Career Options after NEET-UG

NEET UG is should not say it but it’s National Eligibility Entrance Test. This a huge dream of ever aspiring medico to clear this exam. But there is a sad reality. Every year millions of students appear for this exam but only a few could manage to secure their seats in Medical College. This year in 2020, a total of 15.97 lakh candidates registered and over 13 lakh students appeared in the exam.

And can you guess how many vacancies are available for MBBS admission in all government and private medical colleges across the country?

It is less than 1 lakh. That means it is very obvious that only 1 student out of 20 approx. could get admission. Then what about others, what will the other students do, where will they go?

I’m writing this article to tell all of the students that it’s not the end of anything. Even consider it as a new beginning. I know that all those questions are making you worried about your future, but trust me a lot of new opportunities are waiting for you. So rather than thinking about your past results, you should start working on your future.

Here in this article, I will tell you about the other options instead of being a doctor after NEET-UG if you are not getting a college for MBBS.

 
MBBS from Abroad

So, first of all, I want to tell you about the most famous option. Yes MBBS from abroad is very popular among students who want to be doctors but have low marks in the NEET exam. Many countries provide admission to Indian students for MBBS. Countries like Russia, Ukraine, China, The Philippines, etc. are very popular. They have low expenses as compared to private Indian Medical colleges.

But I would like to let you know about some facts before choosing this option. I have many of my friends who are doing MBBS from abroad. I personally don’t advise you to go with that option. I have many reasons to justify my words but in the end, it will be your personal decision.

If you really want to be a doctor and you don’t want to prepare again for NEET then you can go for this option. Students doing MBBS from abroad have very different problems. The first and foremost problem is for the weather, countries like Russia are very cold countries and many students from India cannot manage to withstand extremely low temperatures, epically if you are from central India or south India.

 The second will be the problem of food. Many times you may not get Indian food, though some universities claim that they provide Indian food but many don’t. These are the major problems regarding lifestyle.

Instead of that, you will see a lot of differences in academics structure, the variation of diseases and cases. You will not be able to attend a variety of patients abroad whereas in India the variety of cases is a lot. And the last thing I would like to address is language. If you are planning to do MBBS from abroad then you have to learn their language. The universities will teach you the language but you have to spend more time in your MBBS than 5.5 years.

BDS

If you are having a decent score and you are unable to get a seat in MBBS then you can go with the option for BDS. BDS is a Bachelor of Dental Surgery and it is a 5 years course. This course will train you for being a dentist. But before choosing that option keep in mind about some factors like

• Whether you have any family background in dentistry
• What will be the future scope of it?
• What will the salary of a Dentist in Corporate Setup?
• What will be the Return of Investment in your own private setup?

I am telling you to consider these factors because dentistry is achieving saturation and a lot of new dentists are coming every year. No doubt that there will always be a shortage of well-skilled dentists but still you should consider these facts

AYUSH Courses

This option is having a lot of courses available for an aspiring medico. It includes BAMS i.e. Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery, BHMS i.e. Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery. BUMS, for Unani and other medicine systems like Siddha medicine and Yoga & Naturopathy. 

With any of these courses, you can be a doctor. These courses have very low cutoff so you can easily get college into these courses even in Government College.

The curriculum of these courses is very similar to MBBS. You just have to read some additional books related to your courses.

 

B.P.Th and Sports Medicine

BPT is a Bachelor of Physiotherapy. This is a very emerging field related to patient care. Nowadays every doctor prescribes physiotherapy to bed-ridden patients. Physiotherapy is also required for patients with paralysis. You will be designated as a Doctor of course.

You can even become a sports medicine doctor and it is having a great future. Ever sports have injuries and every official team like National cricket team, IPL teams, Football teams, etc. have their own Sports Medicine experts.

 

B.Sc. Nursing

This course is also a 4 years course. This course is directly involved in patient care. With this course, you can be a nurse. Guys don’t think that only a girl can be the nurses. Boys can also be the nurse and being a nurse you will have many benefits as a medico. 

You can work with corporate hospitals or government hospitals or either with private setup. There is good security of the job and also earning as a nurse is fair enough. You will be going to have all the subjects of MBBS. The main difference is just that you will read much lesser than MBBS Students.

 

Now, So far I have discussed the options that are involved in patient care. Now I would like to tell you about those options that don’t deal with patient care.

