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Allied Health Sciences or MBBS: What to Choose?

MBBS is the most sought-after and followed career choice by most Pakistani aspirants with FSC pre-medical in the intermediate. Post FSC in pre-medical, there is a prerequisite for passing the entry test to initiate the journey of MBBS. However, there is also a separate possibility of careers one can pursue in addition to MBBS in medicine. This article at Lahore-UBAS explores more about whether to go for MBBS or Allied Health Sciences.   

What is MBBS?  

According to the available estimates, every year, around 30000 students, passing FSC with pre-medical with 60% marks, apply for MBBS. Despite this large number of applicants, there are only 15800 seats in the public sector of the country.   

In addition to these public sector seats, private education in medicine is also available, though it is very costly. Therefore, to match this cut-throat competition, there is a widely accepted entry test for medicine. Also known as the MDCAT.   

Therefore, FSC (Intermediate) pre-medical students need to achieve certain marks in their FSC exams and obtain a qualifying score in the MDCAT to be eligible for admission to medical colleges in Pakistan. Hence, students work tirelessly to crack high scores in MDCAT to land in their desired, top medical college of Pakistan.   

If you are a part of this crazy trend, have you ever explored other possibilities in the field of medicine in Pakistan and abroad? I hear a yes, it’s great. If no, don’t worry, Lahore-UBAS will let you know the details about allied health sciences and biological sciences.   

Aldo, do you know what MBBS stands for? Medicinae Baccalaureus, Bachelor of Surgery. (MBBS). Commonly known as Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery.   

Have You Ever Explored Allied Health Sciences?  

The line of medicine is widespread, with ample and widely open career opportunities in health sciences and biological sciences. The health and biological sciences are essential to learn and pursue for the following reasons.   

  1. To understand the human body and disease  
  2. For the development of medical interventions and treatments  
  3. To promote public health and matters of well-being  
  4. It enables shaping the health care systems and drafting policy  

Scope of Allied Health Sciences in Modern Times  

Medicine has a lot of scope. Whether you do MBBS, pursue any degree in health sciences, or study biological sciences. Only a couple of things will define your learning and earning potential.  

  1. Knowledge and level of subject understanding  
  2. Practical and hands-on grip over the required skillset  

Therefore, it is always the first step to explore the options beforehand. If you have an intermediate in FSC (pre-medical), you may choose MBBS, a bachelor’s in any of the health sciences, or a bachelor’s in any of the biological sciences. Let’s look at what the health sciences offer to study after FSC pre-medical.   

Field of Allied Health Sciences   

Health Sciences is a multi-disciplinary field having an complete focus on the advancement of human health and well-being. The practices are applicable at the individual and group levels. Some of the regulated and prominent four-year degree programmes are listed below.   

  • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)  
  • BS Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT)  
  • A B.S. in Radiology/ Imaging Technology  
  • Four-Year BS Nursing or BS Speech Therapy  

These degree programmes offer you an opportunity for a completion of a degree in a shorter time duration in comparison to the MBBS degree. Which demands 6 years of your life. In addition, you can only join the MBBS if you match the merit in the highly competitive MDCAT entry test.   

In contrast, the health sciences are a four-year bachelor’s programme, which requires students to pass the FSC premedical. Unlike MBBS, there is no prerequisite for MDCAT.   

Biological Sciences After FSC (pre-medical) 

Another field open for the FSC pre-med students is the biological sciences. Apart from MBBS, you can also choose to study living organisms. The degrees in biological sciences are listed in the following.  

  • BS in Bioinformatics 
  • A BS Degree in Biotechnology 
  • 4-Year BS Zoology 
  • BS Botany  

Allied Health Sciences or MBBS: Factors to Consider  

Till this point, you would be able to have a basic understanding of both the MBBS and allied health sciences streams after FSC in pre-medical. Next, we are going to explore the major deciding factors for the same streams to help you understand what to choose.   

Pre-Requisites for Entry Test  

Studying for an MBBS requires standing on the merit of the medicine entry test. This entrance test is known as the MDCAT. It is highly competitive, and there are many academies helping students to ace their MDCAT.   

On the other hand, the pursuit of a degree in biological and applied health sciences does not require a candidate to crack the MDCAT.   

Time Duration  

For an MDCAT, a candidate needs 6 years in total to invest. 5 years would be needed for a degree, and one year would be required for a house job. Whereas any degree in biological and allied health sciences can be completed in four years.   

Recognition & Scope  

The MBBS is a popular degree in Pakistan, and it has more public recognition. Moreover, an MBBS pass-out earns the title of a doctor. Whereas, with any degree, the title of a doctor does not come around. Though you would still be a medical professional. With time, the awareness and scope of the allied and biological sciences are also on the rise, particularly abroad.   

Cost  

MBBS is a very costly and demanding degree programme in Pakistan. Especially, in the private sector, the cost multiplies. Therefore, many students compete for the seats available in the public sector, which are fewer than half of the competitors.   

In contrast, the degrees in allied health sciences and biological sciences the fees, costs, are less in comparison.   

Job Scope  

The students with MBBS will be able to work in clinical practices and certain specialisations. However, with a degree in allied health sciences and biological sciences, the students can join diagnostics, therapy, and support roles.  

Potential to Earn  

The MBBS doctor may enjoy a huge potential to earn throughout their career. According to reliable data resources, PKR 456k per year in the initial career period. With the increase in experience. The earning trajectory also improves with an MBBS.   

Study at The Top Allied Health Sciences University in Lahore  

Now that you know the possibility of a successful career in medicine, from allied health sciences or MBBS. You may be wondering, where can you study for a degree in Lahore? The good news is that, like many other universities, the allied health sciences are available at the Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences. (Lahore-UBAS).   

We, at Lahore-UBAS, not only offer the health sciences, but also a wide range of biological science degrees are on the table. You will not only get the academic support, but you will also get an opportunity to get hands-on experience through an on-site hospital attached to the university campus.   

The university is duly approved, accredited, and accepted by the regulatory bodies of Pakistan. Moreover, the students would also get a rich campus life, appreciation for our efforts through scholarships and financial assistance. With all this, our university also shares the valuable industrial ties which help our graduates in career settlement, progress, and to have time-to-time insights through information shared in regular blogs.   

Conclusion  

Follow the Lahore-UBAS for industrial insights, career developments and scopes in the fields of medicine. From health sciences to biological and MBBS, Lahore-UBAS brings all for the FSC and advanced students, who are interested in learning new things.   

 

 

5 STEPS of Personalised Career Counselling

Career counselling is an essential part of career development. It is not a one-way street; oftentimes, career counselling is like a square, on which you will come again and again throughout your career. From choosing your path, to switching your jobs, and to making strategic moves later in life, career counselling is the skill and road you will need many times. Let’s explore them to help you as a student of FSC to choose the field of biology and applied health sciences.  

STEP 1: Do Self-Assessment & Process Initiation  

Once you have completed your intermediate, it is high time to choose the line for the undergraduate degree in medicine, biological, and applied health sciences. Though doing MBBS is the dream of a lot of FSC students. However, this is not the only line of modern times. Rather, in 2025 and beyond, the students can easily explore diverse options in biological and applied health sciences.  

Therefore, you can choose the relevant line but try the systemic approach through the five steps of career counselling. The first one is to identify your interests, values, skills, and other affecting factors like geographic locations, if you have local, foreign, domestic, and international preferences.  

Students can start by looking at the industries and their relevant functions. The funnel method would work well for well-sorted career preferences. Once you go through the industries and functionalities aligning to your interests, values, and personality, you can further look for skills demanded in the chosen industry and fields.  

The skills are often divided into further subsets like hard skills, soft skills, industry-based skills, cognitive skills, behavioural skills, and transferable and non-transferable skills.  

STEP 2: Identify & Research to Explore the Available Options 

Since you have seen through industry options, let’s move forward. For example, we take the behavioural and applied health sciences here, as we are keen to help you understand the diversity you can enjoy. For instance, around the world, the UK, US, Canada, Germany, and Australia are the top destinations to excel in the biological and applied health sciences.  

However, as we are in Pakistan, now there is no compulsion to move abroad if you are opting for quality programmes in similar fields. Lahore-UBAS is the top university for biological and applied health sciences in Lahore, Pakistan.  

Lahore-UBAS offers six different faculties, namely, pharmaceuticals, allied health, food & nutrition, social, biological, and rehabilitation sciences. The degree programmes are offered at the BS and MS levels of education.  

Moreover, all our degree programmes are well-planned and properly designed after a close collaboration with industry specialists. In this way, we have included the latest curriculum, with modern teaching methodologies, and the way-out to learn the industry-demanded skills, which are certainly the major factor for starting a successful career.  

STEP 3: Evaluation & Decision Making 

Now make a choice for your top three careers, or fields you would like to be a part of in your future. In this way, you would be able to get the most out of your career counselling practices. Top questions to address the core elements to success could be as of the following.  

In addition to the personal alignment, there are some other major points to address to get a fruitful result from personalised career counselling. These questions you must see before opting for a career choice. 

  • What is the demand of the career or field you choose? 
  • Job titles, you can start with earning potential. 
  • Opportunities are available in the government and private sector with job security and benefits.  
  • The opportunities you can explore in the local and foreign markets.  

Career Counselling

STEP 4: Time to Take Action & Prioritise 

Congratulations, you have made around 80 per cent of the career counselling. Now you have reached the bottom of the funnel. By the time you would have 3-5 fields from biological and applied health sciences.  

These fields would be suitable for your values, personality, and career choices. Therefore, it is high time to take practical steps to turn your dreams into reality. The career counselling would be successful once you take practical steps by taking admission in any of your chosen fields. In Pakistan, Lahore-UBAS offers modern education for the modern fields of biological and applied health sciences.  

STEP 5: Implement & Polish   

This is the last step of career counselling, in which you would have to see the options for improvement. It is high time to remember that implementation and skill development are a continuous process that depends upon various external factors like industrial development, research and development, and modern ways to complete jobs, with the technological advancements and adaptations.  

