MD Ayurveda

Doctor of Medicine in Ayurveda, commonly known as MD Ayurveda, can be pursued by prospective students after completing their bachelor’s education, preferably a BAMS degree. MD Ayurveda is a master’s degree in the science of Ayurveda, which is a traditional branch of medical sciences that originated in India. The usual duration of the course in India is three years, but it could extend up to six years.

Students can apply to AYUSH colleges, colleges in India that are dedicated to the study of traditional medical sciences, by clearing the AIAPGET exam, which is a national entrance test. There are various specialisations available as full-time courses for an MD Ayurveda degree.

MD Ayurveda opens up a lot of opportunities for students, such as being an Ayurvedic doctor, researcher, or professor. The top colleges for the course in India include All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Sri Venkateshwara Ayurvedic College, and Uttarakhand Ayurveda University. The annual average cost of pursuing an MD Ayurveda course in India can range from INR 1,500 to over INR 1,00,000.

Given below are some of the highlights of MD Ayurveda courses in India that will help aspirants have a quick understanding of the course:

MD Ayurveda course can prove extremely beneficial for all those who wish to pursue medicine and the healthcare sector and understand medicine holistically. Ayurveda medical science is popular as the branch that uses the natural components of nature in an organic form for treatment. Medical students shall find the field interesting as well as one with good career prospects. Here are some of the benefits that can be looked forward to when choosing MD Ayurveda:

• Natural Sciences Course: The course uses the components provided naturally by nature in their most original forms. There is no extensive processing involved to manipulate the medicinal source or its effect. In combination with it being a medical course, the branch also has elements of natural sciences. Students can use this opportunity to learn how natural products can be used in harmony by humans.
• In Line with Sustainability: It is a fact that the treatment methods and mediums of other medical branches require combined efforts of natural and energy resources, often non-renewable, to bring out the desired treatment or product. Ayurveda is, in comparison, a highly sustainable field of medicinal sciences and does not involve such extensive and manipulating procedures, also leading to the conservation of non-renewable resources.
• Least Side Effects: Given that different diseases require different medicines, various combinations and processes are inevitable to acquire the perfect ayurvedic medicine for a problem. However, all the medicines are as close to their natural and original characteristics as possible in this branch, including their physical form. The least amount of manipulation that the ingredients are put through allows them to be more helpful and least toxic even in the case of allergic or unprecedented reactions. Hence, MD Ayurveda allows students to pursue one of the least harmful and safest medicinal branches for their profession.
• Growing Popularity: As the awareness about sustainability, natural and independent health along with the need for connection with nature increases globally, the natural and least manipulative sciences and methods are gaining popularity and recognition. India is one of the permanent homes of Ayurvedic sciences that will help students to use their MD Ayurveda degree to unlock as many benefits, monetary and professional, as other branches like Homeopathy or Allopathy.
• Advanced Research Options: Research is being conducted on an advanced level to induce the fast-paced treatment of Allopathy to Ayurveda and retain the least manipulation of original natural sources. Students can hence pursue careers either as medical doctors or as a researcher after completing their MD Ayurveda course.
• Competitive Remuneration: The demand for any course or field ensures that the salary offered by the related professions is also justified. As Ayurveda gains popularity and recognition, grants and scholarships are inviting, the demand for professionals is higher, and international collaborations are more. All these, when combined, contribute to increasing the remuneration of MD Ayurveda graduates.

Ayurveda is one of the main branches of medical sciences, along with Allopathy and Homeopathy. Just as there are many speciality branches in the other two branches, there are various specialisations in MD Ayurveda courses as well. Some of the main branches have been mentioned below, along with their western names:

• MD Bala Rog (Pediatrics),
• MD Dravya Guna (Pharmacology),
• MD Kaya Chikitsa (Internal Medicine),
• MD/MS Prasuti Stri Roga (Gynaecology & Obstetrics),
• MD Roga & Vikriti Vijnana (Clinical Medicine and Pathology),
• MD/MS Shalya Tantra (Surgery),
• MD Sharira Kriya (Physiology),
• MD Sharira Rachna (Anatomy), etc.