 

Forensic Science

It is a very fascinating field where you will learn how to apply medical knowledge to solve legal cases. B.Sc. Forensic Sciences is a 3 years of Undergraduate program which is having a good scope in the future. 

With this forensic science, you can work with top investigating bodies of countries like CIB or IB. There you will learn all the medicolegal aspects of livings as well as the dead.

If you want an adventurous and daring career then I think Forensic sciences are your cup of tea. I want a close look at what does actually, forensic science people do then you can want a very popular T.V series C.I.D. and a recently released Web series Asur.

They will help you to give a better perspective on this course

 

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is another emerging field in our country. Now many institutions are providing B.Sc. Biotechnology degree. It is a 3 years program that will let you utilize a biological system for creating something innovative. 

The scope of this field is constantly increasing. Even the IITs are also providing a Post Graduate Program in Biotechnology.

 

B.Pharma

Bachelors of Pharmacy is a course related to the knowledge of drugs and medicine. This is also a 3 years course and that you can start your own pharmacy or can work with pharmaceutical companies. This is not a very popular course among students though some students. That’s why put it at last.

 

Other Options

There are many other options after NEET but they are outside the stream. Food Science, Journalism, Management, Lawyer, Fashion designer, Interior designers are also some of the emerging fields. You can go with any of them if you are interested in any other fields instead of medicine. If you want a further post regarding these options comments me down.

 

  

 

USMLE Exam : - Details, Exam Pattern and Process for How to apply for USMLE

What is The USMLE Exam?

USMLE or The United States Medical Licensing Examination is a 3 step examination. This exam conducts for medical licensure in the U.S. In short, if you want to work as a doctor in the United States you have to clear the USMLE exam. This exam is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Board (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Whether you are an IMG (International Medical Graduate) or AMG (American Medical Graduate) this exam is mandatory to practice as a doctor in America. Many students across the globe apply for this exam every year.

In the following article, I will try to give you a brief overview of all the requirements and processes of the exam. Also, I will tell you about the exam pattern and the syllabus of each step.

As this is a 3 steps examination, the main focus of this exam is the assessment of knowledge in basic medical sciences as well as deep understandings of its applications in clinical scenarios.

The steps of the exam are as following: -

• USMLE Step 1
• USMLE Step 2 (CK and CS )
• USMLE Step 3

 

Pre-Requisites before applying for USMLE

Before diving into the actual article there are some pre-requisites that you should consider. These are:-

1. Make Sure that your college or medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS). Here is the link to check. You need to select your college and country to check whether it's listed or not. Only listed college students are eligible to apply for USMLE.
2. You must have to have your MBBS mark sheets with you. You will need them while applying for the match process
3. You have to clear your TOEFL exam, any time before applying for the VISA. You should have to get it ready before applying for the Step 2 CS exam.

 

These are the things that you should keep in mind. There is only one absolute requirement before applying for step 1 and that is your college must be listed for the World Directory of Medical Schools.

The other 2 requirements are also necessary but they will not be problematic at the beginning of the application for step 1.

 

USMLE Step 1

USMLE Step 1 is the first part of this 3 steps long exam, as the name suggests. You can apply for this exam right after the completion of the second year of your medical college. Most of the students in India apply for this exam in the starting or in the mid of their third year.

This step consists of an 8-hour long exam having 7 blocks of 40 questions each. For now, the result of this exam is a 3 digit score with the qualifying Marks of 192. But from January 2022, the exam will be pass-fail only. All the competitive features from the step 1 exam will exclude and the step 2 CK score will gain more importance. The Pattern of Step 1 exam is:-

·        Exam Type:- Online computer Based

·        Exam Centers:- Global

·        Duration of Exam:- 8 Hours

·        Number of Questions:- 280

·        Division of Questions:- Block System, 1 hour block, 40 questions each block

·        Syllabus for Step 1 will be: -

o   Anatomy

o   Behavioral Sciences

o   Biochemistry

o   Biostatics and Epidemiology

o   Pathology

o   Pharmacology

o   Physiology

o   Microbiology

USMLE Step 1 Fees 

The examination fees for USMLE Step 1 will be 965$ with an additional delivery surcharge of 165$ i.e. the total of 965+165$ for an IMG. For students and graduates of Medical schools in the United States and Canada, the fees are 645$ for 2020-2021.

Before applying for the USMLE Step 1 you have to apply for the ECFMG certification and the fees for this are 140$ with an additional delivery surcharge of 160$.

