Interview with an Educational Columnist

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An interview with an Educational columnist (Parent of a BAMS graduate)

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1.Q:What is BAMS?

A:Bachelor in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery

2.Q:What is the duration of the course?

A: It is 5 ½ years course. (4 ½ year course and 1-year internship) But practically it takes six years to complete due to various reasons in various states.

Q: To whom Ayurveda study is advisable?

A: In present situation, Ayurveda study is advisable only for those who studied MBBS. That also, not this BAMS course fully, but useful portions alone of this course. Unfortunately genuine Ayurveda is missing in India.

Q: Is BAMS course advisable to a candidate who passed medical entrance examination in India?

A: Firstly you please ask all your questions, then after my answering yourself can decide it according to your circumstances, aim and standard of living

.Q: What is the scope of BAMS degree?

A: That depends upon you. For knowing the past medical heritage it is good to study. For job placement, chances are very less. Almost nil, throughout India. Private practice scope is very very poor.

Q: What about the job opportunity after BAMS in Government and private sector?

A: Condition of job opportunity is very pathetic. In all the states of India, there are only few vacancies in state government sector. That is always filled. In central government sector also vacancies are very less. Not even ten numbers of new vacancies are arising throughout India in a year in government sector either in state or central. But now, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is trying to create few job opportunities, but very limited. In almost all the states majority of BAMS graduates are maintaining modern medicine clinics for their livelihood in India with little exception. In Karnataka there was a modern medicine short term (1 ½ year) BAMS course after Ayurveda graduation. . Those graduates are also doing modern medicine practice. Now, BAMS graduates are appointed in modern medicine clinics in so many states, in emergencies and also due to lack of modern medicine graduates who demands more salary. It is understood that the condition in Kerala is very worse than any other states; even though Ayurveda is very popular there. In Kerala, those who have Ayurveda clinic  or hospital it is run by themselves .They produce their own medicine with their own license .Hence no vacancies are arising, since  there is no expansion of specialties in this field similar to modern medicine. So there is no job opportunity in private sector also in India. What you see in the name of Ayurveda in tourism massage parlor and systematic Ayurvedic treatment conducting by a qualified doctor is entirely different.  So chances of getting a job for a BAMS graduate anywhere in India is 99% nil. Other wise, after BAMS graduation, one has to develop his own institution. That involves so many factors, out of it the first one is, Indian System of Medicine (Ayurveda) is not a need of the hour for the public in the busy life. This system exists in India only because of some fanatic people who make it to exist, then only they can exist with this, in government or private sector. BAMS degree is a product, have no market demand. Production, Product and demand of product have no mutual relation. The impact about present Ayurveda is due to the effect of advertisement in Medias about confusing Ayurvedic products. Now a day’s due to unemployment, Ayurvedic graduates thinks to write any other tests to get any job considering BAMS as a graduation. But the bad luck is that by the time of six years of BAMS study, the majority of candidates loose the general knowledge (with little exception), which is inevitable to pass a test where graduation is essential. In some states BAMS candidates are not even allowed to write such examinations. By considering all facts, job wise there is no scope after BAMS at present time. No idea about future. May change…..these comments are only on the basis of present situation. In short….

After B Tech –with computer knowledge a candidate can survive and start earning immediately after course

After MBBS- No chance of unemployment

But after BAMS- ??????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. Q:Now  what is the general trend?

A: Usually parents and children aim MBBS course and the students who didn’t get MBBS admission, join to BAMS course with a desperate mind. (In the mind of parents as well as student). By the time when they realize all factors, about BAMS studies, admissions to various other courses will be closed. Because of no other means they are forced to complete BAMS course without knowing the future. So in between the course some of the students again try for entrance exam and may quit the BAMS course. The desperateness in their mind and the difficulties in the first year BAMS make them still more pathetic and that even lead them to concentrate on extracurricular activities during BAMS course.. That again makes them to fail in the subjects of 1^st BAMS examination which makes them to underestimate themselves, there by lose their self confidence and subject interest.

5.Q:What do you mean by the difficulties in the 1^st  BAMS study?

A:There are a lot of difficulties facing by the 1^st year BAMS students

6.Q:Can you describe the difficulties?

A:Yes,I can. Firstly I will shortlist it. Later I will explain each of them

          1. Unscientific, badly structured and badly presented syllabus

          2. Unfamiliar Sanskrit language

          3. Unscientifically prepared textbooks or lack of Text books

     4. Inadequate teaching skill of teachers due to lack of training         

 5.Communalisam in the Classical Sanskrit medical books

          6. Feeling of going to the past rather than dreaming bright tomorrow

          7. Phlosophical incompatibility

          8. Experiments Vs Beliefs

          9. Failurity in setting goals

          10. Out dated and useless study portions

          11. Lack of contentment/satisfaction in study

          12. Lack of infrastructure in institutions especially in private Ayurveda colleges

          13. Lack of cost effectiveness in terms of money, time and effort

          14. Unscientific examination pattern etc

       15. The step motherly treatment of central and state governments towards Ayurveda creates inferiority complex in Ayurvedic professionals. Seeing the inferiority complex in senior BAMS students and Ayurvedic professionals, fresh BAMS students especially 1^st year students are losing confidence and enthusiasm (For reading the explanation of the above listed 15 items, click on “Difficulties Explained” on the right-hand side.)

