I love both drawing and biology. Do I really have to pick one?
Aarav Kulkarni11th Sample
12 Oct 2026 · 2 min read
This has been in my head for weeks and I make lists for everything, so naturally I made a list for this too, which didn't help.
I'm in class 11, PCB. I like biology, really like it, especially the diagrams: the structure of a neuron, the heart, the cross-section of a leaf. I redraw them for fun and I'm weirdly good at making them clear. I also sketch in my free time (people, buildings, random objects) and I'm part of the school art club. Last month I made a labelled poster of the digestive system for a school exhibition and a teacher said "you should do this professionally." I haven't stopped thinking about it.
Everyone around me says "you're PCB, so NEET, so doctor." I'm not sure that's what I want, and I'm also not sure it's not what I want. And I don't want to throw away art, either.
My lists so far: Medicine on one side, art on the other. Both columns are long, which is the problem.
Questions:
- Is there actually something that combines art and science, or is that a fantasy?
- If I pick science now, does art just die? Can I keep it alongside?
- Do I have to decide right now, in class 11?
I've tried googling and got a mess of "top 10 careers" lists that all look the same. I'd rather hear from real people.
11 answers & replies
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[+][–]Tanvi Deshmukh12thSample· 7d ago
OMG aarav I have the same thing!!! I'm PCB and I draw all the time, my notes are basically full of diagrams. Not fantasy at all. There's a thing called medical or scientific illustration, where people draw diagrams for textbooks, journals and museums. Biology knowledge is the superpower there because you can't draw a heart properly if you don't understand it. Maybe look up artists who do that, you'll see the work.
[+][–]Diya Menon11thSample· 7d ago
ahh yes!! also botanical illustration, like drawing plants really accurately for science. I garden and I love looking at those old plant drawings. Your biology knowledge + your hand is literally a rare combo. I'd also say you do NOT have to choose now, your art can live next to science. Some doctors sketch their cases, it's called visual note-taking and it actually helps them remember.
[+][–]Neel Chatterjee12thSample· 7d ago
Architecture is another bridge: drawing plus physics plus maths of structures. Though I should say it needs maths in 12th, so with PCB you'd need to check the eligibility. Several design courses are open to students from any stream.
[+][–]Tanvi Deshmukh12thSample· 7d ago
wait so architecture isn't possible with PCB then? I thought it was
[+][–]Neel Chatterjee12thSample· 7d ago
As far as I know, no. The architecture entrance tests usually need maths as a subject in class 12. I'd check the official eligibility pages, since there are changes sometimes. Design courses (product, communication, animation) are the more flexible ones, many accept all streams.
[+][–]Meera Patel11thSample· 7d ago
A practical point: whatever you choose, class 11 and 12 are not the time for irreversible decisions. Keep up your biology, keep your marks, and keep drawing. Both skills keep many doors open. In the next year, find two or three actual people who work in those fields and ask them what their days look like. That will tell you more than any list.
[+][–]Aarav Kulkarni11thSample· 7d agoAuthor
okay I'm going to make a "people to talk to" list (obviously). my aunt's friend works at a publishing house that makes textbooks, maybe she knows an illustrator
[+][–]Riya Singh12thSample· 7d ago
Write about it too. I think art and science are the same urge, "look carefully and then make it clear to someone else." Whatever you decide, don't kill the drawing. A hobby you keep alive can become a career later, or just a lifelong friend.
[+][–]Rahul DubeyDropperSample· 7d ago
Third-attempt perspective: I'd tell my younger self you don't need to prove your talent to anyone. If medicine is your thing, draw anyway. If art becomes your thing, your biology will still make your art better. Neither is wasted. The only wasted thing is dropping both because you're scared to choose.
[+][–]Ananya Reddy11thSample· 6d ago
Colour-coded list tip: instead of "Medicine vs Art", make columns for what I do all day in each. Not the job title, the actual activities. That's how I figured out what I didn't want. Sometimes the title is what attracts you, but the hours are different.
[+][–]Zoya Khan12thSample· 6d ago
Aarav, a gentle thought. You said you're "not sure it's not what you want" about medicine, and I think that honesty is a good place to be at 16. You don't owe anyone a final answer yet. Keep exploring both and let the choice come slowly.
