Bhubaneswar, March 22: A group of medical students have proved that studying to be a doctor can be more than just about learning anatomy and medicines, it can also be about some enthralling music.

Young medicos from the Siksha O Anusandhan (SOA) University have come out with a music album comprising their original scores.

Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi secretary Dhirendranath Mallick released Naina, the album, at an event held at the IMS and Sum Hospital, the varsity's faculty of medicine.

The album contains 11 songs, performed by former and present students of the medical college. 'It has been a difficult journey as we also have to do our duties in the hospital and study, but the group has achieved it because of their collective passion for music,' Maitri Rang, one of the singers and an intern at the Sum Hospital, said.

The team believes in the healing power of music and recognise its therapeutic value. 'It is believed that the melody, pitch, timing and beats of music are healing elements. Music is a very powerful way to connect the body to the mind,' says Rang.

Earlier, the group had launched an album titled Saawariyaa, which became an instant hit among youths in the city.

Rang, who had contributed to Saawariyaa, has also sung the title track of Naina besides four other numbers. The other singers are Soham Ghosh, a third-year student, who also has a Bengali music album to his name, and Gargi Tripathy, a second-year student.

Former students, Jayesh Patnaik and Abhinab Nayak, have also lent their voices to the album. Jayesh Patnaik, Suraj Agrawal, Arna Annanya, Sohan Ghosh and Gargi Tripathy have written the lyrics, while Dichi, Humane Sagar and Saaj have set those to music.

Music director Laxmikant Palit and actor Ratan Meher were also present at the launch along with IMS and Sum Hospital medical superintendent P.K. Mohanty and dean of the medical college Kiran Dukhu.

In another development, the varsity launched an integrated programme of BTech and MTech courses in Biotechnology that will start from this academic session. Students will get admission to the five-year course through SAAT-2015, the entrance test conducted by the University, said a varsity official.

Under this programme, students can opt for either the four-year BTech course or the five-year integrated degree MTech course. The course curriculum includes physics, chemistry, mathematics, statistics and communicative English, and managerial skill with other engineering subjects.

Students, who have secured 50 per cent marks in Plus Two science subjects, will be eligible for these courses. BTech biotechnology students may pursue PhD later.

They will also have a wide opportunity of employment in the information technology industry, pharma, chemical, food and agricultural firms, said the official.