AS soon as you visit a doctor for any ailment, you are led to a lab and tests are done. Who performs this necessary task for you? Doctors? No, they are the paramedical professionals. Optometry, Radiography, Lab Technology, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation are some of the prominent disciplines in allied sciences.

Admission procedure & job scenario
It varies from institute to institute. It has been felt that the paramedical staff does not get due recognition at times and that is why courses at Master's and PhD level have been started. But at an operational level, a paramedical job does not require higher studies but field experience is most important. Most institutes prefer to admit students through national-level admission tests while others through state/institute level tests. Here is a ready-reckoner.

Good news is that finding a job in this area is easy once you have your degree or diploma as no hospital or clinic can run without a paramedical staff. Anurag Saxena of RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences in AIIMS says, “Students pursuing the course are able to find part-time jobs in their first year itself at a stipend of around Rs. 7,000. After completion of the course, the salary begins from Rs. 15,000 and if the person has some part-time experience, he can get even higher.”

Straight from the horse's mouth! Two young paramedics tell us what they do at work.

Self-Employment
Apart from working in clinics and hospitals, you can work from home and become self-employed also, like a physiotherapist. One may find a physiotherapy centre within a 3-km-range. But yes, then investment is a concerning factor as machines used are expensive. Paramedics can also go for clinical research after pursuing further studies. Read more...

Conclusion
It is team work and the person has been supportive to both the doctor and the patient at the same time. “Patience is the most important quality paramedics should have. They should be able to listen to the patient and understand his need all the time with a smile,” says Treta, who pursued a course in pathology. Other qualities include ability to work for long hours, good scientific vocabulary and fine presence of mind. 

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