All about Bachelor of Pharmacy

 

Bachelor of Pharmacy is an undergraduate program in the field of Pharmacy. In short, it is referred to as B. Pharm in India. It is a FOUR-YEAR academic degree program with theory and practical sessions. This is under the regulations of Pharmacy Council of India.

ELIGIBILITY:

• For admission into B. Pharm: 10+2 examination (or) equivalent examination pass with Physics and Chemistry along with either Mathematics or Biology

• For lateral entry i.e., Into 2nd year of B. Pharm: A pass in D. Pharm is mandatory.

For admission, candidates need to clear Common Entrance Examinations conducted at Central or State levels.

ABOUT THE COURSE:

The duration of the course is four years with 6-8 semesters.
8 semesters for Four-yearB. Pharm candidates.
6 semesters for Three-year candidates i.e., to those through lateral entry.

COURSE OF STUDY:

THEORY: The course of study includes various subjects such as Human Anatomy and Physiology, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Biopharmaceuticals, Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence, Pharmacognosy and Phytopharmaceuticals, Industrial Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacokinetics etc.,

PRACTICAL:

• Practicals: Every student will be involved in practical sessions which includes formulating medications, identifying compounds, quality analysis of compounds, filling of capsules, analyzing pharmacokinetic profiles etc.,

• Project work: This is carried out under the supervision of faculty, to develop data collection, experimenting and reporting skills in the field of the pharmacy which is presented in written form at the end semester.

CAREER PROSPECTS:

Pharmacy is an independent branch of science dealing with all the aspects of medicinal drugs and pharmaceuticals. This undergraduate program provides a lot of opportunities in areas such as Academics, Management, Administration, Research and Development, Quality assurance, Industries, Pharmacy regulators etc.,
Few of the major employment fields for the graduates are:

• Pharmaceutical Scientist
• Quality Control Associate
• Analytical Chemist
• Drug Inspector
• Medical Transcriptionist
• Drug technician
• Medical sales representative
• Regulatory affairs Officer
• Hospital Pharmacist
• Community Pharmacist
• Medical writer

KEY ROLES:

• Quality Control Associate: Checking all the drugs that are in-process or in post processing prior to marketing and thus ensures the standards of the drugs.

• Pharmaceutical Scientist: Designing newer drug therapies uncovering new alternatives or actions of existing drugs by studying the effect of drugs on humans or animals. 

• Medical Transcriptionist: Listening to dictated records of health care providers and transcript them into office notes, test results, referral letters for documentation as medical records

• Hospital Pharmacist: Dispensing the prescribed medications and monitoring the details of drugs distributed to the in-patients or out-patients and regularly evaluating the Inventory stock.

• Drug technician: Accurately formulating the drugs with appropriate dosing and supporting the pharmaceutical services by assembling, stocking, dispensing the medications and thus helping the health care providers and patients.

• Analytical Chemist: Assess the chemical structure and nature of substances in many areas such as drug development, forensic analysis, pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies.

• Drug Inspector: Controls drug piracy and duplicity by checking chemist shops and pharmaceutical companies from doing any illegal things against the rules and taking necessary actions according to Law.

• Medical Sales Representative: The MR will persuade health professionals to prescribe those medications explaining them the reasons i.e., the effectiveness of the brand when compared to others.

• Regulatory Affairs Officer: The officer works following ethical guidelines to ensure the efficacy and safety of new medications introduced into market. He should write a clear argument about licensing the new medication by analyzing the post market surveillance data.

• Medical Writer: He is the one who works with to develop clinical trial documents effectively and clearly describing research results, product use, and other information for publications in websites, magazines, newsletters or journals. 

Many pharmaceutical companies and organizations hire B. Pharm graduates such as Sun Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Biocon, Pfizer, Accenture, Glaxo Smith Kline, Dr Reddy’s, Ranbaxy, Mankind, Lupin, Cipla, Piramal, Aurobindo Pharma and Merck
Apart from this, candidates can practice as a pharmacist at government as well as private hospitals. And also, can work as NGOs in the health domain, especially in rural areas.
There is a great scope for an aspirant to work abroad as a hospital pharmacist by clearing the general tests.

