Dr. Deepa Revi
Associate Professor
Medical Trust Institute of Medical Sciences
The dynamic field of allied health sciences offers a wealth of exciting career opportunities, extending far beyond traditional healthcare settings and encompassing diverse roles in industry, research, and beyond. Both domestically and internationally, professionals with expertise in allied health disciplines are increasingly sought after for their specialised knowledge and skills. This burgeoning field opens doors not only to clinical practice in hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centres but also to innovative positions in pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, research institutions, and public health organisations.
What do Allied Health Professionals do?
Allied Health Science professionals play an extremely vital role in supporting doctors and nurses in their effort to deliver comprehensive clinical care and improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. These professionals provide essential diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services, working collaboratively to prevent diseases and promote overall health and well-being.\
Professionals from allied health science stream have a plethora of career choices ranging from primary roles as clinical practitioner or technologist (such as laboratory technologist, physiotherapist, radiological technologist, phlebotomist and many more) to positions in administration (supervisor/manager in health care departments or institutes), industries (biomedical engineers, sales executives, suppliers) and education (tutors or lecturers in colleges).
Higher studies such as post graduate degrees or MSc in specific fields/specialisation provides scope for advancement in teaching jobs (Assistant/ associate Professors) and for engaging in research and development.
With a continuously growing demand for skilled technicians and operators in the healthcare sector, Allied Health Science professionals enjoy high job security and fulfilling careers. They have the unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of others, contributing to the overall health and well-being of the community through their diverse and essential roles.
Research Careers
The world’s largest publicly funded R&D organisation, the premiere Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in India awards a large number of Junior Research fellowships (JRFs), to those candidates who qualify the aptitude test conducted by them. The applications for these tests are called twice per year usually in the month of May and December and any allied health professional below 28 years of age with a 4 year BSc degree can apply for these scholarships. These scholarships are the stepping stones to all the finest and advanced research centres across India, where the fellowship holders can pursue a full time PhD degree along with the JRFs which are granted as monthly stipends. Similar JRFs are also awarded to deserving candidates by the University Grant Commission (UGC), the pillar of higher education and by the Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body controlling biomedical research in the country. Apart from the CSIR (which is a dynamic network of around 37 laboratories, 39 outreach centres, 3 innovation centres and 5 units across India) and the ICMR (which has about 26 national institutes and 6 regional medical research institutes pan India), there are the 7 premiere Indian Institute of Science and Technology (IISERs), various other research institutes such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), National institute of Technology (NITs) and all major universities scattered across India, which also welcome such qualified candidates to do PhD programs at their centres by availing the JRFs.
In Kerala, various R&D projects in autonomous government institutes like Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Regional Cancer Center (RCC) and the private multi-disciplinary research centres at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) conduct a vast number of impressive studies having clinical and industrial applications that can revolutionise the healthcare system. These institutes provide facilities to JRF qualified candidates to undertake PhD programs in their departments that develops cutting edge scientific technology and products for the progress of the nation and humanity. These institutes also provide competitive individual PhD fellowships or JRFs to allied health science professionals, similar to CSIR, UGC and ICMR, to do research in specific areas of biomedical research after qualifying their exam and interview.
Opportunities Abroad
In order to practise in clinics and hospitals outside India, the Allied Health Science professionals would require appropriate accreditation, licensing and certification from the country they plan to work in, which differs with respect to each field and profession.
For instance, in case of MLT, in USA, the certification is mainly done by three agencies namely, American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB), American Medical Technologists (AMT) or American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). The individual should pass the accreditation process by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) after completion of the required Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) while in some states like California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Puerto Rico, an additional state license is also necessary. Similarly, individuals from India can practise in laboratories or clinical hospitals only after certification from appropriate national bodies in Canada (managed by Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science, or CSMLS) and Australia (conducted by Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists, or AIMS). In New Zealand, an Annual Practising Certificate (APC) is required from the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand while in UK and Ireland, to practise as Clinical Scientists and Biomedical Scientists, a statutory registration with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and CORU respectively, are mandatory. In the Middle East, qualifying the exam conducted by the Ministry of Health (MoH), entitles the license holder to practise anywhere in the UAE except in the Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where appropriate licences from the Dubai Health Care City (DHCC) and the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) respectively, are essential. Similar licences are provided after qualifying the prometric exams conducted by Oman Medical Speciality Board (OMSB) in Oman, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties/Saudi Medical License Examination (SCHS Exam / SMLE Exam) in Saudi Arabia and the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners (QCHP Qatar Prometric Exam) in Qatar.
Training and Education
Across India, numerous top universities offer courses in various areas of allied health science. Renowned institutions like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Delhi), Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (Chandigarh), Christian Medical College (Vellore), Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (Pondicherry), King George’s Medical University (Lucknow), St. John’s Medical College (Bengaluru), and Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (Chennai) are among the sought-after options for those pursuing careers in this field.
Within Kerala, various paramedical institutes, managed by private hospitals or government medical colleges, offer undergraduate BSc (Bachelor of Science) and/or Diploma courses in different fields of allied health sciences. The BSc programs typically span four years and are affiliated with the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) in Thrissur, while the Diploma courses fall under the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) in Thiruvananthapuram and last two years. Additionally, the Amrita School of Allied Health Sciences in Kochi, under the deemed Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, also conducts various similar BSc and Diploma courses in the allied health science stream.
All these courses basically comprise of theory classes, practical experiments and clinical postings/internships in multiple departments of hospitals.The students gain knowledge in a wide range of basic or core subjects such as Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Pathology to name a few and specific subjects pertaining to each profession. For example, during the 4 year study period of BSc Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) course, apart from these basic general subjects, undergraduates would attain extensive expertise in profession related specific areas like parasitology, virology, bacteriology, mycology, cytology, transfusion medicine, immunology, histotechnology, cytogenetics, molecular techniques, research methodology and statistics, all of which are closely related to advanced skills for working in clinical laboratories of health care institutions.
(Dr. Deepa Revi, an award-winning researcher in bio-artificial skin grafts, has numerous international publications, patents, and the Best Teacher Award in Allied Health Science from Kerala University of Health Sciences for 2023. She guides PhD aspirants and teaches pathology.)
