Most Indian students pursue an MBBS abroad because of affordability and the quality of education. MBBS is one of the most prestigious degrees and brings social prestige and respect. Entering clinical practice is one of the most obvious career options after MBBS. However, MBBS abroad also opens the door to many more career opportunities.
After your MBBS, you can choose any one of the exciting careers in medicine, besides practicing as a doctor. This blog will explore the career opportunities after an MBBS abroad. Some career options after MBBS require an additional qualification before entering the professional field.
Practicing medicine as a general physician or doing further studies to become a specialist doctor are two popular career options after MBBS.
The most common career choice after completing an MBBS abroad is practicing as a general physician. Many students want to start practicing in their home country after finishing their degree. You will need to clear the licensing exam FMGE/NExT to practice in India. If you wish to practice in the United States, you will have to clear the USMLE. Similarly, to practice in the United Kingdom, you will have to clear the UKMLA exam. After clearing the licensing exam, you can start your practice and join the healthcare professionals of that country.
Studying medicine further after the MBBS will lead to a career as a specialist doctor. It is one of the sought-after careers in medicine. In India, you can study Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Master of Surgery (MS) to gain specialization in a particular field. After completing your post-graduate degree, you can work as a physician or a surgeon. You may also choose to pursue your post-graduate studies in the country where you did your MBBS. Opting for a residency program quill equip you to kickstart your career as a specialist abroad.
Most students choose the practice or specialization route after completing their MBBS. However, there are plenty of alternative careers for doctors in India. These offbeat career options range from managerial positions to careers in health informatics and entrepreneurship.
You can make a career in management after doing your MBBS. Hospital Administration and Healthcare Management are exciting alternative careers for doctors. To make a career, you can pursue a Master's in Hospital Administration or an MBA in Healthcare Management. The rising demand for managers in the healthcare industry will keep this career option a popular choice among doctors. Hospital administrators and healthcare managers supervise hospital operations, ensure high-quality patient care, and supervise the staff members.
A career in public healthcare is possible after MBBS by doing a Master's in Public Health. After doing this degree you may land jobs in public healthcare services. You may work with the government or at the grassroots level with NGOs and international organizations like WHO and UNICEF. Working with the central or state governments, you will be involved in program management, policy development, and the promotion of public health. Public healthcare professionals also work in research and advocacy around public healthcare.
Health Informatics is where information technology (IT) and healthcare meet. It is one of the most fulfilling alternative careers for doctors. The focus of this field is the use of health information for healthcare. Opting for health informatics as a career, you will be responsible for collecting, storing, retrieving, and using health information. As an emerging career option after MBBS abroad, health informatics contributes to healthcare monitoring, patient care, healthcare delivery, and public health. Managing Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), Telemedicine, and Medical Imaging are some sub-fields of health informatics.
Medical writing and journalism offer exciting career prospects for students after their MBBS. Medical writers prepare technical and scientific documents while medical journalists bridge the gap between complex medical information and the public. Medical journalists can work for media outlets and health websites while medical writers get to work with pharmaceutical companies and research institutions.
Entrepreneurship can be one of the alternative careers for doctors if they have business acumen. You will use your medical knowledge to understand problems in the healthcare sector and devise novel solutions. As a medical entrepreneur, you will be expected to bridge the gaps between the healthcare sector, technology, and the business world. You may develop new medical devices, work on a new telemedicine platform, or build a healthcare app with your team.
Entering into research is another academic career option you can pursue after doing your MBBS. Medical researchers create better tools for diagnosis and work towards making prevention strategies. They also work on research projects directed at preventing and treating chronic diseases. As a medical researcher, you can work towards checking the efficiency of traditional medicine and integrating it with modern medicine. In this crucial role, you may also work towards improving healthcare systems and testing their efficiency. You will get the opportunity to work with the government, pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, and laboratories.
Teaching students at medical colleges is another alternative career for doctors. It requires a post-graduate degree to start teaching medicine in India. Working as a teacher you will impart skills and knowledge and guide students to become a doctor. Planning lessons and grading students will be your everyday responsibilities. You can teach at a medical school, university, or a teaching hospital. As a teacher, you will bear the responsibility of guiding the next generation of medical professionals. In some teaching positions, you will be able to continue your research.
An MBBS abroad opens up the path to fulfilling careers in medicine. You can clear the licensing exams and start practicing or choose to gain a specialization before starting your professional journey. However, an MBBS also opens up the possibility of many more exciting careers. You can start a career in healthcare management, or join public health service. Besides these, there are exciting careers in Health Informatics and research that await you after your MBBS. Practicing as a doctor is not the only way to leave your mark in the world of healthcare after doing your MBBS abroad. However, you should choose a career depending on your interest and passion.