FURTHER STUDIES:

• After completion of B. Pharm, one can also opt for further academics such as M. Pharm, MBA, M.Sc.

• One can also pursue any M. Pharm programme such as pharmacology, pharmacy practice, analysis, pharmaceutics, biotechnology, pharmaceutical technology etc.,

• Many management courses including hospital management, drug store management, pharmaceutical management can be opted.

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CAREER AS LAB TECHNICIAN

 

Laboratory technician is a skilled professional who analyses biological specimen using scientific, technical methods for the purpose of diagnosis of a disease. Their job mainly involves collection of samples, analysis, creating report of the investigation. They are trained to gain expertise in usage of machines, scientific techniques of analysis, arrangement of equipment, maintenance of equipment etc. When a doctor needs 100% confirmation about the presence of a particular disease in a patient, the doctor asks the patient to go for lab tests. Based on the lab reports and investigations, doctor confirms the diagnosis and proceeds to further treatment of the patient.

DUTIES OF A LAB TECHNICIAN:

• Lab technicians can work in blood banks. The main job in blood banks is to draw blood from donors (phlebotomy), labelling the date and other information on the collected blood sample, maintaining the records and documents of blood samples, storage of the collected blood.

• Blood grouping tests(A, B, O types), blood cell counting, testing the donor and recipient blood samples during blood transfusion, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and other blood tests are done by lab technicians.

• Platelet functioning is also analysed by lab technicians. They perform coagulation tests and report clotting time of blood, bleeding time of blood, platelet count etc. to investigate for the presence of any diseases related to blood, kidney diseases and liver diseases.

• In microbiology labs, they analyse biological specimens like faecal matter, urine, blood, sputum, synovial fluid, cerebro spinal fluid, semen and vaginal fluids to detect the presence of disease-causing micro-organisms. They analyse the specimens for any bacteria, parasites, viruses, which cause diseases. They perform culture methods to grow bacterial colonies and are also familiar with many sterilization techniques.

• Examination of these biological specimens is also helpful in investigation for the presence of parasites like protozoans, worms like tape worm, round worm, hook worm etc.

• Biochemical analysis of body fluids is also performed by lab technicians to investigate the levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, urea, bilirubin, plasma proteins, hormonal levels etc. which help in diagnosis of diabetes, kidney and liver diseases.

• They perform immunological tests like agglutination test, precipitation test, blot test etc. to examine the presence of antibodies in the blood. Recent example is the rapid test for COVID-19. They examine the presence of antigens, immunoglobulins, proteins synthesised by viruses and help in the diagnosis of auto-immune diseases, tuberculosis (TB), AIDS, allergic reactions etc. 

• In pathology labs, they examine samples of tissues from effected organs, histological examinations are performed for diagnostic investigations of several diseases. They also investigate for tumours, tumour markers for diagnosis of cancer.

• After performing the tests, they prepare lab reports which help in diagnosing a disease.

HOW TO BECOME A LAB TECHNICIAN:

• After 10+2 (Intermediate BiPC), one can go for Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Technology(BMLT) also called B.Sc. MLT. This is a 3-year undergraduate course.

• After 10+2, (BiPC), one can also go for Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) which is a 2-year course.

JOB TYPES:

• Laboratory technician: The duties of a lab technician have already been discussed above. With experience, one can become a senior laboratory assistant.

• Assistant Lab Technician: The duties are almost same as laboratory technician like collection of samples, arranging the equipment, sterilization of the equipment etc.

• Lab supervisor: The main duty of a lab supervisor is to oversee the processes of testing, observe the condition of machinery used for testing, quality checking of the equipment, implementation of safety measures in the laboratories.

• Lab manager: Their main duty is to conduct tests, implementation and observation of safety and quality guidelines, ordering and maintenance of lab equipment stock. They play a vital role in smooth functioning of a laboratory.

QUALITIES TO BECOME A LAB TECHNICIAN:

• Good practical knowledge

• Good skill

• Attention to detail

• Good analytical skills

• Good memory

• Ability to multitask

• Good observation skills

AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Hospitals

• Diagnostic labs

• Blood banks

• Pathology labs

• Microbiology labs

• Biochemistry labs

• Virology labs

• Urology labs

SALARIES OF A LAB TECHNICIAN:

The starting salary of a lab technician ranges from Rs.15,000-Rs.50,000 per month. Based on experience and position, the salary can be as high as Rs.90,000 per month.