Q: If this is the situation, still why people are giving huge amount as capitation fee and taking admission in BAMS in private Ayurveda colleges

A: There are two types of parents. First type  of parents, who have background for establishing their child after BAMS, eg: Parents who are Ayurveda doctors/Ayurveda teachers with clinics, OR parents who has business like resort/massage centers where they need an Ayurveda doctor OR parents who have Ayurveda medicine manufacturing units, where they need an Ayurveda doctor as their technical person for drug license purpose and for continuing their drug business. Second type of parents are those send their children to BAMS as a professional course and make their child a “Doctor” without knowing the job opportunity. They see only few established Ayurvedic practitioners, and considering them as role model or they see the exploiting Ayurvedic product advertisements and misconceive Ayurveda. Parents even take educational loans and give BAMS education to children. But after the course, due to unemployment, they feel difficulty in repayment of loan. Even though these are the conditions, one or two young practitioners may come up here and there and flourish. It depends upon their personality, background in respect of their familial, social and financial set up etc. That cannot be a statistical significance for scope evaluation.

Q: What about the foreigners (other than Indians) studying Ayurveda?

A: That is good, but after studying Ayurveda, they should know the differentiation between Ayurveda, Indian Ayurveda, American Ayurveda, and Italian Ayurveda and so on according to their place. Something good for one place, may not be good for another place. Content of Ayurveda should differ according to geography, but Science is same everywhere.

Q:I think your son did BAMS course. Now what is he doing?

A:You see, whatever I told is the feeling of a father of an Ayurvedic graduate, not mere as a column writer. My son did his CBSE and Plus two course in English medium. After that he had joined BAMS course. He was good in English. Unexpected difficulty faced by him in Ayurveda college was, the teaching in regional language, even though it is told in the prospectus that the medium of course will be in Hindi or English. When I enquired in other states also condition is the same ie; majority of the teachers teach in their regional language. Thereby with six years of BAMS study he had lost his command over English. Anyhow immediately after passing BAMS, he wrote two times the MD (AY) entrance examination .Unfortunately his rank was not high at first time. But second time his rank was good, but he didn’t get a subject of his interest. So he left the idea of studying MD course. Then he tried a lot to get a job in any Ayurvedic clinic or hospital. But failed. Then he thought of starting his own private practice and started a good well furnished clinic with Panchakarma facilities. Working class/office going people were coming there for their immediate day today ailments. Since the Ayurvedic medicine what he was using was not suddenly acting for their immediate relief, gradually number of patients decreased and found there was a great financial loss by eight months. So he closed the clinic .Since we are traditionally garment business people, now he is doing our garment business in Surat, started exporting garments, and now that business is very good. What he had studied in BAMS course is presently helping him for his own health care, but not a mean for earning. Since we had a garment business background, now he is earning through that. Think about others.

When I enquired, this is the condition of Ayurveda graduates in all states of India without any exception.

Another important thing noted is, nobody is interested to make marriage proposal with a BAMS graduate (both sex) in Jain, Sikh, Budhist, Christian, and Islam communities in our state (little exception in Hindu community :Vaishnava tradition).That creates big problem to parents for  finding  a partner for a BAMS graduate.

Q: What do the government authorities do for improving the condition?

A: Very less, because majority of them are also the product of the problems what I discussed earlier. They are the persons who lost the juice of enthusiasm, vision etc during  their Ayurvedic study period  itself. Luckily they got a job. They are waiting for their retirement. After passing BAMS, if a person didn’t get a government job in India, his condition will be very worse….than my son. By realizing that , Ayurvedic doctors are sending their own children to other courses. If you ask to any modern Ayurvedic doctor,you can observe that he is dissatisfied in himself and against the present implementation of Ayurveda system. His answer will be “I am here because it is happened.”

Q:So…..,what is the solution for this?

A: Solution is very clear. The  present BAMS  teaching and study  are mainly  based on ancient classical books viz;Charaksamhita, Susrutsamhita, and Ashtangasangraha. If  a person filter the content of these  books in the light of old religion, sociopolitical set up, caste system ,untouchability, priest dominance, philosophy and social rituals etc the remaining usable knowledge in those  books are  relatively less in comparing with present advancement of modern science. Teaching these textbooks as a whole is really unjustifiable and intolerable to a modern student who passed entrance exam. The modern science part added to present BAMS subjects can be studied in a centre where that part is teaching more efficiently. So stop this BAMS course immediately. Take the relevant and useful portion of Traditional Indian medical science and add it to the syllabus of MBBS course and teach it OR introduce a short term post graduate diploma course for MBBS graduates, where the course content should be presently useful portions of Indian System of Medicine. Convert all present Ayurveda colleges into modern medicine medical colleges according to the infrastructure. Then this Indian System of Medicine with technology will spread around the world. Research will happen in that area. Then the living being in this Universe will get a comprehensive health care. There by Ayurveda will become the Science of Universal Healthcare. For achieving this, the present supporters of Ayurveda should be dare enough to accept the change by realizing the need of present society. Then the face of Ayurveda will be different.

Now I remind you my previous words once again” Present Ayurveda system exists in India only because of some fanatic people who make it to exist, then only they can exist with this, in government or private sector. -Exploiting Indian Medical Heritage.

Now, you find your own answer, whether this BAMS course is advisable to you. If you have selected BAMS course for your study, then keep this interview for future reference, if not, give this website address www: knowbams.blogspot.com  to another person  who is in course selection process or studying BAMS course. Please send your response to

Email :  knowbams@gmail.com

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We never get what we want

We never want what we get, 

We never have what we like,

  We never like what we have.

And still we live & love.

That's life...