BAMS Course: Full Form, Admission, Eligibility, Syllabus, Top Colleges

What is the full form of BAMS? BAMS Full Form stands for Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery, which is a popular 5-year medical course that trains students in the different usage of chemicals present in nature for curing several diseases. Bachelor of Ayurveda Medical & Surgery or BAMS Course is a UG degree program that offers an integrated course and covers a wide range of subjects of traditional Ayurveda and modern medical systems. BAMS Course Admission is conducted for candidates who have completed their higher secondary education in the science stream with the following mandatory subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Mathematics. In this course, students learn about different topics of Ayurveda, medical practices, and more. Interested candidates may check out the BAMS Syllabus and Subjects to gain a clearer perspective on the course curriculum. This is a regular degree offered in offline mode and therefore, all aspirants are required to study in classrooms as there is no distance learning option available. 

BAMS is a 5-year-6-month bachelor’s program, including a one-year mandatory internship. After completing the BAMS degree, candidates gain expertise in the field of Ayurveda and Ayurvedic medicine. Renowned colleges such as Banaras Hindu University, Dr. DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, IMS Varanasi, RK University, etc. grant BAMS degree admission. The course fee ranges from INR 25,000 to INR 3.5 LPA. Once graduated, there are several BAMS Job Opportunities available for candidates who have an in-depth knowledge of the field. Plenty of Government Jobs After BAMS are also available for the aspirants. Thus, candidates can explore careers as Business Development Officers, Category Managers, Ayurvedic doctors, Resident Medical Officers, Medical Representatives, Jr. Clinical Trial Coordinators, and many more, with the scope of higher BAMS Salary packages offered to them.

Check out the major highlights of BAMS as mentioned below:

The practice of Ayurvedic Medicine has been prevalent in India since the Vedic period. Although many original texts depicting the practice of Ayurvedic treatment have been lost over the years, the positive impacts and benefits of Ayurveda are still intact and prevalent in today's times. Ayurvedic Medicine has now been recognised all over the world as an important part of medicinal studies. The World Health Organisation has recently taken up several initiatives to spread awareness of Ayurvedic medical practices.

One of the primary highlights of BAMS is that the syllabus for the same includes a vast of topics to be covered such as the study of Kriya Sharira, Rachana Sharira, Dravyuaguna, Yoga, Shalya Tantra, Roga Nidana and Vikriti Vijnana, Shalakya Tantra etc. The course details of the same also includes human anatomy, physiology, pathology & diagnostic procedures, principles of medicine, toxicology, forensic medicine, pharmacology, E.N.T, gynaecology & obstetrics, ophthalmology and principles of surgery from modern medicine.

Advantages of Studying BAMS Course:

• BAMS is accepted and encouraged worldwide. All doctors and scientists are perpetually interested in finding alternative and traditional medicines for curing diseases. Since it is considered one of the ancient and traditional ways of treating severe as well as minor ailments, there is no doubt that this field has immense potential and variety of career prospects.
• All candidates have the option to do a bridge course after the completion of BAMS degree programme, to practice allopathy medicine. Additionally, BAMS students are generally considered equivalent to MBBS graduates.
• Interestingly, various health centers have been set up by various state governments as well, for the Ayurvedic practices all over India. Various MD and MS courses after BAMS are available nowadays for a better understanding of the subjects.

Who Can Enroll into BAMS Course?

All candidates who are interested in the integrated study of Medical Science and Traditional Ayurveda, should pursue a BAMS degree to have an insightful understanding of the subjects and to grow in the field. All candidates wishing to pursue BAMS should have completed their Higher Secondary with Physics, Chemistry and Biology from a recognized board. Also, candidates who are interested in finding alternative methods for the treatment of diseases are also advised to enroll themselves into BAMS to satisfy their desired career prospects. 

Students are often found confused about whether to opt for the BAMS or pursue BHMS course. The study structure is a bit similar - making students wonder which option will be best for their career. Here’s a brief comparison of BAMS VS BHMS for candidates’ reference: 

The course comparison of BAMS and MBBS degree courses is given below

Mentioned below is a detailed explanation of the two courses, BDS and BAMS, for students to get a clear idea of which one is best suited for their goals:

The minimum qualifying eligibility criteria for the BAMS are as follows:

• Educational Qualification: Candidates must have passed 10+2 or equivalent examinations with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English as the main subjects. They must have obtained a minimum of 50% marks in the aggregate of these subjects.
• Age Limit: The minimum age limit for BAMS admission is 17 years and the maximum age limit is 25 years as of the date of admission.
• National Eligibility cum Entrance Test: Candidates must have cleared the NEET exam and obtained the minimum required marks to be eligible for BAMS Admission. 
• Minimum Percentage: Candidates must have obtained a minimum of 50% marks in their qualifying examination to be eligible for admission to the BAMS.
• Physical Fitness: Candidates must be physically fit and free from any kind of disability that may affect their performance during the course.
• Domicile Requirements: Candidates must satisfy the domicile requirements as specified by the concerned authorities.

It is important to note that the eligibility criteria may vary slightly depending on the university or institute offering the BAMS, and candidates are advised to check the specific criteria before applying. Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee admission, as the admission process may also include an entrance exam, personal interview, and merit-based selection.

Skills Required for BAMS

The Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) course requires students to have certain skills to succeed in the program and in their future careers as Ayurvedic practitioners. Some of the key skills required for BAMS are:

By developing these skills, BAMS students can better prepare themselves for the demands of the course and their future careers.

• NEET-UG (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Undergraduate Programme) is a pan-India entrance examination held for BAMS admissions. 
• The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the entrance every year. 
• The NEET-UG exam contains two sections: Section A comprising 35 questions and Section B with 15 questions.
• All the questions are multiple-choice based.
• The exam duration is a total of 3 hours and 20 minutes.
• The counselling for the same is centralized. 
• Other entrance examinations for BAMS admission are IPU CET, KEAM, BVP CET, etc.

BAMS Cutoff

NEET 2023 Cutoff for BAMS is 720-137 for general category students and 136-107 for reserved category aspirants. The cutoff percentile for general category aspirants is 50th and for reserved category students is 40th.

There are many specialization courses that students can choose from after or during the Bachelor of Ayurveda Medical and Surgery course. Some of the popular choices of students for specialization in ayurvedic studies are

Admission in the BAMS typically involves the following steps:

• Eligibility criteria: The first step is to check if the candidate meets the eligibility criteria for BAMS. This usually includes having completed Higher Education with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as main subjects and a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate.
• Entrance exam: Most BAMS colleges accept NEET scores for admission to their program. Some institute may conduct their college-specific exam; the format and content of these exams may vary, but they typically test the candidate's knowledge of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and General Knowledge. 
• Application Fee: The fee for the NEET exam for general category applicants is INR 1,500, while it is INR 800 for those belonging to the SC/ST categories.
• Merit list: Based on the scores obtained in the NEET exam, a merit list is prepared, and candidates are selected for admission based on their rank in the list.
• Counseling: After the NEET exam, a centralized counseling process is conducted for the admission of students who have qualified for NEET, into various medical science courses, based on their performance in the NEET UG entrance exam.
• Document verification: Candidates who are selected for admission are required to submit their original documents for verification.
• Fees payment: Finally, candidates are required to pay their tuition fees and other charges to complete the admission process.

The average B.A.M.S. course fee lies within the range of INR 25,000 to INR 3 LPA. Course fees of some colleges are given below

The entire coursework of Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medical and Surgery is spread across 5 years, with a 1-year internship at the end. The evaluation is done in semester mode and each year, 2 sessions are held in June/July and November/December. The year-wise syllabus for BAMS is given below for your convenience.

Best Books for BAMS

There are several books published for BAMS aspirants to guide them to follow the course curriculum. Some of the suggested reads by thd course toppers are mentioned below in the table:

The state and city-wise distribution of B.A.M.S. colleges in India are mentioned below for your reference

Punjab

Popular B.A.M.S. colleges in Punjab are listed below

Delhi NCR

Popular B.A.M.S. colleges in Delhi NCR are mentioned below

Uttar Pradesh

Top B.A.M.S. colleges in Uttar Pradesh are

Karnataka

Colleges in Karnataka offering B.A.M.S. degree are

Some of the popular and top colleges in India that offer BAMS degree to their students are listed below

Some of the top BAMS Government colleges in India are mentioned below along with their average annual fees, and NIRF Rankings:

Some of the top BAMS Private Colleges in India are mentioned below along with their average course fees and NIRF Rankings:

There are many universities in foreign countries that offer ayurvedic education to students. Some of the most popular ones can be found below

After pursuing Bachelors of Ayurveda & Surgery, there are a plethora of career options to choose from for interested candidates who want to work in various roles. They can find a job in both government and private clinics, as Ayurveda Specialists, Ayurveda drug specialists and may even start their private practice. BAMS students are hired in the following capacities:

BAMS Areas of Employment 

Students of the 5-year ayurvedic course will be able to pursue a career path in one of the following areas of employment for BAMS in India.

• Government and Private Hospitals
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Dispensaries
• Nursing Homes
• Government and Private Clinics
• Own Business
• Research Institutions
• Insurance Industry

BAMS Salary in India 

The average salary of an Ayurveda Doctor is between INR 5 LPA to INR 15 LPA. Ayurvedic doctors can start their private practice and can make a lot of money out of it. Other job roles like Medical Representative are also very lucrative if one gets into MNCs. The salary package of a medical representative is between INR 3 LPA to INT 8 LPA. Candidates who choose to study BAMS receive lucrative packages. However, remuneration depends on many factors such as experience and job roles. 

BAMS Salary: Experience wise

List below is the salary data of BAMS qualified students based on their experience level gained in the field:

BAMS Salary: Job Role-wise

List below is the salary data of BAMS qualified students based on their job profiles:

Top Recruiters of BAMS

BAMS offers a variety of opportunities in terms of career prospects. Listed below are some of the top recruiters for BAMS: 

Candidates who wish to deepen their knowledge can opt for a Bridge course after BAMS. It is offered by IGNOU. The program offers 18 credit points that can be divided into 10 credits in practical and 8 credits in theory. The bridge course has been made active since January 2017.

Bridge Course is a part of the Ayushman Bharat movement aiming to improve the abilities and competencies of ayurveda as well as nursing practitioners. The program is open for sponsored students from National Health Mission (NHM), MOHFW, Govt. of India via the State Government/ State Health Mission. Bridge course after BAMS was designed and developed with the help of funding provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GOI (NHM)

Bridge Course after BAMS Highlights