There are different schools of medicine today. The most common school of medicine is allopathy that concerns our regular doctors and general surgeons. Other old schools of medicine are Unani, Ayurveda, Siddha, Homoeopathy, etc. All these ancient medicine schools come from different regions and Ayurveda happens to be an ancient Indian medical school.
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Ayurveda Courses – UG “BAMS”
BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery) degree courses aim at producing graduates with profound knowledge of Ashtanga Ayurveda. The BAMS course or the abhyaskrama (syllabus) is supplemented with knowledge of scientific advances in modern medicine too.
A practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine is called an Ayurvedacharya.
More traditionally, you will be called a ‘Vaidya’ inside the Ayurveda community for e.g. the renowned Padma Bhushan Vaidya Devendra Trigun from Delhi (he is a recipient of the 2nd highest civilian honor ‘Padma Bhushan’).
The course is bolstered along with extensive practical training so as to become efficient Ayurvedacharyas and surgeons fully competent to serve the health care services.
The undergraduate program of BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) is 5½ years long.
The medium of instruction will be Sanskrit or Hindi or any recognized regional language or English.
BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) is conducted only in Ayurvedic Medical Colleges throughout the country under IMCC Act, 1970. The curriculum and syllabus is uniform throughout the country.
What is taught in Ayurveda courses?
“AYURVEDA” can, theoretically, be thought to be made up of 2 words- Ayuh & Veda. Ayuh literally means ‘life’ and Veda translates to ‘knowledge or science’. So, ‘Ayurveda’ can be perceived as the ‘Science of life’.
Profound knowledge of Sanskrit is an integral part of Ayurvedic sciences as the names of all therapeutic approaches as well as all Ayurvedic principles & philosophies are in Sanskrit. You will be taught relevant aspects of the language in your BAMS 1st year itself.
Ayurveda incorporates all aspects of life whether psychological, spiritual, physicalor social.
4 questions & allied life span issues that are elaborately and emphatically discussed in Ayurveda are:
- What is beneficial?
- What is harmful to life?
- What is a happy life?
- What is sorrowful life?
Ayurveda also believes the existence of soul before birth and after death too.
Ayurveda courses Viewpoint: Human Body’s Structure & Functions
Universe,like the human body,is made up of 5 basic elements collectively called ‘Pancha-Mahabhootama’. These are:
- Aakash (Ether)
- Agni(Fire)
- Aapa (Water)
- Vayu (Air)
- Prithvi (Earth)
The 6thcompulsory component of life is Atma (life spirit). Life is believed to cease without Atma.
The human body is believed to be made up of Dhaatus(Body matrix),Doshas (Bio-humors), and Malas (excretable products).
Vata, Pitta and kapha, known as Tridoshas are physiological entities of the body. The tridoshas are responsible for carrying out all the functions of the body.
Dhatus are believed to be the structural entities of the body. These are Rakta (Blood cells), Rasa (Plasma), Meda (Fatty tissue), Asthi (Bony tissue), Mamsa (Muscular tissue), Majja (Bone marrow) and Shukra (Hormones).
Agni (Metabolic fire) carries out the whole metabolism of the body in thirteen different forms.
All bio-transformations within the body occur through Srotases which can be called ‘body channels’. These Srotases are the sites for action of agni.
How is diagnosis taught in Ayurveda courses?
Ayurvedic diagnostic procedures are 2 pronged, like most traditional therapeutic measures:
- One is aimed to establish the state & type of pathology (diagnose the disease entity)
- Second to decide the mode of treatment to be applied
The former implies examination of the patient and making different investigations to diagnose the disease entity. Inspection, palpation, percussion (tapping body parts) and interrogation are the main modes of Ayurvedic investigations.
The second type of examination is to assess the strength and physical status of the individual. This step helps in planning the type of management accordingly.
For the second step, examination of Prakriti (Body constitution), Satva (Mental strength), Samhnan (physique), Saar (Tissue quality), Aaharshakti (diet intake capacity), Satamya (specific adaptability), Vyayaam shakti (exercise capacity) and Vaya (age) is done.
On the basis of this 2-step examination,a patient is diagnosedas having Heen Bal (low strength), Madhyam Bal (moderate strength) or Pravarbal (excellent strength).
What are the modes of Ayurvedic treatment?
There are 8 divisions of Ayurvedic treatment modalities as taught in Ayurveda courses:
- Kayachikitsa (Internal medicine)
- Shalya (Surgery)
- Shalkya (Otorhinolaryngology and Opthalmology)
- KaumrBhritya (Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics)
- Agad tantra (Toxicology)
- Rasayana (Gerentorology)
- Vajikaran (Aphrodisiacs)
- BhootVidya (Psychiatry)
The principles of Ayurvedic treatment are Shaman (palliative and conservative), Nidanparivarjan (avoidance of causative & precipitating factors of disease), Shodhan (purification), and PathyaVyavastha (do’s and don’ts of lifestyle).
For example: in the Shodhan principle, there are 5 elements:
- Virechana (medically induced laxation)
- Vasti (medicated enema)
- Vamana (medically induced emesis)
- Shirovirechana (administration of medicines through nose)
- Raktmokshan (Blood-letting)
These 5 elements are collectively known as Panchkarma. Panchkarma will be a compulsory subject for you in BAMS degree course.
The 6 clinical specialties for internship after you get your BAMS degree are:
- Kayachikitsa
- Shalya
- Shalakya
- PrasutievamStriroga
- Balroga-Kaumarabhritya
- Panchakarma
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Final Remarks
So that was one hell of a mind-bender, right? Well, if you’re up for Ayurvedic courses for your graduation, you better be prepared for more of this coming your way! Alternatively, if you feel undecided, you can very well talk to us here so we can make you a little wiser before you take a decision. Allow us that chance! We have been happily helping numerous young minds and will be glad to work with yours too!
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FAQs
BAMS degree.
5.5 years including internship
Find list of all approved colleges here. NIA is reportedly one of the best in India.
You have a specific subject called Sanskrit in 1st year only where you have to understand Sanskrit grammar well.
You have to pass it and remaining years you have to summarise Sanskrit shlokas. Answers can be written in your favourable language which may be Hindi or English.
No. Either you crack NEET with PCB in Class 12 or just learn Ayurveda for benefit of your knowledge by going through authentic books without getting a degree. Many people do that too!
Of course you can, if you have the patience and the courage. There are some who have done full-time BAMS first and then opted for an MBBS! They say, for certain diseases Ayurveda is excellent and for certain diseases the only option is Allopathy, but practicing pure Ayurveda is difficult compared to Allopathy.
With a Master’s in Biophysics-Biostatistics, Sreenanda acquired professional experience in computational proteomics of human molecules. She is currently working with the Research and Data Team at iDreamCareer.