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Career in NURSING

 

 Nurse is a person who is trained to take care of the sick. A Doctor can become an expert in a certain subject like cardiology,urology, neurology etc. But a nurse is trained to gain knowledge in almost all the important fields of medicine. Being a nurse is a challenging job and demands a lot of hard work and dedication.

HOW TO BECOME A NURSE:

• After 10+2(Intermediate Bi.P.C), one should pursue Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (B.Sc Nursing) which is a 4-year undergraduate course.
• In case any candidate has done a diploma course/ certificate course in nursing, they can go for Post Basic B.Sc Nursing course. It is a 2-year course.
• After 10+2, one can go for GNM(General Nursing and Midwifery), whichis a 3½ year course.
• After 10+2, one can also go for A.N.M (Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery)
• which is a 2-year course. It helps you to become a community health worker, home nurse, health visitor, rural health worker.
• You can become a nurse by opting for any of these courses.

AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Government hospitals
• Private hospitals
• Nursing homes/Clinics 
• Rural health centres
• Government health schemes
• Community health centres
• Medical labs
• Military
• Teaching institutions 
• Medical colleges 

QUALITIES TO BECOME A NURSE:

• Good clinical skill and knowledge
• Good communication skills
• Emotional stability
• Analytical skills
• Patience and perseverance
• Empathy
• Multitasking ability
• Concentration
• Co-operative mindset
• Interest in learning new methods and treatments.

DUTIES OF A NURSE:

• The main duty of a nurse is to monitor the condition of a patient.
• Nurse is responsible to take care of the patient’s physical and emotional needs for restoring patient’s health.
• In operation theatres, nurses should collaborate with surgeons to carry out surgeries efficiently without any hustle. Nurses are required to supervise the equipment for surgery, arrangement of equipment, sanitation of the theatre, pre-operative health status of the patient and also vital data of the patient.
• In post-operative care, the nurses play a vital role in maintaining the normal physiological state of the patient. They take care of the electrolyte levels, blood pressure, side effects of surgery, medication to be taken after surgery and provide psychological support to the patients and their families.
• Before the prescription of a medicine to the patient by a physician, a nurse is required to enquire the patient. Nurses should collect important health history from the patient. They should also do the primary physical examination of the patient.
• Nurses assist in laborrooms and also take post-natal care of the mother, monitor the health condition of the mother as well as the new-born (neonate).
• Nurses are required to maintain records of patients, surgical equipment stock, medicinal stock, departmental duty charts etc.
• In emergency cases like road traffic accidents, nurses monitor and provide emergency care to the patient to maintain consciousness and prevent the patient from going into shock.
• Based on qualification, some nurses become community health workers. Their main job is to raise awareness among the public about personal hygiene, public sanitation, vaccination programs, disease control methods, nutrition etc.
• Nurses can also become nursing teachers, lecturers and professors based on their qualification.

HOW IS THE WORKPLACE OF A NURSE:

The condition of a nurse’s workplace is actually dependent on the department he/she is working in. For example, working emergency care (ICU) is a bit stressful and the nurse should be able to cope up with the pace and tension in such cases. In operation theatres, nurses should be utterly concentrated, keen and observant. In paediatric, post-operative and other such departments, though the mental stress is relatively low, they require keen observation, analytical skills and great medical knowledge. In conclusion, if you are confident with your skill and knowledge, nothing is really stressful.