Ayurveda is a popular medical science in the Indian subcontinent region, and many colleges use entrance exams to provide admissions to students interested in MS or MD Ayurveda courses. Some of the popular entrance exams for admission to Ayurveda specialisations in India are:

• AIAPGET: The exam is the only national-level entrance exam for admission to AYUSH medical colleges. It is an acronym for the All India AYUSH Post Graduate Entrance Test. The exam is conducted annually and students need to have an MBBS or BAMS degree to appear for the exam.
• NIA Entrance Test: It is a college entrance test conducted by the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur. One of the most popular and reputed Indian medical institutes for the Ayurveda branch of medical studies, the college conducts the test every year for admission to its MD Ayurveda courses.
• State Government Entrance Tests: Many state government institutes use their testing for admission to specific MD Ayurveda courses in colleges and institutes set up by the respective state government. Some of the popular entrance tests are Kerela State Entrance Exam, CET Karnataka, and Uttarakhand Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination.
• College-Specific Entrance Tests: Similar to NIA Jaipur, there are many reputed Indian medical colleges that use their own testing for admission to their MD Ayurveda courses, such as AIIMS, SRM University, and Bharathi Vidyapeeth University.

Given that MD Ayurveda is a master’s degree, a very obvious eligibility criterion for students is to have a bachelor’s degree in medical sciences. Elaboratively, the eligibility criteria for admission to MD Ayurveda courses are:

• An aggregate score of at least 50% in bachelor’s courses.
• A Bachelor’s degree in medical sciences of any of the three branches, namely Allopathy, Homeopathy, or Ayurveda.
  • BAMS or Bachelor’s in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery is a preferred degree for Indian medical colleges.
  • An MBBS degree is also recognised for admission, though entrance tests have to be cleared compulsorily.
• The required cut-off score in a recognised entrance examination for postgraduate courses.

Admissions to MD Ayurveda courses in India are dependent on the college to whom the application is being made. While many colleges choose to do away with entrance exams in certain circumstances, others insist on using the scores for admission.

In order to get admission to Indian medical colleges for MD Ayurveda, the student needs to have a BAMS degree. The admission process can be defined as follows:

Step 1: Shortlist the colleges which accept students on the basis of their past academic performances.

Step 2: Check the eligibility criteria for direct admission, that is what is the percentage required to sit the applicable entrance exam. Generally, this would be 60%-65% or above the aggregate score in the BAMS degree.

Step 3: Register for the entrance exams they need to take for admission to desired colleges and attempt the same.

Step 4: Compile the past academic records, including the 10th and 12th marksheet, and all the mark sheets received in favour of the undergraduate degree. Entrance exam scores have to be compiled as well.

Step 5: Fill out the application form and submit the same along with compiled documents and the application fee.

Step 6: Await the confirmation letter through e-mail or post, or wait for the admissions list. It is possible that submission of the first-year fee would be demanded along with the confirmation letter mentioning the enrollment ID

The Ministry of AYUSH Ministry of Central Government is the administering authority for all the AYUSH medical colleges. Meanwhile, the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) is the apex institute of all AYUSH colleges. 

Students who wish to pursue MD Ayurveda courses in India can opt for one of the top medical colleges, as described below:

The Indian subcontinent is especially famous and recognised for MD Ayurveda courses, however, students can also choose to study abroad. There are many countries that offer highly-recognised and competitive MD Ayurveda courses, and its scope, as previously mentioned, is widening day by day. However, the scope of practice in the Ayurveda branch of medicine is highly limited, making the related courses not much popular in comparison to other branches.

The limited scope of practice leads to many foreign universities and medical colleges conducting research and collaborative projects with AYUSH institutes. Hence, students can participate in this research and get themselves a PhD fellowship and scholarship, but they cannot pursue a full-time degree in Ayurveda wholly abroad.

Some of the best countries to pursue Ayurveda courses are:

• The UAE,
• Columbia,
• Romania,
• South Africa, and
• Slovenia.

Certain foreign medical colleges also provide fellowships and scholarships in Ayurveda courses, such as:

The MD Ayurveda course fees differ according to the institution offering the course. However, the overall fee structure of the courses are designed to include the considerations of the faculty; educational equipment and infrastructure; qualification degree, government and AIIA agenda for Ayurvedic courses, and industry standards.

Students are advised to check not only the fee structure but the MOUs and other collaborative projects signed by the college. Additionally, many colleges also provide a monthly stipend to their enrolled students, such as Sri Venkateshwara Ayurvedic College, Tirupati, provides an incremental stipend of INR 15000, INR 20,000, and INR 25,000 to its MD Ayurveda students of the first year, second year, and third year, respectively.

