Symbiosis International University (SIU) signs MoU with S-VYASA University

Symbiosis International University (SIU) & S-VYASA University today signed a formal MoU at SIU, Lavale Campus in the presence of Padma Bhushan Dr. S B Mujumdar, Chancellor, SIU and Dr. H R Nagendra, Chairman of Task force of AYUSH, Govt. of India, Ministry of AYUSH & Chancellor, S-VYASA Yoga University, Bengaluru.

S-VYASA is one of the 4 premiere Yoga institutes in the country to be recognized by the UGC. It has been recognized as ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Yoga by the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Symbiosis International University (SIU) recently launched the Symbiosis Centre for Yoga on the occasion of the World Yoga Day on 21^st June 2015.

The proposed association seeks to promote education, training & research in Yoga through joint collaborative research, multi centric trails on various research projects in Yoga practices / Yoga therapies and promote inter-institutional cooperation in implementation of academic programmes in Yoga. 

Also present on the occasion were Dr. Rajani Gupte, Vice Chancellor, SIU, Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Principal Director, Symbiosis, Dr. Rajiv Yeravdekar, Dean, Faculty of Health & Biomedical Sciences, SIU, Dr. S C Nerkar, Registrar, SIU and Dr. N K Manjunath, Joint Director – R & D & Dr. Subramanya P, Registrar, S-VYASA Deemed University.  

Leadership Development Series - Session 3

‘Leadership Development Series - 2014’

“Leaders aren’t born, they are made.”

This statement is being upheld in its truest sense, for the first time in the SIHS campus, in the form of ‘Leadership Development Series 2014’, an initiative by the Placement Team 2014.

The Leadership Development Series is the brainchild of Ms Devika Shetty, Placement Head and her team, which aims at infusing a sense of vision and leadership in the students of MBA batch 2013-2015, at the early stage of our career itself.

The series brings together different stalwarts of the healthcare industry, who have achieved immensely in their field of expertise, to come and share their valuable insights into the reality of the industry with our students. We believe that to endure and flourish in today’s dynamic business environment, it is imperative for young professionals to have the guidance of the leaders from the industry, which will help our students make right decisions and career moves. The focus is to provide an opportunity to students to interact with the leaders from various verticals of healthcare industry to enhance their leadership skills.

The  inaugural session of this event was presided by Dr. Rajiv Yeravdekar, Dean, Faculty of Health and Biomedical Sciences, who obliged us in being the ‘Thought Leader’ of the day. Dr Rajiv was kind enough to share his success story of ‘The making of SIHS’, which has proved to be inspiring to all the students.

As part of the Leadership Development Series 2014, the first programme that was organized was the Passion for Posters, which aimed at bringing out marketing skills and creativity amongst our students. The theme was HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY AWAITS YOU!!!       LET YOUR IDEAS SHINE THROUGH…….. It celebrates the spirit of vision and innovation, which was evident with the success of the poster-making competition.

As we move further in our sessions in the coming days, we look forward to a mutually beneficial learning opportunity for all our students, which will not only bring out the strengths of our students, but also celebrate the LEADERS WITHIN US.

Team Placements 

Healthcare Management as a Career Option

For decades, having a doctor’s degree is considered to the biggest achievement. The tradition is to do post-graduation  and then establish practice . But Gen Y of doctors is open to  other options as well. One such option available for a medicine graduate is MBA in  healthcare management  The Post graduate degree in Healthcare Management  that suits ones   temperament and skills and where one can  successfully utilize my medical background as well.

Coming from ancient school of thoughts, most of the medicine graduates feel that the clinical knowledge would go waste. The fact is that MBA is not a change of profession but a medical degree will act as a basic platform to explore wide opportunities in globally evolving healthcare.

After MBA HHM  the opportunities are not only limited to the hospitals but it entails one to choose a career between various other verticals like healthcare IT, health Insurance, healthcare Consultancies , Pharmaceuticals & wellness. The initial position offered by the companies is at the mid-level management.  Even the opportunities in Public sector have increased tremendously. One can get an opportunity to work with WHO, NRHM, RNTCP, and UNICEF etc. Public sector companies prefer Doctors with MBA who are able to understand and solve the problems associated with healthcare delivery. Also one gets the opportunity to do research in Public health. 

The curriculum  in health care management provides courses  on organisational behaviour, health economics, organisational research, health plan, strategic management, how to design a hospital, requirements of a hospital, , national health programme, medico-legal acts, waste management, international health regulations, comparative health systems, accountancy , HR and so on. The program touches all the verticals of healthcare and gives an opportunity to choose work area as per ones interest.

