Career Opportunities In Biological
Fields In New World
M edicine is one of the most
sort out and rewarding ca-
reer for those interested in
Science and dealing with sick people.
Now a days, the field of medical stud-
ies have undergone various stages of
development, it has become so vast
that specialisations within are increas-
ing day by day. There is great scope for
medicine as a professional career.  cerned with the application of scien-
A doctor’s profession involves a lot
of hard work and at the same time,
it gives the satisfaction of curing pa-
tients at times even saving lives. It is a
very demanding profession. To be in
this profession is more a responsibility
than a privilege. It is more of what you
can give the community than what
you can get from it.  and love adventure. Few of the career
There are currently vast opportuni-
ties in academic institutions, medical
schools, hospitals, health care insti-
tutions, R&D institutes, the govern-
ment and pharmaceutical industry for
individuals with training in modern
biotechnology. A Biology student can
work in these settings with a Bache-
lor’s or Master’s degree in Biomedical
Sciences programme has been me-
ticulously structured to cover a wide
range of interdisciplinary subjects.
Students who complete B. Pharm. can
register themselves as pharmacist. Af-
ter completing the course, they can
work as pharmacist, drug inspector,
drug therapist, health inspector, or as
a drug technician.
The increasing complicated life-
styles giving birth to a variety of ail-
ments have made it impossible for
General Physicians with an MBBS
degree to handle all ailments. It is
here that specialisation in a particular
branch of medicine becomes a neces-
Dr. Jacob Thomas
Asst. Professor,
Post Graduate & Research Dept. of Botany,
Mar Thoma College, Thiruvalla,
Kerala 689 103
Email: jacobnthomas@yahoo.co.in
sity. The major Specialisations include
General Medicine, General Surgery,
Paediatrics, Obstetrics &Gynaecol-
ogy, Dermatology, Ophthalmology,
Orthopedics, ENT (Ear, Nose and
Throat), Psychiatry, Anesthesiology
etc. There is also Super Specialisations
which require a further 3-5 years of
study in areas such as Plastic Surgery,
Neurosurgery, Cardio-thoracic  sur-
gery, Conito-urinary surgery, Paediat-
ric Surgery, Gastroenterology, Endo-
crinology and Clinical Haematology.
The demand for medical profes-
sionals are tremendously increasing
with the unfortunate upsurge of dis-
eases and ailments day by day. At the
same time super specialty hospitals
are mushrooming both within the
country and abroad offering employ-
ment opportunities. These along with
liberalization of economy could bring
better opportunities for these profes-
sionals in terms of remuneration, re-
search and working facilities. 
Forensic science is primarily con-
tific principles for the investigation of
crime. Forensic science is the acquisi-
tion and analysis of scientific data for
application to the study and resolution
of crime, investigation, civil and regu-
latory issues, and criminal identifica-
tion. This is a challenging and interest-
ing field for those who are inquisitive
options are Forensic pathologists, Fo-
rensic serologists, Forensic anthro-
pologists, Forensic botanists, Forensic
palynology, Forensic entomologists,
Forensic dentists, Forensic odontolo-
gist, Forensic chemists and Clinical
forensic medicines.
There is an increasing demand for
genetic engineers in India as well as
abroad. Genetic engineers are mainly
absorbed in medical and pharmaceu-
tical industries, the agricultural sec-
tor, and the research and development
departments of the government and
private sectors. They can also take up
teaching as an option. Molecular and
Cell Biologists find employment op-
portunities in research labs on devel-
oping therapeutic drugs to working
on stem cell research and in many
other areas within the medical devel-
opment field which involves cloning,
sub cloning, synthetic RNA transcrip-
tion, gene expression, cell growth and
development, cell and organelle struc-
ture and assembly, and DNA dynam-
ics and chromosome structure, and
other types of laboratory work.
Despite rapid strides in modern-
ization and India’s march towards
globalization, agriculture has always
been the backbone of our economy. In
order to gain a foothold in the high-
ly competitive global market and to
make major gains in the export mar-
ket, there is an increasing demand for
professionally qualified people in this
sector. Hence nowadays many educa-
tional institutes and universities have
started courses to groom profession-
als in this important subject area. New
advances in Biotechnology and Ge-
netic Engineering have also thrown up
many opportunities in this field. Agri-
culture is a vast and diversified field,
offering numerous career options.
Other than those directly engaged in
farming and other allied activities,
the industry needs people in areas of
research and development and agro-
industry. Then there are specialized
areas, with good career prospects, like
Horticulture, Floriculture, Dairy and
Poultry Farming, Fishery etc. One can
also look forward to make a career
with Research related agricultural in-
dustries and institutions.
Plant Pathology is a branch of agri-
cultural science that deals with the study
of fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes,
and other microbes that cause diseases
of plants. With this agricultural tech-
nology option, students who wish to
work for various commodity, seed, and
agri-chemical industries learn to apply
these principles to scientific agriculture
and plant medicine. Plant Pathology
graduates can join as a Plant Geneticist,
Plant Breeder, Aquatic Botanist, Lim-
nologist, Physiologist, Plant Pathologist,
Professor, Consultant, and Agricultural
Engineer or Inspector at district and
state level. Employment opportunities
are also available in areas like research,
product development, sales, teaching,
extension, administration, regulatory
work, and private practice etc.
Biochemistry is the subject whose
scope revolves around the chemistry of
the biological processes. The pharma-
ceutical industry is also an important
destination for a professional trained
in the field of biochemistry as today’s
pharma industry is fast emerging as a
hub for R& D in the field of genetically
engineered drugs.
Biology students may wish to apply
their science background and obtain
real world experience by volunteer-
ing for the Peace Corps en route to
various careers. UN, UNESCO, WWF
and other national and international
organizations and NGOs are giving
many opportunities in these fields.