JOB TYPES:

• Staff Nurse: Staff Nurses are trained in various departments of medical field. Based on the allotment and duty chart maintained by the administration of the workplace i.e, hospital/clinic/nursing home, they are required to work in different areas like operation theatre, out-patient admission, paediatric ward, gynaecology ward etc. Most of the responsibilities of a staff nurse have already been discussed above.
• Community Health Nurse (C.H.N): Students who graduated in A.N.M/G.N.M can become a Community Health Nurse. The duties of a C.H.N mainly include education of the public. They can work in clinics as a nurse and they can also visit patient’s home as a Home nurse or Health visitor. They play a key role in raising awareness among the public about various health issues like sanitation and hygiene, personal hygiene, vaccination programs, educating pregnant mothers about diet and child care, public health schemes, health insurances and health care.
• Nursing Superintendent: A Nursing Superintendent is an experienced staff nurse and is responsible for planning the schedule for placement and rotation of nursing staff, nursing students, working staff of different units in a hospital and maintaining a smooth working schedule for all the staff. Nursing superintendent also has to review census, maintain patient documents, reviewing stock of medical equipment and medicines, reporting shortage of stock of equipment, reporting any repairs regarding the equipment, going for rounds in hospital wards and make sure that the required treatment is provided to the patients.
• Department Supervisor: Department supervisor is a staff nurse who is allotted as a supervisor to a unit in the hospital. Department supervisor makes sure that all the staff nurses in that unit provide the required care and treatment to the patients especially post-operative cases and serious illnesses, as suggested by the physician/surgeon of their unit. Other duties involve assigning staff nurses, going for bed-to-bed rounds, reviewing the patient records.
• Nursing Service Administrator: There are many designations on different levels like Director of Nursing, Nurse Manager and Chief Nursing Officer that are a part of Nursing Administration. Their main duty is to make up schedules for working staff, budget planning, maintaining the health policies and regulations along with supervision of staff nurses and providing health care to the patients.
• Military Nurse: This is the most risky and challenging job. Military Nurses are trained to work in military environment, emergency life- saving skills along with basic nursing skills. They should be mentally stable and strong. Their main job is to provide treatment to the injured. The injuries may involve gun shot wounds, injuries with severe blood loss, cuts etc. They work not only in times of war, but also during peace-time. They provide treatment to the patient’s minor injuries that might occur during practice sessions and also provide mental support to the military personnel.
• Teacher of Nursing: Nurses can also work as trainers, tutors, lecturers in medical colleges, universities, hospitals and train nursing students.
• Industrial Nurse: The main job of an industrial nurse is to provide first-aid to the employees, maintaining health records of the employees. They also analyse the safety measures, health hazards in the workplace, examine the mental and physical condition of employees and educate the employees about protective methods and health policies.

SALARIES OFFERED: 

The initial salary of any nursing job ranges from Rs.15,000-Rs.40,000. With experience, salaries will be improved and can be as high as Rs.1,00,000.

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CAREER AS VETERINARIAN

 

Who is a vet?

Veterinarian is a medical professional who is an expert in the treatment of illnesses in animals.

Is being a veterinarian an interesting job?

Of course, yes!! You see..animals cannot speak, unlike humans. Unless you are Harry Potter who can speak Parseltongue, it takes a lot of compassion, a great understanding of animal behavior, and love towards animals to provide efficient treatment. This is what makes the job of a veterinarian admirable and interesting. Also, you get to be friends with lots of cute animals! (well, they might also end up hating you for giving them injections..but it’s alright).

DUTIES OF A VETERINARIAN:

• Based on the symptoms observed by the animal-owner as well as physical, clinical, behavioral examination of the animal, the doctor confirms the diagnosis and provides required medicine to the animal. Sometimes, a diagnostic lab test may be required in confirming the diagnosis.
• They provide required medication for infections, digestive, respiratory, reproductive, dermatological problems of animals based on clinical examination.
• They play a vital role in rural areas because most of the rural population is dependent on livestock such as cows, buffaloes, pigs, sheep, hens, etc. for income.
• Veterinary doctors educate the farmers about common diseases seen in animals and about the preventive methods to eradicate several viral, fungal, bacterial diseases in animals.
• They educate the farmers about diseases, infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans, the harmful effects of different chemicals on animals.
• Veterinarians provide vaccinations to animals to prevent the incidence of several diseases.
• They educate the farmers about the proper health care of the animals so as to improve productivity as well as the health standards of animals. Vets also provide information about the ways to improve the quality of animal products like milk, meat, and also various methods of breeding.
• Veterinarians provide treatment to wounds in animals and also perform simple to complex surgeries on animals. In cases of fracture of bones, complicated delivery, necessary removal of foreign material swallowed by the animal, removal of stones from the urinary bladder, and other complications, surgeries are performed by vets.
• If required, vets can also perform radiological and laboratory diagnostic tests for the confirmation, clear analysis, and further treatment of an illness.
• In urban areas, veterinarians mostly deal with pet animals like different breeds of dogs, cats, etc. Pets are brought to veterinary clinics for regular check-ups, sterilization operations, vaccinations, food poisoning cases, wounds, dermatological problems, etc.