The route to entry is via MBA entrance ( E.g. For Symbiosis: SNAP Test).  The aptitude test involves questions on logical reasoning, data interpretation and analytical skills. Medicos have a constant fear of Mathematics. But the aptitude test is more of applicability of the basics learnt during schooling. And when one can crack the toughest medical entrance test then why not an MBA entrance Test. 

The healthcare Managers need to be flexible, creative, analytical and organized in putting policy changes into practice. Healthcare managers must be able to effectively communicate with people at all professional levels. But what is treasured the most is the vast scope in all domains of health care and fast paced professional growth. The attractive compensation is also a significant part but not the entire part of the story. To sum up with, if you have the passion to learn, curiosity to explore and courage to lead then this is the right field.

Ms. Neha Bhagatkar

Asst. Professor

SIHS

Jai Hari Vitthal : Our experiences during the Warkari event 2013

The wikipedia explains “Wari”as a religious movement within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism. It is geographically associated with the Indian states of Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. Pilgrimage to Pandharpur is called as Wari. The people who undertake a Vari are called Warkaris .Warkaris worship Vithoba (also known as Vitthal Krishna, an avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu), the presiding deity of Pandharpur. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Warkaris walk hundreds of miles to the holy town of Pandharpur, gathering there on Ekadashi (the 11th day) of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Aashaadha (which falls sometime in July). 

Jai Hari Vitthal

Continuing the same ancient tradition  and dedications lakhs of Warkaris entered Pune on

First of July 2013  spreading the waves of devotion and contentment. 

Glimpse of the Crowd

In consonance with the tradition of the wari , SIHS has built a tradition of serving Warkaris  every year. We the ‘Budding Managers’ of SIHS got the unique opportunity of exercising our managerial skills during the Warkari Event this yearAlong with the MBA students, students of Emergency medical services, Staff from Healthcare centre  also participated. We being the management students our task was to manage the crowd, whilst our EMS friends would tend to the ailments and medical issues of the Warkaris.

 

Team Symbiosis 

By 8.30 am students   took their respective ambulances along with the EMS staff. Finally after weaving through the crazy Pune traffic and the narrow City roads the ambulance came to a halt.

We quickly decided on a ‘Game plan’. We divided the people according to Gender and identified that the men would be tended to by the Gentlemen in our group while the Ladies, would handle the Ladies! 

Waiting..patient(ly) 

After the initial chaos things eventually settled and progressed smoothly. Everybody got acquainted and comfortable in their roles- The EMS students with their task of tending to the patients and us managing.

The learning experience gained from this event will be embedded in our minds all throughout our lives and the basic managerial skills were learnt here. From learning basic Marathi terms like ‘Kaku, Aushadh Payije?’(Aunty, do you need medicines?”  to major Life lessons asserting how lucky we are to be where we are, from basic bonding with our classmates to actually serve the public at a ground level; the experiences we shared is going to last us a lifetime.

Nothing gets done (in Pune) without the Vada Pav !

 The event of Warkari was successfully completed,with the earning of immense appreciation for Symbians everywhere, and lot of goodwill and good wishes of all the pilgrims, who were helped by our little humanitarian effort. The day left us feeling wonderful about having helped people in whatever way we could, gave us an opportunity to exercise our skills and make new friends while on the job. 

We are very fortunate to have been a part of such a mammoth event, which allowed exploring and discovering our capabilities, stretching ourselves while getting a break from classroom academics as well.

Career Avenues for MBA grads in the Pharmaceutical Industry

There are various facts and numbers available on the charts to sing laurels about the growth of Indian Pharmaceutical industry but what remains as the eye catcher for students of our fraternity is its paying ability. Being a sector which has huge profit margins and is always recession proof, the pharmaceutical industry shouldn't be neglected by those who wish to grow fast in the healthcare industry. As a matter of fact this sector grows even stronger each time the rupee falls as the exports form a major section of operation for the Indian pharmaceutical industry.

Facts and figures (Courtesy CCI report- March 2013)
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow at 13% in 2013. India is now among the top five emerging pharmaceutical markets. There will be new drug launches, new drug fillings and Phase two clinical trials throughout the year. On back of increasing sales of generic medicines, continued growth in chronic therapies and a greater preparation in rural market, the domestic pharmaceutical market is expected to register a strong double digit growth of 13-14% in 2013.

Moreover, the increasing population of higher income group in the country will open a potential US$ 8 billion for multinational companies selling costly drugs by 2015. Besides the domestic pharma market is estimated to touch US$ 20 billion by 2015, making India a lucrative destination for clinical trials for global giants.

