Career as a Doctor

About Doctor

There is no other profession in the world that gets as much respect as a doctor. A doctor treats and interacts with patients on a daily basis. A career as a doctor provides one an opportunity to cure patients, thus bringing happiness into the lives of the people. To enter into this profession, one must have patience, compassion, concentration, emotional strength, quick thinking and an eye for detail. The job of a doctor is to diagnose and treat illness and injury. Doctors examine patients and arrive upon diagnosis, perform surgeries, prescribe medications, educate patients and their family members, check patients’ records and keep an eye on their recovery.

Doctors often counsel patients on their diet, hygiene and lifestyle changes that can improve their overall well-being. They may set up their own practices or work for medical corporations, such as in government and private hospitals. They fulfill their duties by relying on the services of other health professionals, such as nurses and diagnostic technicians, and administrative staff.

Eligibility to become Doctor

Becoming a doctor requires you to commit a great deal of time and study in order to practice medicine. Medical doctors require significant formal education. So, before choosing this career option, make sure that you have the minimum educational qualifications required to pursue a course in medicine.

The academic qualifications required to become a doctor is as follows:

Subject Combination – Science Stream with Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB) or Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology (PCMB) in class 12th.

Entrance Exam – NEET-UG, NEET- PG, AIIMS Medical entrance exam, JIPMER MBBS, Manipal Medical entrance exam, CMC Vellore entrance exam, Karnataka CET Medical entrance Exam, EAMCET Medical entrance exam, Amrita University MBBS entrance exam, AMU MBBS entrance exam, Delhi University Pre-Medical Test (DPMT), BHU-PMT.

Eligibility Criteria

For under graduation, candidates must have passed class 12 with science stream with at least 60% marks from a recognized board of education.
For postgraduate level studies (M.D/ M.S or M.Sc in Medicine), candidates must have M.B.B.S degree from an institution recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI).
For the doctoral programme (Ph.D.), candidates must have a master’s degree. However, in some subjects, doing M.Phil is a pre-requisite to start Ph.D.

Note: To get admission in a reputed medical institute, it is necessary to appear and crack relevant medical entrance tests like NEET, AIIMS, JIPMER, state-wise entrance tests, and institute-wise entrance tests.

Types of Job Roles Doctor

A career as a doctor is very rewarding as it offers a variety of career options in various areas of medicine. The job of a doctor promises a high level of job satisfaction. One can choose to become a general practitioner or a specialist in different diseases and parts of the anatomy. Following are some of the job profiles for doctors:

General Physicians:

They conduct regular patient check-ups of patients, diagnose any ailments, prescribe medications, and counsel them on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare.

Pediatricians:

They examine children regularly to assess their growth and development. Pediatricians provide a wide range of services, from preventative health (e.g. immunizations and health screenings) to the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of serious illnesses and diseases.

General Surgeon:

They treat patients with acute problems in different body areas, such as the digestive tract, skin or abdomen. Some surgeons specialize in specific areas of medicine, like oncology, pediatrics, organ transplant, orthopedics, and trauma. They treat patients with injuries, such as broken bones; and diseases such as cancerous tumors or deformities.

Cardiologist:

Cardiologists are the doctors that prevent, diagnose and treat conditions of the cardiovascular system, which includes the heart and the body's blood vessels. They assess the medical and family history of patients to determine the potential risk for certain cardiovascular diseases and take action to prevent them.

Dentist:

Dentists diagnose and treat problems related with patient’s teeth, gums, and other related parts of the mouth. They promote good dental health and the prevention of dental diseases.

Dermatologists:

Dermatologists treat conditions related to the skin. They study skin and the structures, functions, and diseases related to it. They may also treat disorders related to the hair and nails.

Gynecologist:

A gynecologist treats the overall health of their female patients, treating problems and diseases of the female reproductive system. They are also sometimes certified as obstetricians, who monitor the health of the mother and the fetus during a pregnancy.

ENT Specialist:

ENT Specialists focus on areas related to ear, nose, and throat, and sometimes even ailments related to the neck or the head.

Employment Opportunities for a Doctor

The industry of healthcare as a whole is booming all over the world. Many corporate hospitals have come up and they have driven the growth in the industry. In India, doctors have employment opportunities in both the government and private sector. Some of the top sectors that require a doctor are mentioned below:

Multi-specialist Hospitals and Nursing homes
Business organizations
Industries
Primary Health Centers
Schools and embassies as consultants
Armed Forces
Railways
NGOs
Teaching
Hospitals (Private and Government)
Research Areas
Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies

Top Recruiting Hospitals for a Doctor

Few of the leading recruiting hospitals where a doctor can find employment opportunities are listed below:

AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences)
Apollo
Fortis
Max
BLK Super Speciality Hospital
Columbia Asia Referral Hospital
Manipal Hospital
Lilavati Hospital (Mumbai)

Pay Scale/Salary of Doctor

The field of medicine is very competitive, however, it is one of the highest paying occupations in the country. The salary of a doctor depends on numerous factors such as doctor's earning potential, including specialization, education, and location.

Following are some relative salary figures for different job profiles of a doctor:

Job Profile	Starting Salary per annum (in INR)	Mid Level Salary per annum (in INR)	Senior Level Salary per annum (INR)
Physician, General Practice	246,258	587,970	1,210,529
General Surgeon	477,322	1,166,240	3,683,032
Cardiologist	479,009	1,620,000	6,543,595
Dermatologist	488,466	1,171,098	3,490,488
Obsetrician / Gynecologist	570,000	1,220,838	3,300,000

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

Books & Study Material to Become Doctor

For every aspiring medical student, books are one of the most important components for their medical exam preparation. Therefore, it is extremely important to choose the right study material or books for exam preparation. Here is the list of some common books for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics which medical aspirants can follow to excel in various medical entrance exams.

Trueman’s Biology Volume 1 & 2
Objective Biology by Dinesh
Pradeep Publication’s Biology
H C Verma for Physics
NCERT- Physics Part 1 & 2
Modern ABC of Chemistry for Class 11 & 12 (Volume 1 & 2)
Arihant Organic Chemistry
Morrison and Boyd Organic Chemistry

Pros of becoming a Doctor

It is a matter of immense pride and honor for anyone to be a successful doctor.
The career as a doctor brings with it monetary benefits as well as job satisfaction.
There are diverse job opportunities available for doctors. They can join private hospitals, government hospitals, clinics as well as NGOs.

Cons of becoming a Doctor

As a hospital doctor, you can expect long hours, including weekends and night shifts.
Patients’ life and safety rests in doctors hands. So, there can be no room for error, when it comes to this profession (depending upon the specialty/specialization).