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About Physician

Physicians are doctors who offer non-surgical health care to patients. They diagnose medical problems and monitor the patient’s health until these problems are resolved or stabilized. Their role also involves educating patients on medical conditions and regarding preventative care. Physicians are responsible for the following:

• Jotting down a patient’s medical history
• Prescribing tests
• Reviewing the test results
• Recommending and preparing a plan of treatment
• Addressing the patient’s concerns/queries

 

Eligibility to become Physician

In order to practice as a physician, the minimum age limit is 17 years, the candidate needs to pass 10+2 in science stream with physics, chemistry, and biology from a recognized board with at least 50 percent. The candidate also needs to appear for the medical exam conducted by the state or central government such as State-wise CETs, AIIMS entrance, NEET, PGIMER, JIPMER, and AFMC.

• NEET (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-UG) is an All India entrance exam, conducted by the CBSE for admission to the MBBS course. Some private universities such as Manipal University have their own entrance tests.
• After clearing the entrance test, the aspirant can pursue MBBS. It is a UG level degree with 5.5 years duration. The duration for the academic program is 4.5 years and 1 year is for rotating internship. Upon successful completion of MBBS, candidates can begin practicing as a physician.
• After completing MBBS, one can choose to go for a PG course.
• MD (Doctor of Medicine)-This is a 3-year long course
• PG Diploma-This is 2-year long course
• DNB (Diploma of National Board)-The National Board of Examinations under the Union Ministry of Health India awards DNB. Training is given to DNB candidates at private hospitals. To enroll in DNB program, one needs to clear the NBE common entrance test.

Types of Job Roles Physician

Physicians not only treat various ailments but at the same time, also teach their patients ways of prevention and offer preventative health care. Apart from the general physician, there are other specialisations that one can pursue, depending on the interest. For instance, one can choose to become a pediatrician, obstetrician, an ENT specialist or Internal Medicine doctor.

Employment Opportunities for Physicians

Career as a physician is extremely rewarding and there are good job opportunities in this field. After you are qualified to work as a physician, you can start your own practice or join a hospital. A few places where physicians can seek employment are:

Government and private hospitals-Doctors can choose to work in government hospitals or any private hospital. There are many such hospitals in India where one can work as per his/her interest.

Private practice-There is the option of starting one’s own practice in a clinic. You can be your own boss and decide how many patients you want to see in a day, which leaves some room for flexibility in schedule.

Armed Forces-After finishing MBBS, one can also join the Armed Forces Medical Services as a doctor. For this, the candidate will need to clear the interview, held by a panel of army doctors. Armed forces include army, air force and navy so you can get any of these three services upon selection.

Consultants-Physicians can also work as consultants in business organisations. They can be a part of the companies that focus on healthcare, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Well-trained doctors have rich professional experience along with good analytical abilities, which makes them an asset for the employers.

Railways-After pursuing MBBS, you can also join the Indian railways as ADMO (Assistant Divisional Medical Officer). Your responsibilities will entail providing health care to the railway employees, retired railway employees and their dependents along with other staff members such as vendors and contractors.

Top Recruiting Companies for Physicians

There are many multi-specialty hospitals in India where physicians can choose to work. Some of the best multi-specialty hospitals are:

• Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre
• Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Center
• AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Science
• Columbia Asia Referral Hospital
• PGIMER
• Tata Memorial Hospital
• Apollo Hospital
• NIMHANS

Pay Scale/Salary of Physician

A career as a physician is gratifying in terms of the financial gains this profession offers along with job security. It is also considered as a very respectable job. The average pay for a physician at the beginning of his career is roughly around Rs. 545,729 per year. After a few years of practice, this number can range between approx. Rs.704, 682 per year- approx. Rs. 9, 43, 330 per year.

Note: The above figures are an estimate and may vary from individual to individual and company to company.

Books & Study Material to Become Physician

To clear the entrance exams and also to gather more knowledge about the subject, given below is a list of best books and study materials for the preparation:

• NCERT Physics, Chemistry and Biology books for class 11th and 12th
• MTG AIIMS Explorer (17 years solved papers) by Dr. Sandeep Ahlawat
• AIIMS 17 years solved papers by Disha Publication
• Norman Cousins Anatomy of Illness
• Prof BM Hegde’s What they don’t teach in Med Schools

Pros of becoming a Physician

It is considered to be a very noble profession and comes with its own set of advantages. Listed below are some of the pros of a career as a physician:

• Respectful job-It is a profession which is respected by everyone.
• Financial benefits-Doctors usually earn a good amount of money and there is a scope of growth as well. Monetary benefits are bound to increase with experience.
• Flexible hours-One has to flexibility to work either in a private hospital, government hospital or start his/her own clinic.
• Job Security-Landing a job after completing MBBS is not really that difficult. There are plenty of opportunities for physicians.
• Independence-A doctor can work independently, he doesn’t have to work in a particular set-up and can do his own practice. There is also no retirement age as such and a person can work till the time he wants to.

Cons of becoming a Physician

• Long working hours-The working hours can be really long and erratic and the odd hour duties can take a toll on the personal life of the doctor.
• Stress-This profession also comes with a level of stress which can have an impact on your health. Doctors have to deal with the loss of patients while handling some cases and there is bound to be a heavy workload. There is a possibility that the doctor might feel overworked, which can impact his/her job.