HOW TO BECOME A VETERINARIAN:

After 10+2 (Intermediate Bi.P.C), one should pursue a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (B.V.Sc.) degree, which is a 5½year undergraduate course.

JOB TYPES:

• Veterinary Doctor: The responsibilities of a veterinary doctor have already been discussed above. The veterinary doctor is just another term for veterinarian/veterinary surgeon. They can work in government hospitals, private hospitals, or can even start their own clinic.
• Veterinary Officer: The job of a veterinary officer is the same as a veterinary doctor. They too provide medical and surgical care to animals. In addition to this, they act as public workers and make sure that policies and regulations are strictly followed, and help prevent exploitation of animals.
• Livestock development officer: Their main job is to improve the health standards, nutritional status, breeding methods, disease prevention methods. They help improve the product quality as well as productivity of livestock like cattle and poultry animals.
• Food safety and Inspect veterinarian: Their main job is to conduct tests to verify the animal products to ensure the safety of consumers. They have to make sure that the policies, rules, regulations are followed strictly.
• Veterinary doctor at the zoo: Veterinary doctors can apply for vet jobs at zoos and National parks. A Postgraduate degree after BVSc can improve the chances of grabbing this job.

QUALITIES TO BECOME A VET:

• Compassion towards animals
• Great clinical knowledge
• Good skill
• Good knowledge of animal behavior
• Precise and accurate diagnostic skill
• Patience

AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Government veterinary hospitals
• Private clinics
• Food inspection (Meat and Milk)
• Veterinary colleges
• Zoos and National Parks
• Pet care centers
• Private practice

SALARIES OF A VET:

The starting salary of a vet ranges from Rs.15,000-Rs.30,000 per month. With experience, one can earn up to Rs.1,00,000-Rs.1,50,000 per month.

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DOCTOR OF PHARMACY

 

Doctor of Pharmacy(Pharm.D) is a Professional Doctorate program in Pharmacy. In short, it is referred as Pharm.D which means Pharmaciae Doctor in Latin. Pharm.D is a SIXYEAR pre-PhD, post graduate professional degree program with FIVE years of academics along with hospital ward rounds and ONE year of internship. The Pharm.D graduates are entitled to use “Dr.” as prefix to their name. Government of India and Pharmacy Council of India(PCI) introduced this professional doctorate level program in 2008. 

ELIGIBILITY:

• For Pharm.D. Part-I Course:

                        i) 10+2 examination pass with Physics and Chemistry along with either Mathematics or Biology (or)

                         ii) A pass in D.Pharm course is enough.

• For Pharm.D. (Post Baccalaureate) Course:

                        i) A pass in B.Pharm is mandatory.

For admission, candidates need to clear Common Entrance Examinations conducted at Central or State levels.

ABOUT THE COURSE:

• Pharm.D (regular): 

The duration of the course is of six years (five years for study and one-yearinternship).

The period of six years is in two phases:

Phase I – First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth academic year.

Phase II – Internshipsixth year involving posting in speciality unitswherein a student is exposed to actual pharmacy practice or clinical pharmacy services.

• Pharm.D. (Post Baccalaureate): 

The duration of the course is for three academic years (two years for study and one-year internship).

The period of three years is of two phases:

Phase I –First and Second academic year. 

Phase II –Internshipduring third year with posting in speciality units.

COURSE OF STUDY:

THEORY:

The course of study includes various subjects such as Human Anatomy and Physiology, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapeutics, Hospital/Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmacoepidemiology, Clinical Research, Pharmacokinetics etc.,

PRACTICAL:

Hospital posting: Every student shall be posted in constituent hospital insecond, third & fourth year course. In the fifth year, student shall attend half a day attending ward rounds daily as a part of clerkship. 

