STUDENT SUCCESS TOWARDS HEALTH PROFESSIONALS – How to do it?

Now, as you have entered into health professional career, you as a student have to travel through an obstacle course of classes, skill practice labs and clinical rotations (internships or externships). To reach this career goal, you need to get hands-on practical study tips and become confident enough to understand strategies and skills to win it.

Charak’s Student section uses the style to make learning enjoyable with a light hearted, easy approach to presenting information. The sections viz, Herb a fortnight, Samprapti a month, News Update will guide you by offering helpful tips and insights on Ayurveda.

Student success through academic to health professional career depends on how well students identify their role in the chosen career. At this point of time, experience through clinical rotations, clinical exposure to various case studies and discussions with peers and mentors will build confidence and enthusiasm to practice Ayurveda.

To start with, here are simple basic principles for student success:

1. Get focused on academic success by setting goals and anticipating obstacles.
2. Focus on managing one’s time as a student—a skill that is increasingly important in today’s hectic world.
3. Prevent stress from hindering academic success.
4. Start interacting with others including teachers, senior students and renowned personalities in Ayurveda.
5. Sharpen your skills through focus learning style and critical thinking
6. Improve listening, note-taking and reading skills
7. Strengthen communication skills, including speaking and writing

Preparing for Your Career Path

You have already enrolled in a health career educational program and have already determined what courses you’ll be taking as you prepare for a health profession. You may have chosen your career— or at least an area of health care you’re interested in working in future. Even so, you might sometimes change your career choices as you learn more about what’s involved in education/training and what they would actually do on the job. As a student you should know what you will be planning for the future! As Ayurveda is gaining popularity all over the world, with more and more people turning towards alternative medicines, many career options are available. Here we will guide you to better understand different kinds of health care careers and the personal and professional traits needed to determine and reach your goals.

How to do it? During your course make yourself trained –

• To handle the clinical emergencies of primary healthcare level through Ayurvedic methods.
• To understand the Ayurvedic method of primary healthcare in the management of infectious conditions like malaria and tuberculosis.
• To the basic clinical skills and procedures like incision and drainage, suturing and catheterization.
• To handle as many different cases of patients visiting the Ayurvedic institution for more clinical exposure.
• To basic clinical methods related to Panchakarma, Ksharasutra and Jalaukavacharana.
• To the basic methods of physical examination, diagnosis and management of common clinical conditions, making them confident clinicians/practitioners.
• To the basic modern knowledge of the subjects like physiology, pathology, biochemistry, pharmacology, medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, eye & ENT and surgery.
• To basic skills of interpreting ECG, X-ray and such other diagnostic tools and their clinical utility.
• To basic skills in the areas of sexual problems, end of life care, geriatrics and drug and alcohol abuse.

Next article will be based on what options are available for choosing the best health careers after B.A.M.S. So stay tuned.