In the olden days there was only one option available for freshly graduated doctors of Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) graduates, and it was only to start own practice in clinics. Time has changed and today there are many promising careers available for BAMS graduates in India and abroad.
Many abroad nations are looking towards the Indian traditional medicine “Ayurveda” for treatment and development of drugs for many life-threatening ailments that the people are suffering today. There are some areas where the BAMS graduates can find excellent career opportunities in today’s era.
The areas where the BAMS graduates can explore the job opportunities are broadly classified into five categories, they are:
- Clinical Practice
- Academic
- Research
- Management and Administration
- Drug Manufacturing
Let’s discuss in detail about these categories:
1. Clinical Practice
The students entering ayurvedic practice are required to study in detail about the ayurvedic samhitas. The BAMS students are expected to be well aware about the modern medical science and interpretation of modern diagnostic tests. In India there are various traditions of Ayurvedic practice like Panchbhautik Chikitsa, Nadi Pariksha, Datu Chikitsa etc. The students will be learning such traditions and follow them in their practice.
The BAMS graduates can join as ayurvedic doctors at various organisations like:
- Ayurvedic Hospitals & Medical Colleges
- Herbal Care Centres
- Health and Wellness Centres
- Ayurvedic Spas and Health Resorts
- Ayurvedic Clinics
2. Academics
The BAMS students who are interested in teaching can join as assistant professors after completing their MD Ayurveda course. The BAMS students after completion of their MD Ayurveda can join in government or private colleges as lecturers. There is a large space for BAMS students in the private sector especially in the teaching profession. The students initially join as assistant professors and after they gain some expertise, they can become head of the departments of ayurvedic colleges. Sometimes they are even appointed as Dean, Chairman and Vice President for the Ayurvedic Colleges.
Some of the roles available for BAMS doctors in this area are:
- Lecturer
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- Head of the Departments
- Dean
- Chairman
- Vice President
3. Research
The BAMS students if interested in research can join PhD programmes after their masters. There are extensive course modules for ayurvedic research and the scope of study is also vast for Ayurveda. After the completion of the PhD course the students are hired in various drug manufacturing companies as Clinical Research Associate.
In the field of Ayurveda, the Clinical Research Associates are responsible to conduct research on the new drugs using the medicinal herbs and plants. The clinical research associates are responsible to develop and write trial protocols for newly developed drugs using ayurvedic plants. As a Clinical Research Associate, one is responsible to design data collection forms known as care report forms. The Clinical Research Associates are required to coordinate with the ethics committee that gives permissions to drug trials. The Clinical Research Associates are also responsible to monitor the trails and also oversee the research and marketing of new drugs developed by the organisation.
Although the fact is the drug trials for Ayurvedic is time consuming as the results cannot be obtained early. Unlike the allopathic drug trials, the ayurvedic drug trials take weeks and months to get the results. But the side effects from the ayurvedic drug is Nil, when compared to allopathic medicines. So, it requires a lot of patience to be a Clinical Research Associate especially in the Ayurvedic field.
4. Management and Administration
The Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery (BAMS) students have an opportunity to head the ayurvedic educational institutions after the completion of their master’s. As they gain experience in their field, they are chosen to head the ayurvedic clinic or a hospital and sometimes ayurvedic health and wellness centres. They can also work in different areas like sports medicine, disaster management, industrial management, preventive and promotive healthcare etc.
The BAMS students after their completion of MD Ayurveda can be appointed as head of departments of various ayurvedic departments in ayurvedic colleges. Sometimes they are also appointed as Dean, Chairman and Vice president for ayurvedic colleges and hospitals.
Drug Manufacturing
The last decade has seen a boom in ayurvedic drug manufacturing. The production of ayurvedic medicines is a booming business today. Many top drug manufacturing companies are investing huge amounts to manufacture ayurvedic based medicines. Apart from manufacturing other allied aspects like cultivation of medicinal plants, trading raw materials in form of powder, extracts, oils, etc are also in great demand.
Not only medicines but also ayurvedic cosmetics and food products have equally big market. The demand for ayurvedic based products are gaining importance day by day for the benefits they carry. The drug manufacturing industries are hiring BAMS graduates in their manufacturing units for good salary packages. The BAMS students are considered as skilled professionals who have the knowledge and methodologies about the ayurvedic medicines and medicinal herbs.
The BAMS graduates are hired in various positions in drug manufacturing companies such as:
- Research
- Quality Assurance
- Quality Control
- Product Development
- Product Manufacturing
Salary and Emoluments
The fresh BAMS doctors can easily earn around 4 lakhs to 5 lakhs per annum. While the experienced and skilled BAMS doctors will be earning around 6 lakhs to 8 lakhs. The salary depends upon the location and the recruiters.
In Conclusion
The Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) doctors gained a lot of importance in the last decade. Many patients go for ayurvedic treatments for their health conditions instead of allopathic medicines. This has increased the demand for the ayurvedic doctors in this field. Many patients seek to get treatments in various ayurvedic spas and ayurvedic healthcare centres. This has increased the number of vacancies in these institutes. By all these aspects it is clear that the demand for Ayurvedic doctors continues to increase in coming years. Research is being conducted to find out drugs for various life-threatening diseases like corona, cancer, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, etc. So, the demand for skilled BAMS doctors is more for their valuable skills and knowledge about Ayurveda.
The students who are interested to experience the traditional medical methodologies can join BAMS course. Since the demand for ayurvedic doctors is increasing day by day, the BAMS doctors can easily experience a good career growth in this field.