The outlook on life and career is evolving for medical students as they enter medical college at a very young age. The alternate career options for MBBS students are penned down in this article.

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) is a course of over 5 years with academics, practicals and a lifetime of experiences. With a student entering medical life at 18, the viewpoint towards life keeps changing and evolving. Life keeps developing and moving forward at a speed.

Alternate career options after MBBS

1. Hospital Management

One of the fast-emerging careers is Hospital Management. With multispeciality hospitals on the rise a basic need of the hour is good management; be it maintaining a good supply of drugs, facilities or staff training. A good hospital needs a core strength to fall back upon so that in an emergency it doesn’t crumble. A doctor is arguably one of the best candidates for this as he/she knows the ins and outs of the system and the achievable aspirations of the attending doctor.

2. Medicolegal Advisor

Justice is the need of the moment. Doctors being harassed and falsely accused by patients is a very common epidemic spreading these days. A doctor is part of the lawyer's team providing them a better understanding of medical issues in medicolegal cases. Also, the complexity of situations in complaints can be easily studied scientifically by a doctor and they make a valuable part of a legal team.

3. Medical Education

A teacher takes a student from darkness to the light of knowledge. Competitive exams are a must and have to be cracked to enter MBBS, PG and the next course of career choices. A good teacher is always needed. With many coaching classes creeping up a very real career option for the lecturer and teacher has emerged. You can guide the future generation of doctors by helping them with the aspirations and goals of the future leaders of medicine.

4. Medical Researcher

With human medicine, a lot has still been researched and discovered. Many courses about research, the physiology and mechanics of the human body and behaviour and many drugs have to be devised. A researcher bridges the gap between the doctor and an ailing patient with no cure. He/ she provides hope for a better and healthier future.

5. Medical Writer

As it is said, “A pen is mightier than a sword”, along with researching, many take up the profession of medical writing after MBBS. To widen the horizons of knowledge and deepen our understanding of ailments, publish various evidence-based treatment protocols of form and uniformity or start a new phase of a new drug to be tested, writers are important!

6. Civil Service

With cracking NEET exams and entering the world of MBBS, a doctor has the acumen to crack gruelling competitive exams and the same can be applied in civil services. The successful ones mostly come from a medical background as they understand better the feasibility issues and the pitfalls of the system. It is unique to serve a large group of people impacting and changing their lives for the better, for someone who is considering being in administrative roles.

7. Sports Doctor

A specialised course for the injuries sustained on the field or ground- a hands-on approach to learning is important for prompt action. A sports doctor identifies and acts accordingly in physically challenging roles. This is an upcoming branch becoming a very popular choice.

8. MBA

MBA after MBBS with doctors having good business acumen can help a hospital a lot not only with business and administration but also with effective patient management. Pharmaceutical companies often struggle with good management of prices, storage and distribution of drugs. This is a gap that can be easily filled by an MBA from an MBBS background.

9. Entrepreneurship

Same as above the doctors having a good sense of the market and willing to grow in this area, can function as entrepreneurs. Starting new cutting-edge technology requires a daring entrepreneur who is willing to fund it, market it, and sell it. Startups need good entrepreneurship for better reach.

10. Forensic Psychiatry

A deep dive into criminology understanding the workings of criminals like the need to commit a crime, the gratification it causes and its implications on society. It is a very interesting branch with newly found theories and enthusiasm every day. It can help us prevent crimes in future generations by identifying and curbing the malicious thought at its genesis.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

About the author of this article: Dr Tosha Shah MS is a Senior Consultant practitioner at Dhiraj Hospital, Vadodara.