The field of paramedicine involves many challenges as well as rewards. Before you decide to take it as a profession, you must know the entry criteria, education requirements and future opportunities in this offshoot of medical field. This article will help you understand this alternative route to the medical field and give you a comprehensive view so that you can make an informed decision.
First, let us understand who are Paramedical professionals to get an insight into this proxy medicine career options. They assist doctors in specialized areas of diagnosis, treatment, and therapy. These would include nurses, medical laboratory technologists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, optometrists, occupational therapists, etc. Our healthcare industry would not survive without them. There is a rising demand for trained paramedics within India as well as overseas and you can easily pursue your career goals in medicine. One can choose multiple specializations in this career domain and excel in these alternate fields of medical science. Admission may or may not require NEET scores and one can enter this field by joining a certificate, diploma, or BSc specialized program. Institutes like AIIMS have their own AIIMS Paramedical Exam. Some B. Pharma college programs have their own entrance exams too. However, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology are compulsory in Class 12th, but some paramedical courses can be joined after passing the 10th exam too. Let us look at some of these programs to pursue a career in medicine.
These are the job roles of technicians who are trained to assist doctors in hospitals or different pathology labs. They are responsible for conducting blood tests and operating heavy medical equipment and producing test results for the patient.
These roles in the biomedicine career will include
These are some more programs which provide opportunities to student to pursue a career in medical science. Some of these course options like Physiotherapy (BPT), Occupational Therapy etc., should be considered as a good possible option in the medical field as they offer similar advantages of an independent practice, respect and income comparable to a doctor, minus the prefix.
After studying Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in Classes 11th and 12th, students can pursue BSc and MSc degrees in the above programs. Some colleges do take admission through NEET score like JIPMER Pondicherry, BHU Varanasi, SVIMS Tirupati etc.
Some others have their own entrance exam like JENPAS UG in West Bengal, CMC Vellore, GD Goenka Gurugram, Maharashtra Medical CET etc.
While few colleges take Merit-based admissions like Parul University, Kasturba Medical College, SRM etc. Hence, it is advisable to check with the college for their admission criteria before applying. This also means that competition is relatively lower than in other medical professions and you can achieve your career goals in medicine.
In case a student is not able to complete their education or is looking for skilled training to pursue alternative careers in the medical field, they enjoy the option of certificate programs from ITI or different Polytechnic colleges. The eligibility criteria mostly for such programs are 50% marks in 10th Board exams and age 16-28 years at the time of admission. Admission may happen on merit or entrance exams like AIE CET. These programs are available in –
Diploma programs options, after passing the 12th class exam in Biology, are also available in programs like –
You can find more details about these programs from the Paramedical Council of India website and links:
http://www.paramedicalcouncilindia.com/
https://www.herci.edu.in/download/courses-one.pdf
Let us now look at a few skills and capabilities that can help you perform better at your job as a paramedical professional and excel in your career in medicine and surgery. Do remember that there are no strict rules that you should be exactly the person described in our fitment analysis to be successful. However, these would help you develop a better understanding of the job role and besides the technical knowledge of the job, which skills can help you grow in your work and excel in the fields in medical science.
Mechanical aptitude or the ability to work with machines is useful in these professions. And not just machines – the skills to understand how things work, be it the human body or a diagnostic test, signifies the dexterity of that individual and is extremely useful for people who work in the paramedical jobs or professions.
Interest areas are the things a person is passionate about and wouldn’t complain about if they have to work out of their comfort zone and excel in a career in medicine. So whether you are interested in the paramedical field can either be identified by your direct interests i.e. if you like the work of nurses and lab technicians, always wanting to join the medical workforce. If you haven’t got the opportunity to look at these professions closely, the other way to determine your interest would be Holland’s theory. To read more on career in medicine in India and alternative careers in the medical field, follow this link.
As per this theory, people who have realistic interest areas would be good in occupations that require outdoor work and physical movement. Also, they would like to see tangible results of their efforts and hence they like to build and work hands-on with machines and other things. Similarly, those interested in Social occupations, like providing service and help to people. So if somebody has an interest in the areas of a ‘Doer’ and ‘Helper’, they can consider the paramedical profession as their career in medical line.
A good paramedic can be an introvert or extrovert in personality, however, the latter can get more votes from her patients. However, they should be highly focused on facts and take objective decisions based on logic and not based on feelings. Being organized and completely thorough in the process also helps, either in diagnosis or treatment. Stability in a job, variety in work, and respect in the profession would be the prime motivators for someone who wishes to make a career as a Paramedic.
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