MBBS grads pursue MBA to rise quickly

NEW DELHI: Paltry salaries, odd working hours and the right here right now lookout of generation X is causing more and more young medical graduates to bid functional adieu to the "noble" profession and pursue MBA degrees instead — often incurring the wrath of family members in the process. The logic that these young doctors — all of whom have been above average performers in their academic achievements — proffer is simple, if we have slogged, we have the right to reap the benefits too and fast. Says Dr Arshi Chandra (name changed), a resident doctor in Indraprastha Apollo Hospital who is preparing on the sly for her CAT examinations: "My family is terribly opposed to the idea of my leaving that they think is a noble profession but I am preparing for the examinations all the same and will do an MBA if I get through. The input-output disparity in this profession is so great that after so many years of studying so hard it is a big disappointment. All of us are so frustrated, we get Rs 10-20,000 per month and even if we do a PG we would not get more than Rs 35,000 per month as a registrar." While Arshi is still in preparation mode, many others have gone ahead and done that, a decision that they are now more than happy that they took at the right time. Says Dr Sanjeev Gupta, controller of medical services at Artemius Healthcare Institute who cleared his MBBS in 1998 and his MBA in 2004, "If I had continued to work as a doctor I would have probably earned 50% of what I am earning right now. Salary was obviously a major consideration because even something called job satisfaction cannot be completely independent of the money, can it? On the other hand, healthcare in our country needs doctors who are willing to take up managerial jobs to make the entire system work better." Some, however, say that money was not the sole criteria for opting for the management course. Says Dr Sanjay Aggarwal, FMS gold medallist and presently working at Lok Nayak Hospital, "The deterioration of public healthcare in India has been largely because of lack of skilled managers. Doctors groomed as managers can make all the difference in it and that is why I went for my MBA. There is not much of a difference in the salary I was drawing before my MBA but I am enjoying my work more." Most doctors however rue the fact that while the advent of MNCs has changed the salary structures in most professions, the advent of private healthcare has not quite had the same effect on the medical profession especially at the junior levels. Says a resident doctor of Fortis, Vasant Kunj, "At the entry level private scales are still lower than government scales. Yes there is money but only after a certain level by which time you are old grey haired and so tired after the 20 years that you have slogged that you have no energy left to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Neither do you have the time." Agrees Dr Bir Singh, professor of community medicine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences who faced the problem in his own home. "I recently had a very tough time trying to dissuade my elder son - who is a doctor - from going for a MBA degree. I succeeded finally to make him sit for PG entrances instead but I cannot still negate what he said. Doctors do have to work very hard and the rewards are not commensurate. We made do with that but if the younger generation wants to live a good life and faster, you can hardly blame them."