How to become a physician in India

Physicians are also known as doctors or medical practitioner who treat patients in a range of ways with their well-being the primary responsibility.

Are you planning to practice medicine but not specialise in some particular field? You could choose to be a physician. A physician can wear many hats and treat patients on a day-to-day basis. Their key job is to ensure the well-being of a patient through medication and exercise. This role has ample job options, in both private and government sector, as well as the opportunity to have a private clinic.

Skills that are needed to become a successful physician

To disseminate their duties property, a physician must have following qualities:

• Patience
• Compassion and will to help others
• Concentration and an eye for detail
• Physical stamina and mental potency
• Medical know-how
• Emotional strength
• Communicating clearly, particularly verbally, to create a transparent and comforting environment with patients
• Determination to learn new skills and keep oneself updated
• Quick thinking
• Having strong multitasking skills
• Displaying outstanding meticulousness and good practical skills, having outstanding eye-hand synchronization

How to become a physician in India

Eligibility criteria: A student planning to pursue MBBS should have passed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Before applying for admission, ensure that you have the minimum educational qualifications necessary to pursue this course.

Entrance exams: To get into a renowned medical institute, it is essential to sit and score well in the entrance exams. Some of the well-known medical entrance tests in India include All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) MBBS entrance exam, National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) MBBS entrance exam, institute-wise entrance tests and state-wise entrance tests. Some colleges such as AIIMS, JIPMER, Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Armed Force Medical College, Kasturba Medical College, Christian Medical College, etc., conduct their entrance exams.

Apply for admission: If you have scored a good rank in the entrance exam and meet the eligibility criteria, then you should apply for admission. Admission procedure may differ from one state to another.

Complete the course: After completing classroom training of four and a half years and an internship of over one year, you will earn the title of a Physician. Although MBBS degree is adequate to practice as a Doctor in India, it is not the end the road. These days, it is essential to pursue and complete post-graduate courses such as MD, MS, and PGDM. These courses help to boost one’s career prospects.

Salary growth

The salary of the physician is based on how much experience and knowledge they have. The initial monthly salary of a medical graduate doctor could range between Rs 20,000-35,000. However, with experience and years of practice, a physician can get up to Rs 10 lakh per annum.

Employment prospects

The employment prospects of physicians are vast as they can work in:

• Multi-specialty hospitals and nursing homes
• Government hospitals and clinics
• Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)
• Business organisations
• Primary health centres or Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESI) hospitals
• Industries
• Armed Forces
• Embassies and schools as consultants
• Railways

Besides, for MBBS-degree holders, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts a joint medical services exam for choosing doctors for central government-run hospitals.

Thus, the medical profession offers a hopeful career development path to medical-degree candidates. Healthcare practitioners from the medical domain have an extensive scope of employment. Let us take a look at different job profiles:

• Junior surgeons
• Physician
• Doctors
• Researcher
• Medical professor or lecturer
• Junior doctors
• Scientist

Nature of practice

A physician performs the below-mentioned tasks, based upon their specialisation:

• Inspect patients and arrive upon diagnosis
• Perform surgeries
• Prescribe medications
• Manage staff consisting of allied healthcare workers, paramedical and nurses
• Check patients’ records and keep an eye on their rehabilitation/recovery
• Educate patients and their family members

Physicians work in one or more areas of specialties, including, but not restricted to, family, anesthesiology, and general medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, surgery and psychiatry. Other physicians work in several other medical and surgical specialists, including cardiologists, allergists, emergency physicians, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists and pathologists.

Physicians are also known as doctors or medical practitioner who treat patients in a range of ways with their well-being the primary responsibility. Physicians include family and general practitioners, anesthesiologists, obstetricians and gynecologists, internists, pediatricians, psychiatrists and surgeons.