Joining a medical college as an MBBS student is not the only route for
entering the medical field. With the increase in medical facilities, polyclinics,
diagnostic centres, labs, hospitals and clinics, there is a glaring need for
various paramedical experts, technicians, nurses and pharmacists.
WORK
Paramedical experts play a very important role in helping the doctor make
an accurate diagnosis for treatment, cure and overall care of patients. More
often than not, the role of Paramedics is both diagnostic and therapeutic.
Paramedics can include X-ray technologists, medical laboratory technicians,
dieticians, food service workers, dental mechanics, emergency medical
technicians, safety engineers, pharmacists, sanitary engineers, micro
biologists, optometrists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech
therapists, radiographers, and prosthetic & orthotic engineers. These .
specialists have ample job opportunities in the government as well as
the private sector.They can also go in for research and development work
in institutional laboratories or with pharmaceutical companies.
ENTRY
Entry into any of the paramedical professions requires strict formal
education in the concerned area of work.
Eligibility:
Undergraduate degree courses are now available at a large number of
medical colleges and private institutions for students who have cleared the
10+2 examination, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics
Selection :
Most institutions have an entrance test, on the basis of which candidates
are selected.Most of the Bachelors' degree courses are available in the
form of B.Sc.
Duration :
Both, degree (B.Sc.) and diploma courses are available for most of these
paramedical specialisations and their duration varies between 2 to 3 years.
Postgraduate degree courses are of 2 years' duration, whereas the
Postgraduate ,Diploma Certificate courses are of 1 to 2 years' duration.
INSTITUTIONS
Courses in Physiotherapy , Occupational Therapy and Prosthetic and Orthotic
Engineering are available at :
- National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped, Bon-Hooghly,
2. Institute for the Physically Handicapped, 4 - Vishnu Digamber
Marg, New Delhi.
3. G.S. Seth Medical College, Parel, Mumbai.
4. All India Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation,
Haji Ali, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai.
5. School of Physiotherapy , KEM Hospital , Mumbai.
Speech Therapy and Audiology :
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi.
Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, Kishen Chand Marg,
Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (West), Mumbai.
Medical Technology :
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi.
Optometry :
School of Optometry, Medical College, Calcutta.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi.
JOB PROSPECTS
The various job opportunities open to paramedics are as follows :
* In various hospitals / clinics and health departments,
* In private hospitals / nursing homes / clinics etc.,
* Teaching / research in concerned areas of specialisation,
* In private hospitals / nursing homes / clinics etc.,
* Private practice / self employment.
Careers