Project work: This shall be carried out under the supervision of a teacher, to develop data collection and reporting skills in the area of community, hospital and clinical pharmacy which is to be presented in a written report and as a seminar at the end of the fifth year.

INTERNSHIP:

Internship or residency training for period of twelve months include postings in speciality units.

i. For first six months in General Medicine department, and

ii. Then two months each in three other speciality departments such as Surgery, Paediatrics, Gynaecology and obstetrics, Psychiatry, Skin and VD and Orthopaedics

CAREER PROSPECTS:

As Pharmacy is an independent branch of science dealing with all the aspects of medicinal drugs and pharmaceuticals. Pharm.D program provides numerous opportunities in areas such as Academics, Management, Administration, Research and Development, Quality assurance and other Technical advancements in Healthcare sectors.

Few of the major employment fields for the Pharm.D graduates are:

• Clinical Pharmacist
• Research Scientist
• Pharmacovigilance officer
• Hospital Pharmacy Director
• Hospital Staff Pharmacist
• Pharmacist in Charge
• Regulatory Affairs Manager
• Quality Assurance Manager
• Analytical Chemist
• Drug Inspector
• Drug Interaction Specialists
• Nutritionists
• Community practitioner
• Medical Writer
• Lecturer
• Pharmaceutical Advisor

Key roles:

• Clinical Pharmacist: Ensuring that the prescribed medications for the patients contribute to the possible health outcomes and evaluating the appropriateness and effectiveness of the medications while working together with physicians, other health professionals.
• Research Scientist: Identifying the project goals, research methods, variables, and other test parameters to perform research and develop new strategies for drug therapy.
• Pharmacovigilance Officer: To monitor and report the effectiveness and adverse effects or side effects of pharmaceutical products found in population or in hospitals or research trials and submitting the reports to UMC.
• Hospital Pharmacist or Director: Monitoring the details of drugs distributed to the in-patients or out-patients and regularly evaluating the Inventory stock.
• Pharmacist: Counselling the patient or their representatives to promote medication adherence and also playing a key role in hospital committees.
• Quality Assurance Manager: Assuring consistent quality of production by developing good automated manufacturing practice, validating processes, providing documentation to develop and maintain quality standards.
• Analytical Chemist: Assessing the chemical structure and nature of substances in different areas such as drug development, forensic analysis, pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies.
• Drug Inspector: Controlling drug piracy and duplicity by checking chemist shops and pharmaceutical companies from doing any illegal things against rules and taking necessary actions according to Law.
• Drug Interaction Specialist: Checking or reviewing the prescriptions of patients for any possible interactions that may lead to poor health outcome and thus promoting rational drug therapy.
• Pharmaceutical Advisor: The Advisor provides major contribution towards the evaluation, critiquing and communication of important medical or scientific information and assist clinical research teams in training and supporting the sales force on pharmaceutical drug advertising.
• Medical Writer: Medical writer applies the principles of clinical research in developing clinical trial documents effectively and clearly describing research results, product use, and other information ensuring that the content, format and structure of their documents comply with regulatory, journal, or other guidelines for publications in websites, magazines, newsletters or journals. 
• Community Practitioner: To prescribe drugs for common illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders etc., and are reasonable alternatives to medical graduates in many small-scale organizations.

Many pharmaceutical companies and organisations were hiring Pharm.D graduates such as: State level organisations - Tamilnadu Medical Services Corporation, Kerala Medical Services Corporation and West Bengal Medical Services Corporation and some private organisations such as - Novartis, Biocon, Pfizer, Accenture, GlaxoSmithKline, Dr Reddy’s, Ranbaxy, Mankind, etc.,

Apart from this, candidates can practice as a pharmacist at government as well as private hospitals. And also, can work as NGOs in the health domain, especially in rural areas.

There is a great scope for an aspirant to work abroad as a clinical pharmacist by clearing the general tests.

