Medicine as a career option undergoing a paradigm shift

medicine is perhaps, one of the most coveted professions in human civilisation. however, with ever increasing competition, long-working hours, inadequate returns and materialistic concerns of today’s youth, students’ attitude towards this profession is undergoing a paradigm shift. gurdesh singh bedi, eighth semester student, the all india institute of medical sciences (aiims), says, ‘‘a medical student works very hard.right from the school days, he starts preparing for the entrance examination. once in a medical college, he again slogs for five-and-a-half years and suddenly after completing his internship - he does not know where to go.’’ according to arvind kumar chaurasiya, another eighth semester student at the maulana azad medical college (mamc), ‘‘an mbbs student has limited options to go for, after he or she is through with the course. after completing mbbs, one can undertake house job at a hospital for six months to three years.’’ but as chandrakant lahariya, eighth semester student at the mamc, says, ‘‘most of these jobs are in rural areas and people do not want to go there.’’ however, neha aggarwal, doing her fourth semester at the lady hardinge medical college (lhmc) feels it is a good option. she says, ‘‘the salary offered is between rs 16,000 to rs 20,000 and one has to work only until 2 0’ clock in the afternoon.’’ opening a clinic is not feasible in metropolises like delhi. satish jaiswal, eighth semester student at the university college of medical sciences (ucms), says, ‘‘for opening a clinic in delhi, you require rs 30 lakh to rs 40 lakh. if your parents are already running a clinic then you have to just join them, otherwise you spend 20 years of your life in establishing yourself.’’ moreover, the most preferred option is pursuing post graduation (pg). bedi says, ‘‘this is an era of super, super specialisation. one has to be at least a doctor of medicine (md). people these days are well-informed. they prefer going to a specialist who might be situated even at a 50-km distance than visiting a general physician.’’ however, it is not easy to get admission into pg as the seats are scarce, and a part of it is reserved for non-clinical disciplines, which most of the students refrain from. in addition, there are other factors contributing to the disillusionment among the students. chaurasiya says, ‘‘merely 2 per cent to 3 per cent of the medicos can make a good living out of this profession. by the time you settle down, you are already 40-plus. how much can you really enjoy your life after that? ‘’ neha garg, a fourth-semester student at the lhmc, says, ‘‘i feel insecure about my future. my father himself is a doctor and he had advised me against taking up this profession. now, sometimes i think it was a wrong decision.’’ chaurasiya says, ‘‘when we compare ourselves with our peers in society, we feel we are not getting the same in terms of returns.’’ garg says, ‘‘whenever, i meet non-medicos, i feel their lives are a lot better.’’ no wonder that several medical students are now thinking of changing track —the preferred option being civil services and management. jaiswal, who is seriously considering management has even undertaken one-year coaching from the career launcher. he says, ‘‘it is not that i am not doing well in medicine. but even after 10 years of study if i am earning rs 18,000 to rs 20,000 per month, then there is something seriously wrong. whereas, in the corporate world if you are good you can be placed very well.’’ garg is planning to appear for civil services’ exam. bedi says, ‘‘ many students from aiims find it easier to go abroad to do their pg and eventually settle there.’’ fortunately, medical students still give utmost importance to the nobility of this profession. aggarwal says, ‘‘the amount of respect you get in this profession is an asset.’’ lahariya adds, ‘‘practising medicine is basically a skill. once you have acquired it, it will remain with you for a lifetime and more you practise it, more you will be good at it.’’ aggarwal adds, ‘‘as a medical student, lack of time does not allow you to go beyond books, but i have maintained extra-curricular activities and enjoyed myself in college.’’ however, the medical profession can be rewarding in many ways. lahariya says, ‘‘the feeling of treating and curing someone cannot be expressed in words.’’ he remarks that it brings great satisfaction.