 

USMLE Step 2

This Step is having 2 sets of examinations namely Clinical Skills and Clinical Knowledge. In short, it is known as Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS. These 2 exams have a lot enough gaps in between. Step 2 CK is an MCQ based exam which you can give from your country, as it’s a computer-based examination. But for Step 2 CS you have to go to the US, and you have to apply for it at least 4 months prior. This exam will have all clinical subjects but you need to have a good background of Step 1 content as you will see a lot of questions integrated with basic sciences. The pattern of Step 2 CK will be as follows:-

USMLE Step 2 CK 

·        Exam Type:- Online computer Based

·        Exam Centers:- Global

·        Duration of Exam:- 9 Hours

·        Number of Questions:- 320

·        Division of Questions:- Block System, 1 hour block, 40 questions each block

·        Syllabus for Step 2 CK will be:-

o   Obstetrics/Gynecology

o   Preventive medicine

o   Psychiatry

o   Surgery

o   Internal Medicine

o   Dermatology

o   Emergency medicine

o   Ophthalmology

o   ENT

Questions in Step 2 CK will describe a clinical situation and require you to provide one or more of the following: -

·        Prognosis

·        Diagnosis

·        Suitable Investigation of Choice

·        Indications or mechanism of diseases

·        Management and preventive measures

·        Qualifying marks for the Step 2 CK exam are 209.

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USMLE Step 2 CK Fees

The fees for the Step 2 CK exam are 965 $ with an additional deliver surcharge of 165$, similar to step 1. These fees might be changed in the future. It is mentioned here as per the year 2020-2021

The fee for an extension of the eligibility period for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK will be 90$.

USMLE Step 2 CS

Once you have qualified Step 2 CK you can apply for Step 2 CS. But as I said earlier you have to apply for the exam 4 months prior. At that time your TOFIL exam certificate will come into action. As this exam have only 6 centers in America so you have to go there for Step 2 CS. The pattern of the Step 2 CS exam is:-

·        Exam Type:- Offline, Practical exam

·        Exam Centers:- the US only

·        12 patients or simulations will be allotted

·        15 minutes + 10 minutes for every spot will be given

This exam will test your skills in communication and history taking. This is a pass-fail exam and no marks will be given in this step.

USMLE Step 2 CS Fees

The fees for Step 2 CS is 1600$ for each exam registration. The Fee for a rescheduling a Step 2 CS testing appointment will be 0-1300$ (depending on the date of cancellation)

 

After you clear your Step 2 you can apply for Step 3. Before applying for step 3 you have to apply for the United Stated Clinical Experience (USCE) if you are an IMG.

 

What is USCE?

USCE or the United States Clinical Experience which is considered important if you an IMG and want to apply for residency in the US. It will help you to get some Letters of Recommendation which you can use for your match process. I would suggest you not look at USCE as means to get those letters rather look at it as a learning opportunity.

There are 2 types of USCE

1.      Externship or Sub-Internship

2.      Observerships or Shadowing

In brief, Externships are the rotations that are not undertaken in the home institution. During an externship, you can actually treat a patient and can interact with them. They are preferred over Observerships.

In Observerships you are not allowed to treat any patient. You can only observe all the process silently. There will be no direct involvement in inpatient care from your side. This is probably the most popular way to gain USCE as an International Medical Graduate (IMG).

 Now, you are completely ready for your Step 3 application.

 

USMLE Step 3

This is the last and final step towards your residency in The USA. This exam is a 2 days long exam. The exam committee will do a complete assessment of your knowledge in these 2 days.

Day 1

·        Questions:- 230 MCQs

·        Division of questions: - 6 blocks

·        Duration: - 7 hours

Day 1 focus on the assessment of knowledge on Basic Sciences, History taking, physical examination, and use of proper diagnostic tests.

Day 2

·        Questions: -180 MCQs + 13 Computer Case Simulation (20 mins each)

·        Division of Questions: - 6 blocks

·        Duration: - 9 hours

Day 2 focus on the assessment of your ability to apply you medical knowledge in the context of patient care and it tests your medical decision making skills.

USMLE Step 3 Fees

The examination fees for the Step 3 exam is 895$ as per fsmb.org. Fees must be paid via American Express, aster card, or Vis

 

After everything is done and you have qualified all exams, now it’ time to submit an application for an interview. You have to apply to different hospitals to get your desired residency.

