Thinking about BAMS and wondering what you will actually study?

The Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) is much broader than learning about herbs and traditional remedies. The course combines classical Ayurvedic knowledge with anatomy, physiology, pathology, diagnostics, pharmacology, medicine, surgery, obstetrics, paediatrics, emergency care, research methodology and clinical training.

Under the current National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) framework, BAMS is structured into three professional phases of 18 months each, followed by a 12-month compulsory rotatory internship. That makes the total duration 5.5 years.

So, what will you learn during those 5.5 years? Here is the complete breakdown.

BAMS Course Structure at a Glance

Phase	Duration	Main Focus
First Professional BAMS	18 months	Ayurveda fundamentals, anatomy, physiology and Sanskrit
Second Professional BAMS	18 months	Medicines, pharmacy, pathology, diagnosis and preventive healthcare
Third/Final Professional BAMS	18 months	Clinical medicine, surgery, Panchakarma, paediatrics, gynaecology and emergency care
Compulsory Rotatory Internship	12 months	Supervised clinical and community-based training
Total	5.5 years	Academic + clinical training

NCISM maintains separate curriculum resources for the four professional stages and the internship orientation programme.

Recommended Read: BAMS Admission Tips

First Professional BAMS: Build Your Foundation

The first professional phase is where you learn the language, philosophy and scientific foundations of Ayurveda. The current curriculum includes five core subjects, along with electives.

1. Padartha Vijnanam

Padartha Vijnanam introduces students to the fundamental principles of Ayurveda and related philosophical concepts. You study concepts such as:

• Dravya
• Guna
• Karma
• Samanya
• Vishesha
• Samavaya
• Pramana
• Fundamental principles of Ayurveda
• Concepts connecting Ayurveda with contemporary scientific thought

The NCISM curriculum describes Padartha Vijnanam as covering the fundamental principles of Ayurveda and quantum mechanics.

The goal is simple: before learning how to treat disease, you need to understand how Ayurveda explains the human body, health and disease.

2. Sanskrit and Ayurved Itihas

A significant portion of classical Ayurvedic knowledge is preserved in Sanskrit texts.

This subject helps students understand Sanskrit terminology, basic grammar, Ayurvedic terminology and the history of Ayurveda. Students also learn about the development of Ayurveda and its major scholars, texts and traditions.

3. Kriya Sharir

Kriya Sharir is essentially the study of human physiology from both Ayurvedic and contemporary perspectives. Students learn about:

• Dosha
• Dhatu
• Mala
• Agni
• Prana
• Srotas
• Human physiology
• Cardiovascular functions
• Respiratory functions
• Digestive processes
• Nervous system functions
• Endocrine functions

This subject helps students understand how a healthy body works before moving into pathology and disease management.

4. Rachana Sharir

Rachana Sharir focuses on anatomy.

Students study the structure of the human body, including bones, muscles, organs, tissues, vessels and anatomical relationships. Practical learning is particularly important here. Students may work with anatomical specimens, models, charts and dissection-based teaching depending on institutional facilities.

5. Samhita Adhyayan I

This subject takes students directly into classical Ayurvedic literature. Students begin learning how to read, interpret and understand important Ayurvedic texts and their concepts.

The current NCISM curriculum specifically identifies Samhita Adhyayan I as the study of Ayurveda classical texts.

Electives

The first professional curriculum also includes elective subjects. The current framework requires students to complete electives as part of their professional progression.

Second Professional BAMS: From Fundamentals to Diagnosis and Medicines

The second professional phase becomes more clinically oriented. You move from understanding the body to understanding medicines, disease processes, diagnosis, toxicology and preventive healthcare.

The core subjects are:

1. Dravyaguna Vigyan
2. Rasashastra evam Bhaishajyakalpana
3. Roga Nidan evam Vikriti Vigyan
4. Agada Tantra evam Vidhi Vaidyaka
5. Samhita Adhyayan II
6. Swasthavritta evam Yoga

These subjects are listed in the NCISM-based BAMS curriculum.

