A blend of medical studies and engineering minds

Practice makes a man perfect. This phrase has motivated almost every successful person till date. Stepping into any field requires a notion of ability regarding the interest invested, along with time and energy. No stream or study has ever been victoriously chased if it lacks choice or interest.
Most students in this generation opt for science after their class X, but fail to choose between engineering and medical, as they have a share of interest in both the fields. For such students, pharmacy is the right choice. Pharmacy is a blend of medical studies and engineering minds. This subject can help one find the right direction towards a career path.
Pharmacy has a huge scope in the business sector. For the past few years, production, supply and demand for medicines has only increased. The requirement does not seem to have a stop either. For all those who are interested in entrepreneurship, pharmacy is a great option.
Nayan Bajaj, a medical store owner and a businessman, said, “There is an undying scope in pharmacy studies. The developments and new technologies have only taken this field to a higher level. A diploma course in pharmacy is mandatory for those who rely in the field of business itself. For higher studies, bachelor’s and master’s degrees are compulsorily required.”
“Doctors and medicines are soul partners who are interconnected and cannot really function without each other. Pharmacy, in this way, soars as one of the best professions,” he added.
Advancements in every field has reached heights in this era, whereas researches seem never to end. Every day, a new technology is discovered. Even in pharmacy, clinical research is a great choice. Neha Kriplani, a clinical research associate, said, “The profession is helpful and effective for as long as there is requirement for medicines. There is a huge scope in this field as almost everyone today is a consumer and scientists are keen producers.”
“Different companies and departments offer high-paying job to degree holders. Clinical research deals with testing and producing of medicines, and this field is widely resourceful. Pharmacy gives an opportunity to understand both a patient’s life as well as a doctor’s work,” she said.
Mohit Wadhwani, a pharmacist, said, “The number of patients is increasing day by day. This has led to a drastic increase in production of medicines. The profession is highly standardized for those students who have an equal interest in biology and mathematics. This field gives a chance to figure out a marketeer’s life completely. There is a great scope and this field is one such section where knowledge of almost every subject and practical life is streamed.”
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Why opt for the subject
Desire for flexibility in career choice
Unique approach to healthcare
Benefit from the demand of pharmacists
Work with state-of-the-art technology
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Expert View
Dr Abhay Ittadwar
Career scope, job opportunities huge
Once a child is admitted to a school, there are no other options but to continue the studies without few alterations till Std X. So, after passing SSC, the natural question is ‘what next?’ Here, one has to be selective to opt for one of the streams among science, commerce and arts, while another choice is polytechnic, depending upon the passion and eligibility.
Once the science stream is opted for, there are further choices like physics, chemistry & biology i.e. PCB group or physics, chemistry & mathematics i.e. PCM group or both mathematics and biology group. The current trend, which has likely become common these days, is medical sciences or engineering.
For those who do not fulfill the merit list demands, and have opted for PCM or PCB or PCMB, pharmacy is the right choice to step in. Pharmacy offers a variety of subjects along with diploma and degree courses. Pharmaceutical companies have a suitable amount of share in the market. Hence, it is one of the leading occupations with a business choice.
One can opt pharmacy for a career in production, research, quality assurance, regulation affairs, patents, corporates, academics, hospitals, entrepreneurship and so on. Recent trend and technologies like artificial intelligent, 3D printing, biotechnology, nanotechnology etc has further increased the scope.
Career scope and job opportunities in pharmacy are huge. Due to opening of large pharmaceutical companies and government policies like startup, Make in India, generic medicines etc, the future in this field is bright. Numerous jobs are available for pharmacists in government as well as private organizations. After completing studies, one can easily find jobs in pharmaceutical industries, government departments, universities, hospitals, investigation and research institutes etc or can opt for entrepreneurship.
(Dr Ittadwar is the principal of Guru Nanak College of Pharmacy, Nagpur)
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List of colleges
Guru Nanak College of Pharmacy
Course offered: B.Pharm, M.Pharm (pharmaceutics), M.Pharm (pharmaceutical chemistry), M.Pharm (quality assurance), PhD (Pharma)
Duration: 4 years for B.Pharm, 2 years for all master’s, 5 years for PhD
Admission procedure: Maharashtra Common Entrance Test and Common Admission Process
Source: College website
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagpur University
Course offered: B.Pharm, M.Pharm (pharmaceutics), M.Pharm (pharmaceutical chemistry), PhD (Pharma)
Duration: 4 years for B.Pharm, 2 years for all master’s, 5 years for PhD
Procedure: MH-CET Common Admission Process
Source: College website
Dadasaheb Balpande College of Pharmacy, Nagpur
Courses offered: B.Pharm, M.Pharm (pharmaceutics), PhD (pharma)
Duration: 4 years for B.Pharm, 2 years for all master’s, 5 years for PhD
Procedure: MH-CET and Common Admission Process
Source: College website
Kamla Nehru College of Pharmacy
Courses Offered: B.Pharm, M.Pharm
Duration: 4 years for B.Pharm, 2 years for master’s
Procedure: MH-CET and Common Admission Process
Source: College website
This list is not exhaustive and should not be considered as the endorsement of the institute. Students are advised to check with relevant education authorities before taking admission
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PROFESSIONALS SPEAK
Pharmacy in itself is a science. It takes a lot of technique and expertise to prepare medicinal drugs and review it. People take it lightly what a pharmacist does but it really is a big deal. A bright and prosperous career can be made in it. Every medical student should consider it as a career option
Mayank Deo Singh
Being a pharmacist for a while now, I can proudly say that I love my job and would recommend it to everyone who is interested in it. Pharmacy is an art and is as important as any other profession. It takes a lot of studying to reach where I have reached and it is always worth it
Akrosh Chaturvedi
The industry of pharmaceuticals is big and is expected to grow more. It is a very beneficial industry and is also welcoming. Students do not have to study as much as they have to in medical, but it is equally rewarding and important. It is funny how people undermine pharmacy
Sanjay Singh
It is a very rewarding and prosperous field. All the aspirants who would like to join it should remember that you should never be a pharmacist if you do not have a licence. It is very dangerous. To ensure the safety of public, it is important that you do not play with anyone’s life
Pawan Kumar Mishra
Coming from a medical background, I always saw myself doing something in the same field. I am extremely lucky to have gotten the opportunity to pursue my career in pharmacy. It always intrigued me how a pharmacist always knew the exact drug to cure the problem
Pradeep Singh