FURTHER STUDIES:

• After completion of Pharm.D, graduates can also opt for a Ph.D. programme directly.
• One can also pursue any PG Diploma courses in Clinical Research, Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Data Management etc.,
• There are MBA courses in hospital management and Clinical SAS, SPSS programming are other better options.
• Some institutes abroad provide MD and MS programmes for Pharm.D graduates.

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DENTIST

Before going to know about the career prospect of DENTIST and how to become?? Let's see why is dental health important? This might sound like an exaggeration but; it is an undeniable scientific fact that the oral bacteria have potential to cause serious health problems related to heart, diabetes etc.

Next thing, bad breath. Although you have a charming personality, having bad breath can be a biggest turndown and has a potential to ruin your date! You think you can fix it by having a mint. But, what you don’t know is that there is an entire physiology behind bad breath and it can be permanently solved.

Smile - the universal language. But factors like yellowing of teeth, tooth decay, imperfect alignment of teeth etc. can heavily affect our smiles. See..the list keeps going like sensitivity, gum and tooth infections etc. We all brush our teeth and may be use a refreshing mouth-wash liquid. But that’s not all! There are a lot of techniques to be followed in order to achieve healthy and perfect oral hygiene. This is how dentists are helpful to us.

Dentist- This profession has been in the top 10 list of high- demand courses since many years in India as well as other countries.

Who is a dentist?

Dentist is a medical professional who provides treatment to different diseases and injuries of the oral cavity (mouth). Dentists deal with the problems mostly related to teeth, jaws, tongue and salivary glands. Dentists play an important role not only in the aspect of oral hygiene, but also in cosmetic industry. The demand for dentists has been increasing over the past decades because of the changes and improvement in our lifestyles.

•       Dentist is the broad term used for both general dentist and dental surgeon. There is not much difference between them. General dentists can also perform surgeries of teeth and gums, but dental surgeons usually perform more complicated surgeries like emergency facial trauma operations involving face, neck, head and jaws.
•       General dentists observe and examine the oral cavity, and diagnose the problem of the patient. Based on the diagnosis, they prescribe effective medicines. They also make treatment plans for the patients who need regular check-ups.
•       General dentists deal with microbial infections, inflammatory problems like gingivitis, sensitivity of teeth, diseases that occur due to lack of oral hygiene and educate the patients about the importance of regular check-ups, foods that should be avoided, toothpaste that suits their teeth, routine methods that should be followed etc. which are useful in maintaining perfect oral health.
•       They perform different procedures like tooth-whitening, correction of imperfect alignments of teeth, filling cavities of teeth etc. and help people achieve a great smile. Thus, dentists are of great cosmetic importance.
•       They perform prosthodontic procedures such as installing bridges, veneers, Invisalign, braces, caps and other prosthetics which are helpful in fixing gaps between teeth, perfecting the alignment of teeth and also giving good shape to the teeth.
•        Using prosthetic material, they also make partial or complete sets of dentitions called dentures (false teeth) by taking dental measurements from the patient. These are most commonly used by old people.
•       Dentists who have done specialization in dental surgery(dental surgeons) perform emergency surgeries in cases of trauma due road traffic accidents etc. They can perform trauma surgery on teeth, jaws, face and neck based on radiological analyses.
•       Dental surgeons perform orthodontic procedures like removal of the wisdom teeth, installing dental implants in jaw bones (mandible, maxilla) by giving anaesthesia to the patient.
•        In cases of missing tooth, broken tooth, they install artificial tooth implants made of ceramic/metal by processes like cementing.
•       They perform endodontic surgeries, mainly root canal therapy which involves procedures like pulpectomy, pulpotomy of teeth.
•       Specialised dentists also remove cysts and cancerous tumours of the oral cavity. They also perform cosmetic surgeries of jaw bone, brow bone etc.

