Is physiology a Good Course To Study In Nigeria? Find out!!!
Do you have interest in studying physiology? or perhaps you applied for medicine, nursing or other allied health science courses and you didn't meet the cutoff mark and your school gave you Physiology? you are wondering if is a good course to study in Nigeria considering how Nigeria economics is, if you will be able to make ends meet and choose a career path in physiology?
This article will provide relevant information and answers to your endless questions about Physiology if is a good course to study in Nigeria.
What is Physiology?
Physiology or human physiology is the study of body functions, how the body functions or work. eg how the Kidney functions and helps in filtering blood, how the heart helps in circulation and pumping blood, how the brain works and aid in memory, in summary is the study of how human body carry out complex functions.
Physiology is a foundation course as without it you can't study any medical course. Without having a proper understanding of how the body functions you won't be able to tell abnormal functionality of the body, you won't be a medical doctor, pharmacy, MLS or Physiotherapist.
So as you can see Physiology is very important, is a foundation and compulsory course for all in the medical field.
Is Physiology a Professional Course ?
No physiology is not a professional course, I don't know if this revelation hurt you, Physiology is not a professional Course because it does not prepare you for a specific career, Physiology give you the options and oppurtunities to tap in other area of the health sectors unlike professional courses (e.g Nursing) that restrict you to one career or path a nurse.
Career Opportunities For Physiology In Nigeria
After undertaking a 4 years BSC. degree in Physiology you will become a physiologist.
As a physiologist you will have have the opportunity to work in the hospital as a Doctor assistant, work in public health sector, pharmaceutical companies, research and Education.
Career path for a Physiologist in The medical field
Can a Physiologist Work in a Hospital?
As a physiologist you can work in the hospital as a Doctor assistant as earlier said, you can assist the doctor in diagnoses. You can play vital role such as
Clinical physiologist: and work with Doctors and other health care professional to diagnose and treat patients with variety of medical conditions, carry out tests and procedures to asses patients physiological vitals such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and muscle strength such aid in diagnoses.
Cardio Physiologist: As a cardio Physiologist you aids Doctors in treating patients with heart diseases or cardiovascular disorders, carry out test such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress tests, and echocardiograms, to assess patients' heart function. You can also work with doctors to develop and monitor treatment plans.
Neurophysiologist: This gives you the opportunity to work with patients who have neurological disorders, such as stroke, epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease. Neurophysiologists perform a variety of tests, such as electroencephalograms (EEGs) and electromyography (EMG) studies, to assess patients' neurological function.
Exercise physiologist: As an Exercise physiologists you specialize in the effects of exercise on the human body. You work with patients who have a variety of medical conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. Exercise physiologists develop and supervise exercise programs to help patients improve their physical function and overall health.
To be honest it will be very difficult to work in a hospital in Nigeria as a cardio physiologist, Nuero physiologist or Respiratory physiologist.
In advance Country your role will be much appreciated and recognize.
Can a Physiologist work in Pharmaceutical Companies?
In medical field another sector that you can work after studying physiology is pharmaceutical companies.
You can assit in the drug discovery and production process and Clinical trials, noting how drugs affect the functionality of the body.
You can also work as a sales rep in pharmaceutical companies.
Career path for physiologist in The Academy Sector
In Nigeria the best place for a physiologist to work is in education sector, teaching younger physiologist physiology and also other medical students. As earlier said in this article, you can't study any medical course without having a knowledge of physiology.
Hence as a Physiologist you can become a lecturer in a university, Polytechnic or Colleges teaching Physiology.
I consider this lucrative consider the number of Schools, University and Polytechnic that's be build in Nigeria constantly.
Is Physiology a Lucrative course to study In Nigeria?
From all what you have read you should be able to tell that Physiology is not a lucrative course to study in Nigeria, It you can barely work in the medical field unless abroad, It has limited job opportunities in the medical field because your role can be easily replace. But it offers you the opportunity to diversify in health sectors and beyond.
To be successful with a Physiology degree you need to upgrade certificate by doing masters and others advance course.
If you are admitted to study Physiology you can accept it and transfer to other medical course in your 200L most schools offer the opportunity for students to transfer to other course but note you can't transfer to medicine in some schools.