BAMS: Read to know about the course, duration, eligibility, syllabus, advantages and salary

About BAMS:

BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) is an undergraduate degree programme for students wishing to work in the Ayurveda field. This degree is specially designed to make students familiar with the concepts of Ayurveda and use them for the treatment of patients. The duration of the course is 5 ½ years. It includes 1 year of internship. During this programme, students get to know about ayurveda and how they can use it for treating patients.

 Ayurveda is one of the oldest forms of medicine. Ayurveda not only treats the patients but also minimizes the frequency at which diseases enter the human body. Ayurveda utilizes the self-healing system of the body and it has also no side effects on the body. 

WHO (World Health Organization) has given a worldwide forum for promoting traditional medicine systems such as ayurveda. That’s why students studying BAMS have a wide range of career opportunities after their graduation.

What are the eligibility criteria for BAMS?

Candidates who want to pursue their career in BAMS degree should look at the eligibility criteria before sitting for the qualifying examination. The eligibility criteria for the BAMS course are given below.

1) Candidate should have qualified for his/her class 12th examination in the science stream with PCB (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) subjects.

2) The minimum percentage criteria changes depending on the university/college policy however in most cases, the minimum percentage is 50-60% to be eligible for BAMS.

3) The student should have appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and qualified for it. 

4) After qualifying for the examination, the student should sit for the centralized counselling process. 

5) Admission to the BAMS course is given through counselling based on the marks obtained in the NEET exam.

Subjects in the BAMS course:

Students pursuing BAMS course get to study many subjects as part of their curriculum. The syllabus of Ayurvedic medicine and surgery (BAMS) is usually divided into three professional years which are given below as per various universities and colleges.

For 1st professional year (1 ½ years):

1) History of Ayurveda

2) Sanskrit and Samhita

3) Padartha Vigyana (Ayurvedic Philosophy)

4) Rachna Sharira (Anatomy)

5) Kriya Sharira (Physiology)

For 2nd professional year (1 ½ year):

1) Rasa shastra avam bhaisajya kalpana (Pharmaceuticals of Ayurveda)

2) Dravyaguna (Material medica of ayurveda)

Agadtantra, vyavahar ayurveda and vidhi vaidyaka (Toxicology and jurisprudence)

3) Nidan/vikriti vigyana (pathology)/ nadi pariksha (pulse diagnosis)

4) Swasthavritta yoga ( personal  and social hygiene including dietetics)

5) Charaka Samhita (A classical text of ayurveda)

For 3rd professional year (1 ½ years):

1) Kaya chikitsa (general medicine including panchakarma, rasayana and vajikarana)

2) Shalya tantra (general surgery and para-surgical techniques)

Shalakya tantra (Ent, eye and dentistry)

3) Prasuti tantra avam stri yoga (gynaecology and obstetrics)

4) Kaumarabhritya (pediatrics)

5) Medical ethics

6) Health regulations

7) Yoga

8) Dissertation

Career opportunities after completing the BAMS degree:

After completing a Bachelor of Ayurvedic medicine and science (BAMS) degree, graduates can work in many fields other than practicing as Ayurveda doctors. The graduates can work in both the private and public sectors. After a BAMS degree, graduates can work in the healthcare industry, education industry, hotel industry, life science industry, pharmaceuticals industry, nursing industry, medical tourism industry etc. The jobs are not limited. 

A BAMS graduate can work as an ayurveda doctor, teacher, manager, clinical research associate, drug manufacturer, medical supervisor, health supervisor or therapist etc.

Top companies taking BAMS graduates:

In India, various companies recruit BAMS graduates every year. Some of them are

1) Patanjali Ayurved Limited

2) Dabur

3) Baidyanath

4) Emami Limited

5) Vicco Laboratories

6) Hamdard Laboratories

7) The Himalaya drug company

8) Zandu Pharmaceuticals Works Limited

Salary of a BAMS graduate:

1) Every year, a BAMS graduate can earn between INR 400000 and INR 1200000. 

2) Salary of the graduate will depend on his/her talent, knowledge, caliber and experience in the industry.

Top BAMS colleges in India:

There are many colleges/institutes which offers BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic medicine and science) course. Some of the most famous colleges are mentioned below.

1) Institute of medical sciences (IMS), Varanasi

2) Maharashtra university of health sciences, Nashik

3) KLE University, Belgaum

4) Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

5) DY Patil University, Navi Mumbai

6) Kerala University of health sciences, Thrissur

7) Shobhit University, Meerut

8) Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla