Joining Army Medical Corps

Gauri Chhabra

Have you ever thought of joining the armed forces as a doctor? It is one profession that is blended with a high degree of professionalism, dignity and self- esteem. This is the Army Medical Corps, also known as AMC. The Indian Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the Indian Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel. It would make you a stellar officer and a highly skilled professional.
Armed Forces Medical Services is the first tri-service (Army, Navy and Air Force) organization and one of the largest organized medical services in the country that provides medical support to the Armed Forces during war as well as comprehensive health care to all service personnel, ex-servicemen and their dependents during peace. It also provides medical aid during natural calamities both at national and international level.
Eligibility
You can get into Indian Armed Forces as a doctor after clearing MBBS but you would be eligible for Short Service Commission only. The applications are invited both through the official website of the Indian army and all leading newspapers. Those who are doing their internship can apply provided they complete it in time, latest by two months after the interview date. The eligibility for the same is as follows:
*Indian National
*MBBS Degree (House Surgeons can apply provided they complete their internship in time)
*Normal vision / Corrected vision of 6/6
*No physical disabilities
*Prescribed height and weight
*Chest Expansion min 05 cm
*Female candidates should not be pregnant while enrollment
The maximum age limit for AFMS Recruitment is 45 years and is calculated as on 31st December 2016. You must have permanent registration from any State Medical Council/MCI.If you are a post graduate with a degree/diploma like MD/ MS/ MCH/ DM/ DNB/ DLO/ DOMS/ DA, you may also apply. However, those who have taken more than two chances in final MBBS (Part I &II) examination are ineligible for Armed Forces Medical Services Recruitment 2016.
Eligible Candidates can apply through online for the Armed Forces Medical Services Recruitment at the official website www.amcsscentry.gov.in.
Interview
You would be shortlisted based on the performance in the interview conducted by a Board of Officers to assess your suitability and merit for grant of Short Service Commission in the Armed Forces Medical Services.It is based on topics like Emergency Medicine including first aid and CPCR,BLS and ACLS guideline, Management of Burns, Electric Shock, Fracture, Trauma, Head Injury, Injury to Spine and other medical topics.
Based on the results of the interview, candidates who have been short listed are subjected to medical examination at designated Armed Forces hospitals in New Delhi. Medically fit candidates are granted commission subject to verification procedures as deemed necessary as required for commissioning.On being commissioned into the Armed Forces Medical Services will be granted the rank of Captain or equivalent rank in Navy or Air Force, plus grade pay, non-practicing allowance, free rations, subsidized accommodation and so on.
Appointment- Short Service Commission(SSC) and Permanent Commission:
Recruitment to the medical posts are through Permanent Commission (PC) and Short Service Commission (SSC). 50% of the graduates passing out from the Armed Forces Medical College Pune are taken directly into Permanent Commission and the rest are offered Short Service Commission. Doctors from civil medical colleges are offered only SSC entry. SSC officers are required to serve for a minimum period of 5 years. The SSC may be extended by another two terms of 5 years and then 4 years upto a maximum of 14 years. AFMC graduates offered SSC are required to serve for a minimum period of 7 years extendable by another 7 years.
After two years of service, you’ll be provided three opportunities for appearing for Permanent Commission Interview. The eligibility is minimum 02 years of service and maximum 08 years of service. The age limit is less than 30 for MBBS, 31 for Diploma holders, 35 for Post Graduates, and you would be given maximum three attempts.A candidate with previous commissioned service in the Army Medical Corps will be entitled to extension of the above age limits for the full period of previous reckonable service if such service was rendered while in possession of a medical qualification recognized by the Indian Medical Council.
Entry
Your rank on entry would be Lieutenant, for those who are in possession of provisional medical registration at the time of 1st commission and Captain, for those who are in possession of permanent medical registration at the time of 1st commission. However, AMC officers serving with Navy and Air Force will wear equivalent ranks of those services.
An officer will be on probation for two years from the date he receives his commission. If an officer is reported upon during his probation period as unsuitable to retain his commission, it may be terminated at any time before or after the expiry of the probationary period with one month’s notice.
Training
On appointment to Permanent Commission in the Army Medical Corps, officers will undergo such preliminary training and test as may be prescribed by the DGAFMS. While undergoing this training officers will be considered as on general duty. The appointment of an officer who fails to obtain a reasonable standard of proficiency or who is not satisfactorily reported upon during his training is liable to be terminated.
Institute Scape
Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) Pune
Armed Forces Medical College is a premier medical institute of India that provides training to under-graduate and post-graduate medical and nursing students with assured career prospects in the defence services.Medical students who have completed or pursuing 12th can apply for AFMC Pune if they wanted to pursue their career in medical department of armed forces and selection is done on the basis of AIPMT/NEET and ToELR (Test of English Language, Comprehension, Logic and Reasoning), Psychological assessment cum Interview. The AFMC MBBS 2016 selection procedure is a two stage process. At first, candidates will be shortlisted for ToELR and interview on the basis of AIPMT/NEET 2016 score.
The shortlisted candidates in order of online registration numbers will be called for Test of English Language, Comprehension, Logic and Reasoning (ToELR) and Psychological assessment cum Interview to be held in the month of July/August at AFMC, Pune.ToELR will be a Computer Based Test consisting of 40 MCQs of 2.0 marks. There will be negative marks of 0.5 for every incorrect answer. The 40 questions will be required to be answered in 30 minutes. The marks obtained in ToELR will be added to NEET 2016 score (max of 720) to get a score out of 800. This will be divided by 4 to get the written examination score out of 200. The interview will consist of 50 marks.
The final AFMC MBBS 2016 merit will be based on the Final score thus obtained in written examination score + interview marks.AFMC MBBS 2016 admission will be done for 130 MBBS seats. Among the total MBBS seats, 105 are reserved for boys and 25 are for girls. And total of 10 seats is reserved for scheduled castes/scheduled tribe candidates.
Besides, you must be in good physical and mental health and free from any disability likely to interfere with the efficient performance of duty in the Armed Forces.Medical examination will be done by a Board of Officers at AFMC Pune, prior to admission to the College. Medical Board will categorize as Fit and Unfit, in accordance with the prescribed standards.
Candidates applying for AFMC MBBS 2016 must be a citizen of India and must complete 17 years of age as on December 31, 2016. The upper age limit for candidates for AFMC MBBS 2016 is 22 years which means candidates must have born not earlier than January 01, 1995 and not later than December 31, 1999.
After MBBS, you will have compulsory liability to serve as Commissioned Officers in the Armed Forces Medical Services. The offer of the type of commission will depend on the vacancies available. At the time of admission, the candidates’ parents are required to sign a bond agreement of the same.
Summing up
Therefore, all of you who aspire to get into medicine and also serve the country, AMC is the right option for you. It is one career that you make you touch the pinnacle of both professional and personal growth at every stage of the career. So gear up and get ready for it…

For queries contact gauri_nagpal @yahoo.com

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