The best way is to remain in touch with the industrial insights and to follow the seminars and on-site visits during the course of your education. Furthermore, you may need a career counselling service from a professional career counselor. However, this would be best to choose when you feel stuck among the top choices and you have to make a further decision at any moment in your career.  

Lahore-UBAS also has the facilities to guide its students for the same.  

Final Verdict

Career Counselling is a five-step journey to choose the career that aligns well with your personal values and professional preferences. Those students who have done FSc and are willing to choose medicine can opt for any of the fields from biological and applied health sciences. MBBS is not the only option to choose from.  

Last Minute Exam Prep Tips for FSC Students

FSC annual exams 2025 are just around the corner. We are hopeful that by now, most of your exam preparations will be completed. However, feeling anxious regarding the exams is natural, and students in intermediate are even more conscious about exams because intermediate years (class 11th and 12th) are the major decisive years for career development in Pakistan. Lahore-UBAS offers exam prep tips for FSC students for the last-minute benefits.  

Prioritise Your Health 

The intermediate board examination for 2025 is just around the corner. FSC (part 1 & part 2) students must keep a few things in mind. This time is crucial for your future. Therefore, remember, first things come first.  

Despite all the pressure, prioritize your health at the top. You can only perform your best when you are in an optimised emotional, mental, and physical state. Remember, balance is the key to success.  

Therefore, balance your input, and your output will also make you happy. Take nutritious meals timely, stay hydrated, and stay positive.  

Make a Revision Plan as per the Date Sheet 

After food, let’s do some work. Therefore, as your inter exams are arriving very soon. Avail the remaining time and do as many revisions as possible. However, since the time is short, the festivities of Eid are also around the corner. One of the best last minute exam tips is to follow a strategic revision plan.  

A strategy to design a fruitful and comprehensive revision plan is to plan according to the official date sheet for classes 11 and class 12th of intermediate. This revision plan will balance out your time resources with your efforts, and you will have ample fresh knowledge to produce on your exam sheets.  

Ensure Revisions Go Comprehensively 

The exam tension is real, period! The best way to win is to ensure a careful and comprehensive revision plan for each subject. FSC has a lot to cover. Both the pre-medical and engineering majors are demanding, and you must incorporate mindful effort to get the maximum results.  

Since you have spent an entire year studying the FSC subjects, we know you are well-aware of your strengths and weaknesses.  

Hence, while revising, try to start with weaker areas, combined with topics that hit you the hardest! Once done, shift to the chapters and subtopics you already hold a grip on. You will cover the course with peace of mind.  

Intermediate Annual exams for 2025 are just around the corner. Lahore-UBAS brings the best exam prep tips for FSC students.

Don’t Miss Out the Past Papers 

Thorough studies are important, and one of the best exam prep tips for FSC students is to include studying aids as well. Past papers for the last five years, and short questions, are the foremost essential aid for intermediate exam preparations.  

However, one thing to keep in mind, take it as another exam prep tip for FSC, not to solely rely on the help books and solved past papers. To get the maximum benefit out of these, you need to combine your FSC books, notes, study lectures, and past papers for spot-on exam preparation.  

In the limited time, focus on the books ‘content, summaries, and past papers to ensure covering the subjects.  

Aim High to Land High 

FSC students are the high scorers. Keep following this pattern, while keeping the spark alive! You should aim high to score the best marks in the FSC annual exams 2025. Do you know about the 80/20 rule? 80 per cent of your success depends upon the 20 per cent of your effort.  

So, take it as the last-minute exam prep tip for FSC students and aim high in your revisions, and also manifest the positive results. There is no need to worry if you have a feeling of being weak in any certain area or subject.  

Remember, you still have the availability of time, material to study, and a willingness to win!  

Practicals are at the End, Start with Theory 

Next on the list is to focus on theory at first, and later you can see the practical. The reason is that the board exams for theory are usually done before practical. FSC part one students have theory papers, and FSC part two students have theory and practicals together.  

Keep Your Stationery Updated  

The next exam prep tip for FSC students is to prepare your stationery beforehand. Stationery is an essential part of an effective and complete paper attempt. Especially in board exams, where time is limited.  

Buy pens, markers, scales, geometry products, and if allowed, simple calculators. You will need these to attempt your paper in the intermediate board exam’s part I and part II.  

Practice Writing & Match Timing  

Furthermore, the exam prep tip that will pay you well is to practice writing as much as you can. Writing matching the time limit will help you complete your paper in the board exams. Board exam pattern includes short and long length questions.  

Make Mindful Career Choices 

Lastly, this time is also ideal to start thinking about the available career choices. When you have an FSC degree, there are numerous fields in medicine and engineering. Lahore-UBAS is the leading university for careers in biology and applied health sciences in Lahore. You can follow us after your exams are over. Once you are free, follow and learn what career and which line is available for your FSC degree.  

Conclusion 

The intermediate 2025 examination is around the corner. The last-minute exam prep tips for FSC students would be helpful to crack the examination in a better way. For further career opportunities and growth information, Lahore-UBAS is the best way to stay updated. Our blog would be beneficial for biological and applied health sciences.  

 

Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences