Paramedical Science is the science that deals with pre-hospital emergency services. A person working in this field is called a Paramedic. The major work areas in the paramedical science are obstetrics, fracture management, spinal injury management, and general incident scene and so on.
With an increase n demand for skilled paramedics, various career opportunities have opened for young aspirants. Many paramedical institutes in India are offering courses in this field at the undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma levels.
In order to boost their confidence and face the entrance exams with conviction, Paramedical aspirants need to have or develop certain skills, some of which include
Effective communication skills
Excellent Interpersonal skills
Sound technical knowledge
Good organisational skills
Enthusiasm
Commitment
Time management skills
Problem solving
Effective Communication
Organised Attitude
Professionalism
Analytical Reasoning
Problem-Solving Attitude
Adaptability
Critical Thinking skills
Interpersonal Skills
Starting early to realise their dream of becoming paramedics, several aspirants consider exploring Para-medicine courses after 10+2 or equivalent exam. Such folks can always take their pick from BSc in Nursing, Bachelor of Physiotherapy, and Diploma in Medical Lab Technology and so on.
Any aspirant who has passed 10+2 in Science with Physics, Chemistry and Biology or equivalent exam from any recognised board is eligible to pursue paramedical diploma and degree courses. There is no set rule for minimum pass percentage since every college and university has its own pre-set criteria for admissions to such courses.
Based on their preferences and curricular peculiarities, universities and colleges across India follow different admission processes. While a sizeable chunk considers pass percentage in graduation as the only criterion, rest of them give due weightage to certain entrance exam scores as well.
National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) – An All India level examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for admissions to various medical and paramedical courses
AIIMS Paramedical Exam – Conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for admissions to undergraduate paramedical courses in AIIMS colleges.
After clearing any of the aforementioned exams, aspirants get calls for counselling sessions from different medical colleges based on the cut-off limit decided by college authorities. During the counselling process, college representatives interview candidates about their preferred areas of specialisation and allocate them their seats accordingly.
The duration, delivery type and fee structure for paramedical courses vary from college to college depending on different paramedical programmes. The undergraduate paramedical courses will be for a duration of 3-4 years plus additional internship duration varying as per college norms. The fee structure for these courses would vary anywhere from INR 40,000 per year to INR 1,25,000 per year.
With a number of fresh graduates looking forward to having a successful career in Paramedical Science, universities and colleges are doing a fabulous job in reaching out to them with quality postgraduate courses. These aspirants have a few options to explore, which include postgraduate diploma and master’s degree courses.
In order to be eligible for the postgraduate courses, the candidate must have passed the graduation degree or diploma in the concerned field from a recognized university. The minimum aggregate marks for general category students are 55% whereas, for those belonging to the reserved category, the minimum aggregate marks is 50%.
Based on their curriculum and admission criteria, universities and colleges across India follow their peculiar admission processes.
All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination (AIPGMEE) – Conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) for admissions to various postgraduate courses offered by government and private medical colleges in India.
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) – The institute conducts its own exam for admissions in postgraduate courses. It is conducted twice a year for PG courses.
The admission to postgraduate courses is done on the basis of merit lists released by the colleges as per the marks obtained in the above-mentioned examinations. Certain colleges consider the marks obtained by the students at the graduation level for admissions to various courses.
Delivery type and course duration play an important role in deciding the fee structure of a particular postgraduate diploma and degree course. A general idea of the fee structure would help aspirants to zero in on the best course. The duration of a master’s degree course is usually 2-3 years whereas, for a PG Diploma course, the duration is 1-2 years. The internship duration varies from college to college and course to course. The fee structure for degree courses is between 100K and 200K per year, which is 50K to 150K per year for Diploma courses.
Paramedical Science is a vast field and offers various undergraduate courses, allowing aspirants to choose the field of their choice. Some of the prominent paramedical courses include
A four-year degree programme, Physiotherapy is a healthcare field concerned with the remediation of impairments and disabilities and the promotion of mobility, functional ability, quality of life and movement potential through examination, evaluation, diagnosis and physical intervention.
Syllabus
BPT students essentially study topics like Anatomy, General Psychology, Biomechanics & Kinesiology, Orthopedics, General Surgery, and Physiotherapy in Neurological Conditions etc. in their core syllabus.
Job Prospects
Physiotherapists can get employment anywhere in the hospitals, be it ICU or Geriatrics. There is also scope for private practice in physiotherapy.
Nursing is a four-year degree programme. It involves collaborative care for individuals of all ages, families and communities. It includes the prevention of illness, promotion of health and the care of ill and disabled people.
Syllabus
The core syllabus of BSc Nursing covers various topics like Anatomy and Physiology, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Child Health Nursing, Midwifery and Obstetrical Nursing and so on.
Job Prospects
There are a plethora of job opportunities for students in this field like hospitals, sanatoria, schools, nursing homes, industry and in private medical clinics. There are also opportunities in the Armed Forces, where nursing graduates can become commissioned medical officers.
Medical Lab Technology is a three-year bachelor’s degree course associated with performing chemical, microscopic, immunologic and bacteriological diagnostic analysis on body fluids.
Syllabus
The core subjects studied under this degree are Hematology, Clinical Pathology, Immunology, Molecular Pathology, Blood Banking Technology, Biochemistry, Serology and Microbiology.
Job Prospects
The Medical Lab Technology field offers lucrative job opportunities like Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Ultrasound Technician, Radiologist Assistant, Radiologic Technologist and X-Ray Technician.
MHA is a two-year long degree course that helps the students with the essential knowledge required for senior managerial and planning work in the health services and systems sectors.
Syllabus
MHA students have subjects like Management accounting, Principles of hospital management, Legal aspects of health, Strategic management, Nutrition & dietetics, Epidemiology, Health education, Communication, Basic information technology, Principles of management, Organizational behaviour, Quantitative management and Hospital support services and so on in their core syllabus.
Job Prospects
Dental office, Home health care service, Health system, Community care facility for the elderly, Healthcare consulting firm, Federal government health care facility, Health clinic, Ambulatory health care service etc.
A two-year degree course, MPH is one of the most sought after fields in paramedical science. It prepares you to work in a range of public health initiatives, health education etc. and contribute to the health society.
Syllabus
Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Population Sciences, Women and Child Health and Gender Issues, Health System & Policies in Public Health, Ethics in Public Health, Health Economics & Health Care Financing, Environmental Health and Sustainable Development, Organization Behavior and Design, Human Resource Development in Public Health, Quality Assurance and Total Quality Management.
Job Prospects
Environmental Scientists, Healthcare Administrator, Biostatistician, Epidemiologist, Community Health Workers, Health Educators, Mental Health Counselors, Health Nutritionist etc.