Can I work abroad after MBBS abroad?

Jobs Abroad After MBBS for Indian Doctors: Postgraduation vs Employment

Since postgraduate studies in medicine are as popular as MBBS, many medical graduates choose to pursue an MD or MS to utilise their capabilities. However, much like MBBS competition, postgraduate studies are often difficult to pursue in terms of both admission and coursework. That said, pursuing an MD, MS or a doctoral degree in medicine will further advance medical graduates’ careers, often considered a leap in the context of career prospects. In contrast, medical graduates also choose employment soon after graduation, which is also a better option as it provides ROI(return-on-investment) sooner.

However, a few career paths require students with a postgraduate degree in medicine, which is necessary to meet their eligibility criteria and research rigour.

Career Options after MBBS in Abroad for Indian Students: Sectors that require medical expertise

Prominently, there are three sectors in which a doctor’s expertise is necessary. In addition, other sectors also utilise the expertise of doctors in diverse professions. These sectors not only deal with healthcare but also control medical-related activities. These are the sectors that actively recruit medical graduates abroad:

1. Healthcare

2. Business and Industry

3. Government and International Organisations

4. Media and journalism

5. Tech and Finance

Although it is a misconception that these sectors do not require doctors, it is indeed true that medical graduates often play a key role. It is also important to acknowledge that these sectors often need additional skills, and the hiring process includes extensive screening procedures. These are jobs abroad after MBBS for Indian doctors

1. Health care professionals

• Clinical research: Clinical research is conducted by universities and government agencies to confirm the safety and efficacy of a drug or develop medicines. They recruit doctors with distinct research records to inspect a drug before making it available for civil use.

• Hospital administration: Medical graduates who are appointed as directors manage hospitals in terms of patient flow and doctors’ availability. The official career path to this role requires an MBA in hospital management. However, several hospitals directly recruit doctors as an unconventional path.

• Medical writing: Medical writing is a profession in which employees work on documentation and proofreading of medical articles and educational content. Moreover, pharma companies require medical writers to document drugs.

• Medical affairs: In this profession, doctors often liaise between pharma companies and the health profession. In this case, both parties need to understand the terms and regulations between two different entities through a medical professional.

• Health informatics: Medical professionals started treating diseases using technology. By combining healthcare with software, data, and healthcare systems, doctors were able to cure many diseases with ease. For this reason, hospitals and clinics recruit medical professionals who can work with both technology and medicine.

2. Business and Industry

• Healthcare Consulting: Medical professionals in this field, as consultants, advise hospitals, governments or healthcare companies on healthcare. In order to become a consultant, a medical professional has to gain experience either through practice or research.

• Pharmaceutical Industry: Pharmaceutical companies also hire doctors to work as researchers. Drug development and product strategy are managed by doctors in these companies. This is to ensure safety and optimum results.

• Health Insurance: Health insurance companies that insure people recruit doctors to review claims, assess risks and for medical underwriting.

• Healthcare Entrepreneurship: Medical graduates can establish clinics or health-tech companies either through self-funding or investments. Usually, an MBA in healthcare helps doctors become entrepreneurs, but doctors can still establish themselves without any degree or business education.

3. Government and International Organizations

• Central/State Government: Both central and state governments hire doctors for medical departments in several sectors

• Public health: Governments have a medical board in which doctors work on several factors that contribute to public health. However, there is no direct recruitment for these roles, as medical graduates are promoted to these prominent roles to work on health policy, disease prevention and community health programs.

• WHO & UNICEF: The World Health Organisation and United Nations Children’s Fund have a panel of doctors under their aegis. However, it is very rare for these organisations to hire doctors, as most of them only contain doctors with high and distinct profiles. The purpose of these committees is to ensure good health and measures for the populace and children around the world.

4. Media and Communication

• Medical Journalism: Medical journalism is a profession in which doctors work closely with media channels and journalism. As media publish certain news related to health and medicine, doctors in medical journalism ensure that the news is proofread and accurate before publication.

• Science Communications: Science communication connects ordinary people to complex research by simplifying academic and medical jargon. Medical professionals in this field work as editors for science magazines and journals.

5. Finance and Tech

• AI in healthcare: In recent years, AI (artificial intelligence) has become prevalent due to its extensive use. This has also become a novelty in healthcare and medicine. From prescribing drugs to surgery, AI can modulate various actions using its multi-neural network, which works similarly to the brain. Several tech companies are hiring medical graduates to train AI/ML models so that machines can replace the workforce in healthcare procedures. This is the most advanced career at present.

• Biomedical data science: Data science is a field unique from medicine. However, this profession also deals with medicine, as doctors who are data scientists work on healthcare-related data. By analysing clinical datasets, medical professionals can observe distinct information stored for further medical use.

• Medical software development: Doctors in software companies work closely with software developers to develop software useful for healthcare and medical procedures.

• Investment Analysts: Some doctors transition into investment analysis in healthcare companies. These professionals assess risks and profitable outcomes of investments in health-tech companies.

Conclusion

Regardless of whether an individual works in India or abroad, the opportunities for medical graduates remain the same; numerous career paths are available for them. Moreover, the expertise of medical practitioners is required in every aspect of each sector when they deal with healthcare and medicine. For this reason, medical practice is not the only available option for medical graduates.