Specializations:

• Clinical Biochemistry
• Hematology
• Coagulation
• Microbiology
• Bacteriology
• Toxicology
• Parasitology
• Virology
• Mycology
• Immunology
• Immunohematology (Blood bank)
• Histopathology
• Histocompatibility
• Cytopathology
• Genetics
• Cytogenetics
• Electron Microscopy.

Duration:

• B.M.L.T.: 3 years
• D.M.L.T.: 2 years

Eligibility:

Candidate must have passed 10+2 (Science with Biology) from any recognized board.

This list contains only the eight main courses after 12th science medical field that have gained importance in the recent times. However, these are not the only options available after 12^th (Science). A lot more other options like Geology, Zoology, Forensic Sciences, Agriculture, Microbiology, Food Technology, etc. are also available which I will discuss in my next article.