Ayurveda is a practice of medicine that originated in India more than 5000 years ago. It is a medical practice that concentrates on balancing the mind, body, and soul. Contrary to Allopathy, Ayurvedic Practitioner helps not by treating only the symptoms but by hitting the very roots of the disease. Hence, its philosophy is pretty different from that of Allopathy or Modern medicine. Ayurveda is an alternative medicine. However, that does not make it any less than modern medicine. Thanks to its effective treatment, minus any side effects, today more and more people are opting for Ayurvedic treatment, simultaneously with modern medicine or alone.
Ayurvedic way of treatment
If the Ayurvedic way of treatment attracts you, you can go ahead and become an Ayurvedic Practitioner. Ayurvedic Practitioner diagnoses people through tactile and visual analysis and observations of the medical histories and lifestyles of patients.
Ayurvedic treatment includes herbal supplements and oils such as castor oil, olive oil, sesame oil, etc., yoga and various kinds of massage. Patients should bring some important changes in their food habits and lifestyle.
B.A.M.S. degree
Ayurvedic medicine student have to get a B.A.M.S. degree to get the license to practice. Quite naturally, programs for Ayurveda are widely available in India than anywhere else.
B.A.M.S. degree is the first professional undergraduate degree that is awarded after the study of four and half year’s duration. It includes a year of internship as well. The course includes physiology, anatomy, principles of medicine, pharmacology, social and preventive medicine, forensic medicine, toxicology, Opthalmology, ENT, principles of surgery, etc. Unlike MBBS, which is based on the western approach of treatment, BAMS relies entirely on ancient Hindu texts of Ayurveda and modern medicinal techniques as well.
Once you clear B.A.M.S., you can go for general practice, research, health supervision, hospital, and healthcare administration, Master of Public Health, Ayurveda consultation, etc. Besides, you can always go for further studies and acquire higher degrees.
You need to clear an entrance examination to get admission into a B.A.M.S. course. Eligibility for appearing in this exam comes only when a candidate has had Chemistry, Physics, Botany, and Zoology in +2 level. The entrance exam is primarily conducted at State level under Combined Paramedical Test. The exam is called combined because a single exam is conducted for Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery or MBBS, Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery or BAMS, Bachelor of Dental Surgery or BDS and Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery or BUMS.
Gurukul education
Before the Independence of India in 1947, Ayurvedic colleges afforded a certificate from a board instead of a degree in Ayurvedic medicine.
However, In India, before the Board Certification System was put to practice Gurukul education was prevalent. Gurukuls were like modern residential schools or colleges. However, the method of education was very different.
The modern-day, BAMS degree is a four and a half year of the academic curriculum in a college of Ayurveda. After completing the degree successfully students should undergo a year of internship in an Ayurvedic medical hospital. So, the period of BAMS degree is actually a five and half year course. Today, BAMS is now an integrated degree. Students get an education in the Ayurvedic discipline of medicine.
Conclusion
BAMS is only the basic form of education in Ayurveda. You can go beyond it and acquire much knowledge about the field. You can do a post-graduate course in Panchkarma, Herbology, etc. Going for a post-graduate course can give you a distinction, setting you apart from all the other BAMS doctors, thus, giving an extra push in your career as an Ayurvedic doctor.
