As a student with a Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB) background there is no end to what you can accomplish in terms of your career. The PCB career options are some of the most rewarding and interesting out there.
In this article, we will talk about some of the top after-12 PCB career options that can be pursued.
Why Choose a PCB Career Path?
Studying PCB in your class 12 prepares you well to succeed in the courses after 12th PCB. These, in turn, provide you with a solid background that helps you take a diverse array of careers in academia, industry, research, government, and other such top sectors.
You can pursue a rewarding PCB career path in both clinical and non-clinical areas. In terms of clinical careers, the following are your main options:
- medicine and surgery
- nursing
- clinical laboratory scientist
- pharmacy
- occupational therapy and physical therapy
Following are your most prominent options in terms of non-clinical careers:
- research and development
- public health
- biotechnology and pharmaceuticals
- environmental science and sustainability
- regulatory affairs
- data science and bioinformatics
- intellectual property and patent law
Top PCB Career Options for Students
1. Medical Field
- MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery): There are so many reasons why MBBS is regarded as one of the best PCB career options such as job stability and diversity in terms of career options. It provides you with an intellectual challenge and financial rewards as well. An MBBS degree helps you earn social prestige, work worldwide, and help others.
- BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery): BDS is one of the best options in this context because it helps you take up rewarding career opportunities such as dental surgery, oral pathology, dental health consultancy, and dental hygiene.
- BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery): Nutritionists and dieticians trained in Ayurveda use dietary principles that are customized as per the doshas or individual constitutions of their patients to treat diseases and promote health. The top career options that you can choose from in this context are private practice, working with wellness centers, and consulting for health clinics.
- BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine & Surgery): Homeopathy is considered to be a complementary medical system but it is gradually gaining in popularity across the country. It is estimated that the homeopathic market in India will grow between 20 and 25% each year soon. The country already has at least two lakh registered homeopathic doctors and 12,000 are added to this number each year.
2. Allied Healthcare Professions
- B.Sc. Nursing: It is expected that by 2027 the demand for nurses in India will grow at a rate ranging between 17 and 18%. Outside the country, it is projected that the demand for Indian nurses will, in the coming six to seven years, grow by 100%! No wonder, so many students and parents consider it to be the best course after 12 PCB.
- BPT (Bachelor of Physiotherapy): There are so many reasons why physiotherapy can be regarded as a rewarding career option. It helps you make a difference in patients’ lives by working directly with them. Here, you get to develop communication skills apart from learning about human physiology and anatomy. You also get to develop problem-solving skills and earn a good package. There are plenty of job opportunities out there for physiotherapists and you can start a private practice too, if you want. Most importantly, it is a rapidly growing field.
- B.Pharm (Bachelor of Pharmacy): By graduating with a B.Pharm degree you can work in various domains such as
- regulatory affairs
- medical representation
- quality assurance
- sales management
- clinical research
- drug manufacturing
- chemistry
- documentation analysis
- research and development
3. Research and Biotechnology
- B.Sc. in Biotechnology, Microbiology, or Genetics: There are so many reasons why research in the biomedical field is important nowadays. To begin with, it helps you find out new treatments for existing diseases and create personalized medicines. It also empowers you to make evidence-based medicine and evaluate health trends as well as perform secondary research. With a B.Sc. in Biotechnology, Microbiology, or Genetics you can easily find PCB jobs in the likes of pharmaceutical companies, public and government health services, and clinical research.
4. Environmental Science
- B.Sc. in Environmental Science: The growing demand for conservationists and environmentalists can be understood by the fact that a lot of such careers are projected to grow at a quicker rate than the average rate for many other occupations. The most prominent options in this case may be enumerated as below:
- Environmental scientist and specialist
- Environmental engineer
- Sustainability consultants
- Environmental health professionals
- Environmental managers
5. Other Unique Career Paths
- Nutritionist/Dietician: The following are the top careers in the domain of food science and diet planning:
- Health educator
- Registered dietetic technician
- Nutrition aide
- Nutritionist
- Food service associate
- Nutrition writer
- Health coach
- Chef
- Forensic Science: A career in forensic science is investigative and exciting because it leads you to work on crime cases, gather evidence, and evidence the same so that you can help with solving cases,
- Psychology: As a PCB student, you can also find work in mental health domains such as clinical psychology, brain science and cognitive psychology, community health work, and environmental psychology. In most of these jobs, a bachelor’s degree is considered to be good enough but in some of them, you may need a doctorate or a master’s. Formal education in science provides you with the specialized knowledge and skills you need to thrive in such careers.