HOW TO BECOME A DENTIST:

• After 10+2 (Intermediate Bi.P.C), one should go for Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree (B.D.S). This is a 5-year under-graduate course which is comprised of 4 years of study and 1 year of internship. One can start practice as a general dentist after completion of this course.
•  After getting B.D.S degree, one can go for Master of Dental Surgery degree (M.D.S), which is a 3-year post-graduate course, which helps you to improve your expertise as well as salary. This course has great scope andimproves your skills. With an M.D.S degree, you can become a dental surgeon and perform complicated surgeries such as emergency trauma operations, cysts and tumour removal etc.
•  Besides M.D.S, specialisations are also available in M.D.S course such as:

·                

AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Government hospitals
• Private hospitals
• Dental clinics
• Nursing home
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Dental tool production companies
• Railways
• Private practice

QUALITIES TO BECOME A DENTIST:

• Good memory
• Analytical thinking
• Logical precision and accuracy
• Attention to detail
• Patience and stamina
• Good communication skills
• Interest in learning new skills

SALARIES OF A DENTIST:

The starting salaries of a dentist range from Rs.15,000-Rs.30,000. Usually salaries of dental surgeons are a bit more than that of general dentists. With experience and skill, earnings can improve and can be as high as Rs.90,000 per month.

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MEDICINE

 

In this section of our site, you will be provided with all the important professional information related to various courses in biology. The Aurora Quest helps you find the perfect path to explore your interest in biology as well as the different career options through which you can pursue a great future.

WHAT EXACTLY IS STUDIED UNDER BIOLOGY?
Plants, Animals, Microorganisms. This is biology in a nutshell. But unravelling the depths of biology, is not as simple as it seems. Biology is really a humongous part of the matrix that God has woven. It is really amazing that the most complex organ systems like us humans are evolved from a single cell. So, as a part of biology, we study everything related to the evolution, structure, composition, behavior and interaction of the living reality around us.

IS IT TRUE THAT THERE ARE LESS CAREER OPTIONS IN THIS FIELD?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

There are as many sciences in biology as there are hairs on our head. Any branch in the field of biology promises you a good job with reasonable salary. All it requires is your impeccable interest and hard work. It is impossible to put forth all these various branches of biology in a single post. But, to provide a basic idea of the topics that we will be focusing on, here is a sample of generalized data:

 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF BIOLOGY?

As said earlier; plants, animals and microbes are the major contributors of the environment. To make it simple, let us classify the sciences on the basis of these three contributors.

Firstly, we have the animals. There are many sciences like zoology, entomology, ornithology, veterinary science, evolutionary science, behavioral psychology, animal husbandry, dairy science, aquaculture etc. to study about the various organisms that come under animal kingdom. These sciences help us understand the behavior, diseases in animals, interaction with ecosystem, commercial importance of animals.

We, the humans, are social animals. Evolution has brought us a long way from apes; to respecting other people’s rights. We are the highly complex organisms. There are many sciences like anthropology, psychology that give us an idea of the behavior, interaction and the complexity of our minds. Regarding the biological processes of human body, there are sciences like anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology etc. Infact, we have an entire science dedicated to each of our organs systems like biotechnology, neurology, otorhinolaryngology, endocrinology, nephrology, cardiology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, physiotherapy, gastroenterology, gynecology, dermatology, radiology, dentistry, nutritional sciences, immunology, hematology etc. We also have various medicinal sciences like ayurvedic science, allopathy, naturopathy, homeopathy.

The various sciences related to plants are:
Agriculture, environmental science, botany, biotechnology, horticulture, plant physiology, agrochemistry, seed technology, plant breeding technology, plant biochemistry, agricultural engineering, floriculture, irrigation, plant microbiology etc. These plant sciences help us to understand the different fascinating biological mechanisms of plants and also the techniques that can help us commercially.

The next contributors: microbes. In biology, we have many sciences related to microbes such as: pathology, microbiology, parasitology, virology, mycology, bacteriology etc. These sciences help us in understanding the microbial behavior and its interaction with humans, plants and other microbes, the diseases they can result in, exploring microbes that are useful to humans etc.

There are environmental sciences which help us in understanding the structure, components and functioning of ecosystems. These sciences play an important role in sustainable usage of natural resources, maintenance and conservation of biodiversity, interactions between components of ecosystems, food chains and food pyramids.

These are some of the subjects on which the posts of this section will be based on. We provide you information about different career options related to each of these sciences and also the pathway to each profession.

Hope you find this article helpful! We, the team Meraki, will try our best to provide accurate and useful information regarding the professions in these fields.

Stay interested and keep working! It ultimately pays off!

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