The application for the interview was submitted on 15 September each year. This application includes: -

·        Step 1 score

·        Step 2 score

·        MBBS Score Card

·        Letters of Recommendations

·        Strong Personal statement

·        Your Research Papers (published if any)

The Medical Board will select your applications and if get selected they will call you for an interview. After clearing the Interview you can join your allotted residency.

Takeaway Points

• USMLE is a 3 step exam for getting a residency in the US.
• This Exam is sponsored by NBME and FSMB.
• There are some prerequisites for the exam. Your college should be listed in WDOMS.
• Step1 is a single day exam of 8 hours duration, with 280 questions having 7 blocks of 1 hour having 40 questions each.
• Right now qualifying criteria for Step 1 is 192 marks out of 280 marks. But from 2022 it will be a pass-fail exam.
• The examination fees of Step 1 the exam is 965$ with an additional delivery surcharge of 165$
• You have to have an ECFMGE certification before applying for USMLE Step 1. Fees for ECFMGE certification is 140$ with an additional delivery surcharge of 160$
• Step 2 has 2 parts CK and CS. The CK exam is 9 hours long exam with 320 questions and CS is a practical exam.
• 209 is the qualifying score for Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS is a pass-fail exam.
• Step 2 CK exam fees are similar as step 1 and CS fee is 1600 $ for IMGs.
• USCE is considered important for IMGs before applying for step 3.
• Step 3 is a 2-day long exam and after that you have to apply for your interviews after clearing the interview you are ready for doing a residency in the USA.

How To Choose Branch After MBBS? Detailed explanation with relevant factors

How to Choose a medical Branch?

Most of us might have thought about it once at least. We all use to about a suitable specialty. A specialty that will be good for us. But in the end, what happened. As we have a lot of options available we get confused. Studies have proven that a confused mind cannot make a solid decision. The same happens to us.

We think about specialties for us after MBBS. But then we get a lot of options. These options make us more puzzled. Then, in that condition, we seek someone who can advise us. Sometimes the advice is genuine and helpful but sometimes not.

So in this article, I discussed some factors that one should consider to choose a residency for himself/herself.

Passion  

First thing first, if you are passionate about any branch then don’t think much. There is nothing more than passion. The thing that matters at the end of the day is your satisfaction. But wait, what does that passion mean? Passion is not that you like to read books on that subject. Passion means that you should like that subject in practice.

This factor far outweighs other factors. But the truth is that it does not apply to all of us. There are a few students who are passionate about a specific branch.

Before going further I want you to ask some questions to yourself. This will help you to have a base to think further.

1. How much time will I have for me and my family?
2. Will I be burned out and miserable or love what I will be doing?
3. Will I do that Job for my whole life?
4. How much money will I make?

The answers to these questions will make your work easy.

A systematic approach to choose a specialty

What are your areas of scientific and clinical interest?

It’s the very first step to go for a branch. Find out which subject you like the most. For that, the easy way is just to ask yourself which subject you prefer to study any other subject.

• If you like Pharmacology and physiology then you can go for Anesthesia or internal medicine.
• If you like anatomy then surely Surgery is the best.
• If you are more curious about the brain the Neurology or Psychiatry

Relationships, Interactions, and Level of patient contact

If you are a guy with good communication skills and more of an extrovert type then medical branches are for you. Branches like Internal medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Family Medicine will suits you the best. These branches will let you make long term relations with your patients.

But you are more of an introvert type and don’t like a lot of patient interaction then there are branches like radiology. In branches like radiology, pathology you are not directly related to patient care.

But if you are extrovert up to an extent and like a short relationship with patients then you should surgical branches. Branches like General Surgery, Plastic surgery, Orthopedics will be best. These branches involve brief and efficient patient interaction

There is a midway also branches like Urology, Dermatology, OBGYN which have both surgical and medical work. So if you want to be a physician and a surgeon as well then you can opt for them. But you will be considered either pf one out of them.

Work-Life balance

You wanted to be a doctor because you wanted a good life. Don’t forget that. If you cannot enjoy your life and your work then everything is waste. Never let your professional life to interfere with your personal life. Enjoy your life and let yourself do your job with as ease. Consider a branch that has fewer burnouts. That allows you to have a quality life.

Like surgical braches have fewer burnout rates. But on the other hand, the surgical branches are more challenging.