Top Courses after 12th PCB
- MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS: To get into these degree programs you need to clear the NEET (National Entrance Eligibility Test). This national-level entrance examination is conducted under the aegis of the National Testing Agency (NTA). It is the primary entrance test to gain admission in all undergraduate medical courses – the most sought-after courses after the 12th PCB in India – across universities and colleges in the country.
- B.Sc. Nursing, BPT, B.Pharm: As a B.Sc. Nursing graduate, you can expect to find work in the following roles:
- staff nurse
- industrial nurse
- military nurse
- nurse supervisor
- psychiatric nurse
- nurse educator
Thus, this can also justifiably be regarded as the best course after 12 PCB.
As a BPT graduate, you will work in different establishments such as hospitals, private clinics, and sports facilities.
As a B.Pharm graduate, you can work in the following roles in the pharmaceutical industry:
- production pharmacist
- quality control officer
- regulatory affairs associate
- medical representative
- clinical research associate
Job Prospects and Salaries in PCB Careers
MBBS doctors: MBBS doctors treat a wide range of medical conditions, perform surgeries, and offer other related services. On average, an MBBS doctor in India earns a monthly salary of Rs 60,000, and this makes it one of the most popular PCB jobs in India.
BDS doctors: BDS doctors can perform a wide range of roles such as the following:
- Dental practitioner
- Oral pathologist
- Dental surgeon
- Dental educator
- Orthodontist
- Researcher
- Periodontist
On average, they earn Rs 49,000 each month in India.
BAMS doctors: BAMS doctors work in a wide range of professions such as the following:
- Ayurvedic doctors
- Academics
- Ayurvedic drug specialists
- Hospital administrators
- Lecturers
- Wellness consultants
- Medical officers
- Entrepreneurs
- Researchers
The average yearly salary of a BAMS doctor in India is Rs 4.2 lakhs.
BHMS doctors: BHMS doctors practice homeopathy, an alternative medicine system that looks to improve the natural healing ability of one’s body. On average, these professionals earn Rs 4.3 lakhs a year in India.
Nurses: The average salary of a nurse in India is Rs 19,688 per month. Nursing is indeed one of the top PCB career options in India.
Physiotherapists: Physiotherapists treat medical conditions and injuries by using physical techniques like exercise, manual therapy, and massage. On average, they earn Rs 18,563 per month in India.
Pharmacists: The average monthly salary of a pharmacist in India is Rs 22,455.
Biotechnology researchers: Biotechnology researchers study biological materials to improve existing ones and come up with new products. Their average yearly salaries are Rs 3 lakhs.
Environmental scientists: Environmental scientists conduct research, develop plans, and collect data, and analyze it so that they can deal better with issues plaguing the environment. The average annual salary of such a professional in India is Rs 3.3 lakhs.
Nutritionists and dieticians: Nutritionists and dieticians are both qualified to use approaches based on evidence to help you eat healthy but there are minute differences in their work. The average monthly salary of a nutritionist in India is Rs 46,869. For a dietician, this figure comes to around Rs 44,690 per month.
Forensic scientists: Forensic scientists employ scientific methods for solving crimes and answering questions regarding events that unfold in an accident or at a crime scene. The average monthly salary of such a professional in India is Rs 171,001.
Psychologists: Psychologists study behavior and the brain so that they can help people with issues about their behavior and overall mental health. On average, psychologists earn Rs 31,500 per month in India.
Your Path to a Successful PCB Career
If you are serious about choosing the best PCB career options for yourself, you must make informed decisions and for that, you need to get as much information through research as possible.
You can always explore all the courses out there so that you are in the ideal position to choose the best after 12 PCB career options once your education at that stage comes to an end.
You can always check out the leading online universities such as Amity Online and find out what they are offering that may be of interest to you in this particular regard.