Advantage MBA HHM
The pharmaceutical industry is growing at a rapid rate in India and hence it is a very important component of the healthcare industry. In our curriculum special focus is being given to pharmaceutical industry with a subject of “overview of Pharmaceutical industry” in the second semester. With subjects like Principles & Practices of Management and Strategic Management our students are able to find a place in brand management and product management team in various pharma companies. On one hand subjects like Materials Management helps to acquire positions in Supply chain management team and on the other hand subjects like Health Regulatory Environment helps us fit in the IPR and Drug regulations team, opening doors for students in various departments. Sales being the crux of the pharma industry which reflects the outcomes of all departments, subject like Research methodology helps in analysing sales figures which helps us to excel in the department of sales as well. One advantage which the large number of doctors passing out from our college have is that they are looked upon for the Medical Education and Training department by the pharma companies which requires training the first line sales executives about the product and diseases which are discussed with the clients.

Pulling up socks
Since the heart and soul of the Indian Pharmaceutical industry lies in marketing their products, the main focus is sales! Branding & Marketing is the golden door to a high earning corporate lifestyle but the first step towards it shall and always remain to be sales. Having experience in sales in the healthcare industry will help you reach that high paying designation with ease.

So, students in first year who decide to do their internship in sales in a pharma company will be taking that first step towards polishing themselves to be picked up for the Product Management team.  As for students of the second year who didn't quite consider this while taking a decision for their internships the way forward lies in taking up an initial job in sales to start with. The taboo associated with the sales job makes it less lucrative but with high confidence I can say if it’s pharma it’s an up-hill task which is definitely high earning, both in terms of self esteem and monetary benefit.

Once having sufficient experience of sales in your bag, the journey is extremely exciting and rewarding. The combination of your sales experience coupled with the knowledge of above mentioned subjects will take you to places and how!

Afsheen J Irani

MBA Batch 2012-2014

Requisite Skill-set from Healthcare Management Professionals

Healthcare management professionals facilitate patient care by managing the delivery of healthcare services, promoting comprehensive healthcare policies, and refining business processes thus impacting the overall performance of healthcare providers. Capable healthcare management professionals aid the feasibility of the industry by guaranteeing compliance with the various regulations and ensuing best practices for healthcare organisations. 

Healthcare management professionals must possess knowledge of basic accounting and financial principles and the means to apply them within their respective organisations. They must be familiar with software commonly used by healthcare organisations, including patient registration, the billing and payment system, generating reports and other duties.Being aware of the rules and regulations of the industry is essential in ensuring the healthcare organisation is compliant with all standard operating procedures.

Such individuals must be capable of making timely and effective decisions and possess excellent communication and organisation skills for healthcare management.

Healthcare management professionals may work in administrative, managerial, executive or other posts. It is through their efforts and capabilities that patients can be provided considerate treatment in state-of-the-art facilities and an overall positive healthcare experience. 

Individuals who elect to pursue a career in healthcare management are likely to have considerate and kind personalities, and the aspiration to help others. This desire, collectively with a natural predisposition towards leadership and the ability to apply organisational measures, helps achieve the finest results. Effective healthcare professionals remain well-informed of the various advancements in technology and progressive techniques in the dynamic industry of healthcare management. It is through their skills and awareness that both, employees and patients are provided with a positive environment.

Healthcare management professionals are also essential to the operation of the commercial aspect of the organisation. They are tasked with ensuring their organisation remains functional and prosperous by offering desirable services at competitive prices by leading medical personnel.

Healthcare managers must:
a. Ascertain the viability of the organisation’s medical, operational and monetary foundation to provide services to its patients and the community.
b. Collaborate with other medical personnel to provide the highest quality of care.
c. Educate the community and its leader regarding essential healthcare measures.
d. Provide precise and timely information where necessary.

Further Healthcare managers need to:
• Ensure that their facilities have a strong medical, operational, and financial foundation in order to serve the needs of patients and communities.
• Partner with all medical professionals to provide the best in quality care.
• Help by communicating the importance of health issues to community members and leaders.
• Ensure their organizations provide accurate and timely information about public threats in times of crisis in addition to regular emergency and on going care.

Hence healthcare managers need to be skilled communicators, be accountable in leading the organisation, and be capable of strategic planning, budgeting, marketing and other human resource related responsibilities.
Like any other organisation, healthcare is dependent upon its leaders to make solid business decisions to continue providing quality services whilst keeping the organisation competitive and profitable. Leaders must understand the requirements of providing quality health care, and the necessities in meeting financial targets and in remaining compliant with insurance and government policies, while ensuring the organisation’s future.

Dr. Rajiv Yeravdekar
Dean, Faculty of Health & Biomedical Sciences, Symbiosis International University (SIU)
Ex. Member, Board of Governors - Medical Council of India (MCI), Govt. of India
Member, Governing Council of Consultancy Development Centre, (CDC), Govt. of India
Member, Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), Govt. of Maharashtra
Member, Maharashtra Nursing Council (MNC), Govt. of Maharashtra