1. Dravyaguna Vigyan

This is the Ayurvedic study of medicinal substances, particularly herbal drugs.

Students learn about:

• Identification of medicinal plants
• Botanical characteristics
• Ayurvedic properties
• Rasa
• Guna
• Virya
• Vipaka
• Karma
• Therapeutic applications
• Medicinal plant identification

In simple terms, this is where students learn what medicinal substances do and how Ayurveda uses them.

2. Rasashastra and Bhaishajyakalpana

This subject focuses on Ayurvedic pharmaceutical science.

Students learn about minerals, metals and other substances used in Ayurvedic formulations, along with methods of purification, preparation and dosage.

Bhaishajyakalpana introduces students to the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines and dosage forms. This makes the subject particularly practical because students learn not only about medicines but also how formulations are prepared.

3. Roga Nidan and Vikriti Vigyan

Now the focus shifts to disease. Students learn diagnostic methods, pathology and disease processes. Topics include Ayurvedic approaches to diagnosis alongside laboratory and clinical concepts.

The subject helps students answer three important questions:

What is happening? Why is it happening? How can it be identified?

4. Agada Tantra evam Vidhi Vaidyaka

This subject covers toxicology and medical jurisprudence. Students learn about:

• Poisons
• Toxic substances
• Poisoning
• Diagnosis and management of poisoning
• Environmental toxins
• Medicolegal concepts
• Legal responsibilities of medical professionals

NCISM identifies the subject’s equivalent areas as clinical toxicology and medical jurisprudence.

5. Samhita Adhyayan II

The second Samhita course takes students deeper into classical Ayurvedic texts. The emphasis is on understanding classical concepts and applying them to Ayurvedic practice.

6. Swasthavritta and Yoga

This subject focuses on prevention rather than treatment. Students study:

• Dinacharya
• Ritucharya
• Diet and lifestyle
• Public health
• Hygiene
• Disease prevention
• Yoga
• Health promotion
• Community health

In other words, students learn how Ayurveda approaches the question: How do we keep people healthy in the first place?

Third Professional BAMS: The Clinical Phase

The third professional phase is where BAMS becomes heavily clinical. The current NCISM curriculum includes nine major subjects:

1. Kayachikitsa
2. Panchakarma and Upakarma
3. Shalya Tantra
4. Shalakya Tantra
5. Prasuti Tantra evam Stri Roga
6. Kaumarabhritya
7. Samhita Adhyayan III
8. Atyaikachikitsa
9. Research Methodology and Medical Statistics

This structure is reflected in current NCISM-based curriculum documents.

Kayachikitsa

Kayachikitsa is Ayurvedic internal medicine.

Students learn how to approach systemic diseases and clinical conditions through Ayurvedic diagnosis and management. The current curriculum also includes areas such as Manasa Roga, Rasayana, Vajikarana and related concepts.

Panchakarma and Upakarma

Panchakarma introduces students to Ayurvedic therapeutic procedures and their clinical applications.

Students learn about procedures, indications, contraindications, preparation and post-procedure care. This is one of the areas where practical training becomes extremely important.

Shalya Tantra

Shalya Tantra is the Ayurvedic branch dealing with surgery.

Students learn surgical principles, clinical examination, common surgical conditions and relevant Ayurvedic procedures. The curriculum connects traditional surgical knowledge with modern surgical concepts.

Shalakya Tantra

This subject focuses on diseases and disorders involving the head and neck, including areas such as:

• Eye
• Ear
• Nose
• Throat
• Oral and dental conditions

It therefore overlaps with areas commonly associated with ophthalmology, ENT and oro-dentistry.

Prasuti Tantra and Stri Roga

This is the BAMS branch covering obstetrics and gynaecology.

Students learn about:

• Pregnancy
• Antenatal care
• Labour
• Postnatal care
• Women’s health
• Gynaecological disorders
• Ayurvedic approaches to reproductive health

Kaumarabhritya

Kaumarabhritya is Ayurvedic paediatrics.

