PG Medical: Radiology is hot this summer

AHMEDABAD: In a reversal of trends, radiology followed by dermatology have emerged as the top programmes for postgraduate medical courses, beating traditional favourites like orthopaedics, surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics and medicine.
The high demand for radiologists and dermatologists, better job opportunities, better working hours and lower professional risks are a few reasons for these programmes being more sought after.
The shift began about five years ago and the change has become evident in the PG medical admissions process that is under way for government colleges, as radiology and dermatology require higher qualifying scores than other programmes.
The Admission Committee for Professional Postgraduate Medical Courses (ACPPGMC) recently began its admission procedure for postgraduate medical courses in Gujarat, based on scores obtained in NEET PG. The final merit list was released last month.
Only candidates whose names figure in the top 67 on the merit list can get admission to the radiology programme while for dermatology the doors are open to the top 72 students. In comparison, fot the PG programmes in medicine and paediatrics, admissions are open to the 97 and 140 students, respectively.
“Demand for radiologists has risen in the last five years. A fresher with a postgraduate degree in the field can easily get a job paying Rs 2 lakh a month. There is less work pressure on radiologists compared to surgeons or orthopedic specialists, as they do not have to directly deal with medical emergencies,” said Dr Pankaj Patel, dean of NHL Municipal Medical College.
There are 84 seats for radiology and 48 for dermatology at government colleges in the state. At self-financed colleges, fees for these two programmes are about Rs 50 lakh, while the PG in medicine costs about Rs 40 lakh.
Dr M F Shaikh, director of PG courses at BJ Medical College said that a few years ago, radiology and dermatology were the last preference for postgraduate students. “People are more conscious about their looks these days, be it hair transplants or for other aesthetic considerations. This has driven the demand for dermatologists,” said Shaikh.
Dr Rajesh Thakkar, a first-year PG student of radiology said he chose the programme as it offers several advantages. “In radiology I can do well even if I don’t do a superspecialty course. This programme gives me the opportunity to study various other aspects of medical science,” Thakkar said.