Burnout rates of Different Branches (source:- Medscape 2019 national physician Burnout, depression, and suicide Report)

Source: - Medscape

 

Feasibility

Will you do that job for your whole life? We have discussed many factors. I think till now you may have a clear vision of your branch. But think about it as well. You have to do it forever. If you will not be happy then it will be very difficult for you to carry on with your job. Once a wise man said, “ Make your hobby your job, then people will pay you for your hobby”. So it’s totally up to you if you will be happy or not.

Money

The factor that most of the students consider in the first place is money. In my opinion, money should not be a primary or a secondary factor to choose a branch. Compensation differences between specialties will be far less important than other factors. It’s a very reductionist approach. We should indeed be rewarded for our hard work. But money is an aspect of life but not life itself. There are many confounding factors if someone is considering money as a primary factor. One should consider these confounding factors too.

Money Time Ratio

When it comes to money with time it becomes more important than money alone. The money time ratio is a major factor. MBBS students (in the majority) always keep on thinking about money alone. You should also think about the time too. In the beginning, we don’t consider family time but later on, we realize its importance A doctor who earns 2 Lakhs/month and works 8 hours a day is much better than a doctor working 12houra a day for 3 lakhs/month. A proper balance between time and money should be needed. So never consider money alone.

     

Tertiary consideration

In the end, I would like to add a few points. There are the less important point but significant

1. Assess your skill: - Make yourself aware of your skills. Work on yourself and know that what skill you are lacking. Medical branches require a skill. identify your skill and accordingly choose a medical branch. If you want a specific branch and you think you lack skills for that branch then develop them. Find someone expert in that field and try to learn things.
2. Terminal branches Vs Super-Specializations: - People who wish to settle down early prefer terminal branches. But most of the students usually choose a branch that has its super specialty course also. So if you have a target to settle down as soon as possible then terminal branches like orthopedic are good.  
3. Violence against Doctors: - We use to get news about violence against doctors. Many students don’t consider some branches because of this fear. Ye,s it’s a serious issue in our country. But think for a while, we cannot clap by one hand. The root problem here is the doctor’s communication skills. Doctors with branches like Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Pediatrics are more prone to violence. But you can avoid that thing with your god communication skills. You will not get every time a violent patient. Even I should say I patients or his relatives are never violent to you until you made them do so.
4. Opportunity to go abroad: - if you guys are planning to go abroad then don’t think about any branch much. Especially if you have plans for USMLE. You are not free to choose any branch of your choice. You will have limited options there like Internal medicine, but no surgical branches. So for that, I suggest to not to choose PG in India if you want to settle down there.

 

Conclusion

Choosing your residency might be a difficult task. We have a lot of options available which confuses us. Some are passionate about a specific branch. Those who are sure about a branch need not worry much. But the problem comes when we are uncertain and it becomes very hard when we get confused with many options available. A confused mind cannot make a solid decision. So I tried to make this process a little bit easier for you guys.

We started with 4 basic questions before going it the article.

1. How much time will I have for me and my family?
2. Will I be burned out and miserable or love what I will be doing?
3. Will I do that Job for my whole life?
4. How much money will I make?

Here I gave more, importance to time and quality of life. I put money question last because it is just an aspect of life, not life itself. We discussed many points in the article and I have added some tertiary points too. Those points are less considered but sometimes affect the decisions.

Sometimes we are not interested in medical practice after MBBS. I know that we get into MBBS because we all want to be a doctor. But sometimes our destiny wants something else. Don't worry about that you can read my article on Career Options After MBBS. You may find it useful too...

Career options After MBBS

What I can Do After MBBS?

After MBBS doesn’t mean that you are going to be a doctor only. Many people think that MBBS means doctors. But it’s not always true. Yes, I know that we get into the MBBS or any other medical courses to become a doctor. But in due course of time, our interest might change and we may not find medicine interesting anymore. In that situation, I want to say that it's not a big deal. You can choose other careers also.

There are many other options available today after MBBS. It is not mandatory that if you have done MBBS then you have to be a doctor. All of are not made for the patient care field. Sometimes some other circumstances also let us lose our interest in the medical field.

So here in this article, I have discussed some of the best options after MBBS. These are the popular options and many people are doing them.

MD or MS

This is one of the most popular options. The majority of medical students after completing their under graduation MBBS go for a post-graduation MD or MS. These courses are the extension of medical studies. MD or MS are considered specialties and you can be a doctor in a particular field. There are a lot of branches from which you can do your MD or MS. You can refer to my article on how to choose a medical branch if you are confused to choose a branch.

