A brief look at a few options for a career in Health and Medicine care after Grade 12 (12th standard)

1. A career in
Healthcare
Dr. PRACHEE SATHE
ICU Director
Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune
Dr. RUCHA DADHE
ICU Registrar
Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune

2. I have done what I wanted to do, I made a career out of what brought
me most joy
- Walt Disney
The only way to do great work, is to love what you do. If you havent
found it yet, keep looking, don't settle"
- Steve Jobs
It is during the darkest times that we must focus to see the
light
-Aristotle Onassis
A person who never made a mistake, never did anything new
-Albert Einstein

3. Is a career in healthcare right for me?
Ask yourself these questions
• Am I interested in making a positive impact on someone's health?
• Do I feel satisfied when I help someone feel good, to the level that I can
make a career out of it?
• Furthering Human Health is a topic that is the focus for most leading
companies today, do I want to get on that band-wagon?
• Do I want to embark on a journey that will be challenging, full of internal
turmoil, self doubt , let downs, tears, yet containing absolute moments
of happiness?
• IF the answer to the above questions is yes, then its time to think about
how YOU want to make your mark in this field. The possibilities are ever
growing!

4. A few possible options
Doctor of Allopathy- Physician and Surgeon
Dentist
Doctor of Ayurveda
Doctor of Homeopathy
Holistic health and wellness
Nurse Practitioner
Physiotherapist
Nutritionist and Dietitian
Healthcare Management
Health Informatics
Data Analysis and Management
Medical Research
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science
Healthcare Economics
Public Health
Biostatistics
Healthcare Consulting

5. Doctor of Allopathy
• MBBS (5.5 years) + MD/MS/Diploma
• Physicians - Treat ailments mainly by pharmacological intervention; the field
has many specialities e.g Paediatrics, Internal Medicine etc.
• Surgeons- Handle surgical problems. Again has many subspecialities .
• A branch with exceptions- Radiology
• Practitioners are involved in direct patient interaction
• Some, also take part in clinical trials for new experimental drugs (Clinical
trials)
• Working outside India is possible.

6. Doctor of
Ayurveda
• BAMS (5.5 years) + specialisation
• Treat ailments by prescribing lifestyle modifications and
medicines made from natural organic resources like herbs.
• Con - Degrees are not recognised outside India.
• Ayurveda is an ancient system of living
• Focuses on preventive health and aiding the natural processes
of the body.

7. Doctor of Homeopathy
• BHMS (5.5 years) + specialisation.
• Developed by the German scientist Samuel Hahnemann before
1843.
• Aims to stimulate the natural healing mechanisms in the body.
• Follows the fundamental law of "Similar ailments" and "like
curing like"
• Con - Not all degrees are recognised outside India. Further
research about the scope must be explored.

8. Holistic health and Wellness
• Practice that encompasses all aspects of health viz physical, mental,
spiritual and social.
• Comparatively new field in India, and is slowly gaining traction.
• One can get further qualified in Lifestyle Medicine by the American
board of Lifestyle Medicine.
• Professionals may be able start their own wellness center.
• Everything under one roof concept is widely gaining popularity.

9. Healthcare Management/ Hospital
Administration
• UG in Business or MBBS/BAMS/BHMS/Nursing/ Pharmacy etc with a
master's degree in Hospital Management.
• Responsible for administration of a hospital/ chain of clinics/
pharmaceutical companies/ diagnostic centers etc.
• Degrees are specialized towards hospital systems but have electives.
• Background in healthcare is preferred.

10. Health Informatics
• Health informatics pertains to the analysis and management of patient data
• Large amount of patient data is generated every day around the world.
• This data is a gold mine of information on the health of a population and
individual.
• This data can be used to improve patient outcomes.
• E.g 24 hour cardiac rhythm in a non-hospitalised patient which can be
used to detect underlying disorders.

11. Data Analysis and
Management
• Data drives decisions today and in the future.
• One of the most promising fields for the future.
• Knowledge of biostatistics is important.
• Aritificial intelligence is taking the world by storm today and is the most promising
technology for the future.
• E.g AI based diagnosis of early s/o Diabetic Retinopathy.
• E.g: Sigtuple
• UG in CS with a strong background in data analysis (Python and R) f/b experience/
further studies

12. Medical Research
• Includes basic sciences like Biochemistry and medical sciences like
Microbiology and Virology.
• Will always have high demand in industry .
• Allows for original work and contributions.
• Requires BS+MS +/- Doctorate OR MBBS+MD Microbiology.
• Long but rewarding journey.
• Requires a lot of patience.
• The demand for this field will rise even more after the COVID-19 crisis.
• This field is ever expanding and opportunities will be many in the near and
distant future.

13. Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• B.Pharm followed by M.Pharm and Pharm.D.
• Creation of new medicines, Drug safety processes and so on.
• Toxicology is a good option.
• Professionals are involved in the various stages of a new investigational drugs.
• Drug Development requires well qualified professionals.
• Physicians are also involved in development process and are the driving force
behind designing the trial, overseeing the execution and ensuring results.
• Scope for product management.

14. Healthcare Economics
• All over the world, costs of healthcare are reaching the skies.
• A WHO development goal states that good quality and affordable
healthcare is the right of any human being. Sadly this is not the
case today.
• Even insurance based health systems like the USA are facing
tremendous challenges in imparting high quality healthcare across
all strata of society.
• Health Economics deals with financial management in healthcare
delivery to provide affordable healthcare to everyone.
• This is a growing need of the world today.
• Any student with a flair for economics and wanting to make an
impact on improving healthcare penetration in the population
may enjoy this career.

15. Public Health and Epidemiology
• The current Pandemic is a good example to show the importance of
intelligent Public Health professionals.
• Studying the health of the population,
• Continuous improvement in the healthcare system at a policy level (large
scale impact).
• Goal setting for the healthcare system and determine criteria to achieve
measurable outcomes.
• Responsible parties for creating guidelines in health emergencies such as
the one we are currently facing.
• Interdisciplinary field .

16. Healthcare Consulting
• Glamorous branch of healthcare management.
• Work with consulting firms like Mckinsey, Bain, KPMG and act as
'consultants' to hospitals/ clinics etc to help them increase and improve
their business.
• One example would be : A clinic owner (doctor) wanting to start a chain of
clinics.
• Preferred background: Clinical background (MBBS/BAMS/BHMS) with an
MBA in Healthcare Management. physicians with MBAs are highly sought
after if they are good at the craft.
• A business mindset, keeping in mind the intricacies of a healthcare system
is crucial for success in this field.