Students learn about child growth and development, common childhood disorders, nutrition and Ayurvedic approaches to paediatric care.

Samhita Adhyayan III

The third Samhita component continues the detailed study of classical Ayurvedic texts, with greater emphasis on clinical interpretation and application.

Atyaikachikitsa

This is emergency medicine and casualty management.

Students learn how to recognise emergency conditions, provide initial care and understand when referral or higher-level medical intervention is required.

Research Methodology and Medical Statistics

Modern healthcare requires more than clinical knowledge. Students also learn how research is designed, how data is collected and analysed, and how medical evidence is interpreted.

This introduces BAMS students to evidence-based thinking and scientific research.

What Happens During the BAMS Internship?

Passing the professional examinations does not mean the learning stops. The final stage is a 12-month compulsory rotatory internship. Students must complete the required professional examinations and other eligibility requirements before entering the internship.

The internship is designed to move students from classroom learning to supervised clinical practice.

NCISM’s Shishiksha internship orientation programme describes this stage as a transition from academic learning to hands-on clinical practice, with emphasis on clinical competence, communication and professional behaviour.

Depending on the applicable internship structure, students may rotate through areas including:

• Kayachikitsa
• Panchakarma
• Shalya Tantra
• Shalakya Tantra
• Prasuti and Stri Roga
• Kaumarabhritya
• Swasthavritta and Yoga
• Emergency or casualty services
• Visha Chikitsa
• Community or primary healthcare settings

The internship can include OPD, IPD, procedure rooms, operation theatre exposure, community health activities and other supervised clinical work.

Students are also expected to maintain records of their clinical activities, with NCISM’s internship orientation framework emphasising professional ethics, communication, medical records, medico-legal awareness and healthcare programmes.

What Skills Will You Develop During BAMS?

By the end of the course, BAMS is designed to take you through a clear progression:

Understand the body → understand disease → understand medicines → diagnose → treat → perform procedures → manage emergencies → practise under supervision.

You will develop knowledge and practical exposure in areas such as:

• Ayurvedic principles and classical texts
• Human anatomy and physiology
• Medicinal plants and formulations
• Pathology and diagnosis
• Ayurvedic pharmacology
• Internal medicine
• Panchakarma
• Surgery
• ENT and ophthalmology
• Obstetrics and gynaecology
• Paediatrics
• Emergency medicine
• Preventive healthcare
• Yoga and lifestyle management
• Research methodology
• Medical statistics
• Clinical documentation
• Patient communication

The curriculum increasingly emphasises practical, laboratory, simulated and clinical learning, rather than relying entirely on lectures. NCISM’s assessment framework specifically highlights hands-on experience in practical laboratories, skill laboratories, simulated settings and real clinical environments.

Is BAMS Only About Ayurveda?

No.

That is one of the biggest misconceptions about the course.

BAMS students study Ayurveda in depth, but they also learn anatomy, physiology, pathology, diagnostics, surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics, emergency medicine, toxicology and research methodology.

The difference is that these subjects are taught within an Ayurvedic medical framework, while also connecting students with relevant contemporary medical concepts.

That combination is what makes BAMS a medical degree rather than simply a course in herbal medicine.

Conclusion

The BAMS syllabus is extensive because the goal is to train students for clinical practice, not simply teach them Ayurvedic theory.

The first 18 months build your foundation. The second 18 months teach you about medicines, disease and diagnosis. The final 18 months take you into clinical medicine, surgery, Panchakarma, women’s health, paediatrics and emergency care. Finally, the 12-month internship gives you supervised real-world clinical exposure.

If you are considering BAMS, don’t judge the course by its most familiar subjects such as Ayurveda, herbs or Panchakarma. Look at the complete curriculum.

You will study anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, medicine, surgery, emergency care, public health and research, alongside the classical foundations of Ayurveda.

That is what makes BAMS a demanding but diverse medical education pathway.