For doing MD or MS you have to give an entrance exam called NEET PG. Your merit will decide that for which branch you are eligible to take admission. But from the coming year, NEET-PG is going to replace by the NEXT Exam. Here is an Article on the NEXT Exam just tap here for more information about it

DNB

DNB is Diplomate of National Board is also a medical qualification. It is similar to MD or MS but in India people prefer MD or MS over DNBs. The admission to these courses is also through the NEET PG. These courses look similar to MD or MS but they have some differences to them. But at the end of the day, you will be considered as a doctor. You will interact with patients.

Startups

Startups in the health care sector are the best idea. There are many health startups currently running in our country like 1mg.com, Pharmeasy, EyeNetra etc. You can also go with the idea of a startup. The only thing you need is an innovative mind and a revolutionary idea. A revolutionary idea can be anything that can solve the problem of the majority of people. Definitely, your startup will stand out if you introduce a problem-solving product to your customers.

You need to work a lot on yourself for that. You have to learn some business skills. A startup is always a good idea to start a career. But it’s a risky thing due to which many of us afraid to choose this path. Not all startups are successful in any field.

CMS

CMS is a combined medical services examination that comes under UPSC. UPSC is Union Public Service Commission. This exam id for the recruitment of medical officers for various jobs comes under the government of India. This is a 2 paper objective type written examination. Candidates have to qualify for the written exam after that they are called for an Interview.

UPSC

If you want an administrative post like IAS or IPS you can go for the UPSC exam. MBBS graduates can appear for the UPSC exam. UPSC exams also have medical science as an optional subject. We have a very great example of Dr.Roman Saini who was an MBBS graduate and cleared the UPSC exam and become an IAS. Currently, He is the owner of his startup Unacedemy. This example depicts that you can either go for a startup or any other thing or even for both if you want.

MBA

MBA in Healthcare and Hospital management is a 2 years course. This course is one year shorter than conventional MD or MS which are 3 years of programs. Students who go for MBA after doing MBBS are on higher ground than those who are strictly following medical courses throughout. With MBA you can get a decent job in any healthcare setup. Your task will be the management of staff, health services, and containing the expenditure.

MHA

MHA is similar to an MBA but the difference is that it is specified hospital management. Master in Health Administration course has a good scope in many new corporates. MHA is it a specialized degree that limits your options for just hospital/ healthcare options. If we compare between an MBA and an MHA then mostly corporates prefer an MBA. The reasons are many but the main reason is the freedom of knowing that an MBA has. An MBA is not limited to medical situations only. But MHA is also an emerging course and there is good scope in that field too.

M.tech in biomedical engineering and biological sciences

M.tech in biomedical engineering is a 2 years program. The objective of this course is to integrate technology with biomedical science. This course is offered by IITs. There will be a written test of mathematics for an MBBS student to get into the course. The syllabus for the test will be 12^th class CBSE math’s syllabus. Students will get objective type as well as descriptive type questions.

MMST

Master in Medical science and technology is a 3 years post-graduation program for MBBS graduates. This course is offered by IIT Kharagpur. This program imparts science and engineering skills to medical professionals. MMST is a kind of course designed for doctors who also have a technology niche. You can go for MMST if you have a good interest in technology and can do great with the integration of medical science and technology.

Clinical research

Clinical research is another best option after MBBS. But in India's research work so not much supported. ICMR is an organization which is supporting medical researchers in India. Though you can go abroad for medical research there are many countries like the USA, Australia, etc. who are focusing on research a lot. There is a good scope in research. Nut for that you must have a great interest in that field.

So far we have discussed 10 alternative career options after MBBS. I would also like to add some more options that many are aware of. These options are: -

1. Work with PHCs 
2. Voluntary work with NGOs
3. Master in Public Health

These are also some alternatives. I did not discuss them here because they are not significant

Summary

Doing MBBS doesn’t mean that you are going to be a doctor only. There are many alternative career options available there. I have discussed many options there. Starting from the most conventional MD or MS then DNB, Startups, Civil services, Management to the field of technology. Each option is from a different field. Being in MBBS doesn’t mean that you have created a barrier for yourself to choose any other field. You can choose any field that you want.

