‘Students opt for branches providing work-life balance’

‘Students opt for branches providing work-life balance’ 

Times of India  AHAMEDABAD 

28.12.2024

The bright students choose branches which are considered ‘non-emergency’ where there are generally no night shifts and the doctors can spend time with their families and enjoy a work-life balance. Dr Hansa Goswami, dean of BJ Medical College – the state’s top medical college – said that in the past couple of decades, branches ranging from surgery, orthopaedics and neurology to paediatrics were the choices of toppers. “But in recent years, the merit for courses such as radiology and dermatology is relatively higher than these branches. The perception of workload along with emergence of new technologies and societal preferences also play a role in deciding a branch,” she said. 

Dr Siddharth Vaghela, who got an All-India Rank (AIR) of 15, chose medicine as his specialisation for PG. “I completed my MBBS from GMERS Medical College, Sola. It was my dream to study medicine from the start, and thus even after having merit in other branches, I chose the branch due to its evergreen appeal,” he said. 

Dr Ravi Devda, AIR 1979 who completed his MBBS from Dharpur Medical College, chose dermatology. “There is a lot of scope in the branch with awareness about skin issues and an array of treatments on offer. I thus chose this branch,” said Dr Devda, the first doctor in the family. Several other students expressed aversion to branches such as orthopaedics and surgery due to longer working hours and the need to always remain available for traumas and road traffic accidents in almost all major govt hospitals. Dr Anita Sutariya, HOD of dermatology at BJ Medical College, said that beauty is in demand, and it is reflected in the trend. 

“Right from anti-ageing treatments to aesthetics and cosmetology, the branch has a lot of scope for new doctors, and students often opt for private practice. There is generally no emergency, which attracts students to this branch,” she said. “This year, about three to four out of the top 10 in the state merit list have opted for this branch,  which is reflective of the all-India trend. Another trend here is that this branch, conventionally believed to be preferred among women graduates, now attracts many men.” Dr Ila Desai, HOD of radiology at BJ Medical College, said that the new diagnostics often put stress on various reports, and thus there is steady demand for experts even in relatively smaller centres. 

Thus, there is a good employment opportunity both in govt and private set-ups,” she said. Eventually, it is a cyclical trend, said Dr Cherry Shah, dean of the NHL Municipal Medical College. “The trends often reflect societal changes and demands. Almost all branches have seen ups and downs, and post-Covid, doctors prefer branches that provide them scope for work and for spending some time with family. The branches in demand somewhere meet these requirements,” she said. For 2nd year in a row, top medical grads chase radiology, dermatology Ahmedabad : In a clear shift that signals evolving priorities among Gujarat’s brightest medical talent for the past two years, top-ranked postgraduate aspirants are increasingly gravitating towards nonemergency specialisations like radiology and dermatology, departing from traditionally coveted emergency care specialties along with the traditionally favourite, medicine. 

An analysis of Gujarat’s PG medical admissions reveals that among the top 100 candidates, a significant majority opted for these non-emergency branches, despite having their pick from 24 super-specialisations. This trend spans across general, management and NRI quotas, indicating a marked shift in medical career preferences. This year, a total of 4,710 students qualified for the PG admissions as they battled it out for the 281 available seats. The trend is seen across the general quota along with management and NRI quotas, said admission committee members. Senior medical fraternity officials said since Covid, there has been a sustained trend where the bright students choose branches which are considered ‘non-emergency’.