Here is a summary of the common fee structure followed by AYUSH medical colleges:

The MD Ayurveda course syllabus is dependent on the specialisation chosen by students. Each course specialisation deals with a different conceptual framework, and the syllabus is hence different for each of them. 

Here are some of the topics commonly included in various MD Ayurveda specialisations:

Note: The syllabus may differ from one university to another.

The career scope for MD Ayurveda course graduates in India is quite vast. One can follow through with various available opportunities and make optimum use of ongoing government campaigns. The Ministry of AYUSH has been set up to ensure the safeguarding, evolution, and promotion of traditional Indian medical practices. Hence, in India there are various career options available to MD Ayurveda graduates, and can be determined as follows:

• Doctors: Students can opt to become Ayurvedic doctors in India or even abroad. There are many hospitals and speciality centres that offer employment in the form of active practice to MD Ayurveda graduates. 
• Medical Therapists: Graduates can choose to become therapists using traditional Ayurvedic knowledge to treat their patients. As the branch is popular for its anatomical and mental concepts being combined for lasting results and effects, it can be a lucrative opportunity.
• Pharmacist: To become an Ayurvedic Pharmacist, knowledge is required about Ayurveda. The reason is that many prescriptions require combining tonics and herbs, which needs to be done by the pharmacist. Hence, a career as an Ayurvedic pharmacist is also in great demand along with Ayurvedic doctors.
• Researcher: As mentioned previously, there is a lot of scope for advancement and research in Ayurveda, especially as the science is looking for collaboration with modern medical sciences and other branches. Graduates can hence opt to become researchers with recognised government and private institutions in India.
• Professor: As a graduate of MD Ayurveda courses, opting to provide services to hone future generations of Ayurvedic medical sciences is also a respectable professional choice. Graduates can apply for professorships in various Ayurvedic institutes in India or colleges in the subcontinent region.
• Medical Officer: Government jobs are famed for their stability and security. MD Ayurveda graduates can apply to become medical officers in service of the state or central government and work to ensure legal and safe practices of Ayurveda in the country.

The salary of MD Ayurveda graduates in India depends upon their profession and experience. Here are the average salaries of selected professionals:

India not only has good medical colleges for MD Ayurveda courses but also has a vast scope of professional advancement. Recruiters of course graduates enable this scope of professional advancement and also allow many students to choose this comparatively unconventional path of medical studies in the modern world. 

Some of the top recruiters of MD Ayurveda course graduates in India are:

• Research Centres,
• National Rural Health Mission,
• Medical Tourism India,
• Drug Control Department of India,
• Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Companies,
• Ayurvedic Clinics,
• Ayurvedic Hospitals and Dispensaries,
• Ayurveda Speciality Centres,
• National AYUSH Mission,
• AYUSH Colleges and Universities, and
• Ayurveda Therapy Centres.

In order to make a career as an Ayurvedic doctor, therapist, or professional in the medical branch, students need to possess certain qualities. The most important of which have been described below:

• Communication Skills: To interact with patients and their colleagues, all doctors need to possess good communication skills. This is true for Ayurvedic doctors as well. They not only get information from their patients but also relay their health status and other measures in words that are comforting and informative at the same time.
• Holistic Skills: An Ayurvedic medical doctor needs to possess holistic skills just like all the other doctors. They need to have applied knowledge of their medical branch and soft skills as well, such as time management, calm behaviour, quick thinking, analytical skills, etc.
• Research Skills: Many Ayurvedic doctors are embroiled in research-related activities even while practising medicine as a doctor. They often have to conduct their own experiments and studies to develop new mechanisms and manners in which they can administer Ayurveda for the general good. Hence, they must be good at research as well.
• Self-Learning Skills: Again a pre-requisite for medical doctors, Ayurvedic doctors need to evolve themselves and their learning continues to move in line with the rapidly-advancing world, and ensure the evolvement of Ayurveda sciences as well. In this respect, they have to constantly be on the lookout for new developments in Ayurveda along with other branches of medicine.

Evolution and Modernisation: Ayurveda is the traditional Indian medical science which in spite of its old roots has been capable of offering several benefits for the modern world and global population. An Ayurvedic doctor has a responsibility to ensure that the basics of Ayurveda remain relevant while they cater to the modern era. At the same time, they need to make the branch more relatable and accessible to the modern population.