Options like MD or MS and DNB keep you in the medical field. You can interact with patients. Whereas startups are completely new fields that will be requiring a lot of new skills and knowledge. Management is also a good carrier option and for that, you can opt MBA or MHA after MBBS. You can land up in administrative fields can be an IAS, IPS or a Medical Officer with UPSC and CMS. If you have a good interest in technology then courses like MMST and M.Tech in biomedical science will suit you. Clinical research is also a good option if you have a deep interest in any field.

You can Comment me below if you have any queries regarding anything.

INI-CET 2020-2021: - New exam replacing AIIMS PG 2021, JIPMER PG, PIGMER PG and NIMHANS

 

What is INI-CET?

INI-CET

INI-CET is the new exam for admission in central institutes for medical PG. It has been officially announced by AIIMS New Delhi. This exam is going to replace AIIMS PG2021, PGIMER 2021, JIPMER 2021, and NIMHANS 2021 entrance exams. This exam is on 20^th November 2020. And the exam centers for that exam will be in cities all over the country.

The registration process for the INI-CET exam has been initiated. The exam will be for admission in PG courses which will include MD, MS, MDS, DM, and MCH. The exam conducting body will soon release its prospectus. Institute of National Importance Common Entrance Test will merge all the central institutes under one umbrella.

There are many pros and cons to this exam. Especially for those who are preparing for AIIMS PG 2021 and rest other central institutes entrance.

The following institutes will take admission through INI-CET: -

• AIIMS, New Delhi
• AIIMS, Jodhpur
• AIIMS, Bhubaneshwar
• AIIMS, Nagpur
• AIIMS, Bhopal
• AIIMS, Patna
• AIIMS, Raipur
• AIIMS, Rishikesh
• JIPMER, Puducherry
• PGIMER, Chandigarh
• NIMHANS, Bengaluru

Official Notice (download PDF)

Pros and Cons of the INI-CET

Pros

1. Common the entrance exam for all central institutes. It will increase the ease to appear in the exam.
2. It will be easy to get a seat in any one institute. If any student will get a decent score.
3. Exam like PGIMER previously had only one exam center i.e. at Chandigarh. If anyone was not able to reach Chandigarh then he/she cannot appear in the exam. But with INI-CET it has become very convenient. It will have its centers all over the country.
4. Students will have to prepare for only one exam, so they will get more time for preparation.
5. INI-CET has leveled all central institute exams and bring all of them on the same ground. 

Cons

1. Unknown exam pattern will make the exam difficult.
2. Only one exam is there. If students will not be able to clear the exam then they will not have another option. Students have to wait for another INI-CET.
3. Prediction for the questions pattern for the exam will be difficult. This is because there is a variation in exam pattern in exams of different institutes.
4. This will be a high-stakes exam so it will make everyone more anxious.
5. Students who have been preparing for a specific central institute exam will lose their edge.

 

What was the pattern of the previous question in different exams?

AIIMS PG Exam: - The AIIMS PG exam questions were generally based on clinical scenarios. Including traumas, and management as well. The exam questions were having a proper integration of basic sciences with clinical knowledge. The thing that makes the exam difficult is the variety of questions in the exam. AIIMS PG exam had MCQs, Multiple answers correct, true-false, matching, assertion reason based questions. The exam demands in-depth knowledge of subjects.

PGIMER: - This exam was conducted by PGI Chandigarh. The question pattern of this exam was also unique and different. It also had a variety of questions. The majority of questions were multiple correct answer questions and sequence-based questions. PGIMER was focusing on clinical knowledge questions more. The questions were more likely to have a case-based study.

JIPMER: - The exam pattern was unpredictable for JIPMER. Nobody can’t say what they are going to ask in the exam. Every year JIPMER used to do major changes in questions pattern. In one exam they were asking about the latest advancements in the field of medicine and then in another year, they would ask all retro stuff.

NIMHANS: - As the name suggests this the National Institute for mental health. Its question paper was more based on neurology. NIMHANS exam was laying more stress on the neurology part. Whether it was neuro-anatomy, neurophysiology, CNS in medicine. Anything related to neurology was forming the major chunk of questions in the NIMHANS exam.

 

What could be the Questions Pattern of INI-CET?

We cannot say what would be the questions pattern in this new exam. There might be a mixed pattern including question styles from all institutes. There are high chances that the exam will have a question pattern similar to the AIIMS PG exam. But in my opinion, there could be a mixture and variety of questions. They may include questions variety from all exams.

 

External Links

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• PGIMER
• JIPMER
• NIMHANS
• INI-CET AIIMS
• How to apply for the INI-CET?
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