Job options with a BSc degree

What are the job opportunities for an individual with a BSc (medical) degree? Should I appear for the pre-medical test even though I am not prepared for it? Please suggest some other career opportunities.

You have many career options in the medical stream, other than medicine. If you have not prepared for the PMT, it is better not to sit for it, but to consider other fields. If you are interested in a medical field, there are options in careers such as pharmacy, paramedical sciences, veterinary science and so on.

Pharmacy is an important medical profession. The four-year BPharm programme is offered at pharmacy colleges in practically all states. Then there are various paramedical programmes at the BSc level, which train you for careers like radiology (taking X-rays, CT scans) and medical technology (performing laboratory tests essential for detecting and treating diseases) and ophthalmic technologists and optometrists (concerned with evaluation and improvement of vision). These are three-year bachelor's programmes available at most medical institutes. You can also think about veterinary science, food processing, nutrition and dietetics for which there are more and more jobs. If you enjoy subjects like botany and zoology, you can become a school or university teacher of these subjects after taking a BSc degree plus a BEd, or an MSc in any of these subjects followed by the National Eligibility Test clearing, which makes you eligible for lectureship in colleges. You may go for a BSc programme in biotechnology and later an MSc in the same, or a BSc in any life science like biology, chemistry, microbiology, zoology and so on followed by an MSc with specialisation in biotechnology.

Otherwise, explore clinical psychology after a BA and an MA in psychology. Clinical psychologists work in hospitals, medical clinics, rehabilitation centres or research institutions dealing with patients who have medical disorders. So, there are many career options available to you with your subject stream.

Research each one seriously and then decide take a call on which one interests you or is the best one for you.

I did my Class 12 in 2000 after which my life has been a mess. I dropped out of my engineering programme and have an eight-year gap. I am going to complete BCA in June 2011. I was very intelligent at school. I wanted to become a doctor or an IAS officer but my parents forced me to change my subjects from medical to non-medical. I did not get good marks in Class 12 and afterwards. I think my life is over. I want to study in a reputable institute but I am 29. There is no tension about earning.

It is good that despite all the frustrations in your academic life, you are studying even if it is in the distance mode. If you are good with computers and programming, the BCA qualification can help you find job opportunities in the information technology industry. How about enhancing your computer skills in areas including networking and database management, C, C++, Java, Cobol, UNIX and many others? Such courses have no age restrictions, so anybody with the necessary computer knowledge and skills can enrol.

If you wish to build a professional career in IT, after BCA, you can follow the MCA degree too. These courses are designed to provide the theoretical background and practical experience in computer science and applications to meet the growing manpower requirements of the global software industry.

There is a demand in the IT sector for professionals with these qualifications, and the jobs vary according to the companies' requirements in terms of services being provided. It may be advisable for you to do these courses in India as the employment scope is widest here, and the IT industry continues to grow.

In the IT domain, your ability and skill is more important than your qualifications. So, if you have the necessary talent in this field, you can surely build yourself a successful career.

Author: Usha Albuquerque

Date: 5th May 2011