‘Regenerative aesthetic medicine now a lucrative option for medical students’
Becoming a reputed doctor is the prime goal of every medical aspirant. These students work hard and burn the midnight oil to qualify in some of the toughest evaluations and exams conducted in India.
Earlier, with a countable number of specialisations and branches in medical science, medical students had a handful of options to set their career path on. However, the advancements and invasion of IT in the medicine sector has opened numerous roles and specialisations for the medical students. One of them is regenerative aesthetic medicine. Offering a lucrative career opportunity, regenerative aesthetic medicine is emerging as the most demanded course for doctors.
Over the past decade, aesthetic medicine has gained an individual status separated from skin medicine or dermatology. Offering career opportunities not just to doctors and aesthetic physicians but also to non-medicine trained staff, aesthetic medicine has evolved as a new way of practising aesthetics. Students with degrees like MBBS , BDS, BAMS, Mtech, PHD, MSC can apply for the course. The course module includes orthobiologics, aesthetics for face and genitals, PRP therapy, bone marrow stem cells, adipose derived stem cells and metabolic medicine.
Often touted as a magic bullet for various clinical applications, stem cell therapy, part of regenerative medicines, is medically defined as the capability of renewing tissue for the lifetime of an organism. In fact, it has emerged as the latest method to help the body repair and regenerate aging cells, tissues, and organs. As a result, it not only aids recreating youth by improving or rehashing the appearance but also helps in repairing, dysfunctional or injured tissues using stem cell therapy.
Hence, the technology is viewed as an effective treatment for conditions like neurological disorders, orthopedics, chronic kidney diseases, liver diseases, autoimmune disorders, ophthalmolic diseases, infertility and cosmetic procedures. Moreover, it has been identified as a potential treatment for ailments like Type 1 diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease and a variety of cancerous conditions.
POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH
According to the industry reports, the stem cell therapy market in India was valued at Rs 1 billion in 2013. Although in its nascent stages, the market is estimated to reach Rs 2 billion in 2018, owing to the growing number of stem cell banks and stem cell depositors. While there are several contributing factors that are playing a significant role in the development and popularity of the stem cell therapy, liberalisation of stem cell research and government support have emerged as the strong driving forces behind the impending success of the field.
As of now, India has established itself as a major player in the biotechnology across the Asia Pacific region, sharing the space with giants like Japan and South Korea. Bengaluru , in particular, is a major hub in work related to stem cells.
Experts also estimate India to be investing over Rs 1000 crore in stem cell research. Hence, with the rise in popularity, the need of the hour demands guided quality, skill and trained manpower in regenerative aesthetic medicine. Although there are institutes that offer courses in biotechnology, there is a lack of institutions offering concentrated training and education on stem cell therapy. However, proving its mettle in providing state-of-the-art education in next-generation therapies, CIRAM has successfully carved its name as the first private stem cell training institute in India.
SCOPE FOR LUCRATIVE CAREERS
Since regenerative medicine has been identified as a potential technology to cure conditions such as heart diseases, cancers, diabetes and many others, medical students pursuing courses in regenerative aesthetic medicines can opt for mainstream specialisation in cardiology or neurology. Doctors and medical students graduating in dermatology can also enhance their dermatosurgical skills with training in regenerative medicines. Although cosmetology and aesthetics are thriving as high income-generating career option, students with additional knowledge of regenerative aesthetic medicine can work in consonance with a multi-disciplinary team to help victims of accidents. Besides, aspirants can also choose careers in quality, research and development, production, clinical research, supply chain and human resources functions.
The author is founder of Cosmostem Institute of Regenerative Aesthetic Medicine (CIRAM)