Becoming a Doctor is an ambition that many young Indian students nourish. In India, Doctors have their own place and status in the society. They are given much respect by people. Along with that, the profession is also financially well rewarding. All these factors together make this career a very popular and attractive choice among students! MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) is the Degree required to practice as a Doctor in India. In this article, you will be reading about MBBS course details, eligibility criteria, admission process, entrance tests, syllabus, PG courses and career prospects.
MCI (Medical Council of India) is the statutory body responsible for maintaining and improving the quality of medical education in India. MCI gives accreditation to Private and Government medical schools and colleges.
Doctors are healthcare professionals who are capable of diagnosing, treating and monitoring (the condition) of patients. Doctors use scientific knowledge to heal and help patients. Various methods are used by Doctors to improve the condition of a patient. Some of the methods are- administering medicines, surgery, therapy and counseling.
It is a noble profession and can be used to touch and influence the lives of people. It is a satisfying profession, where one could use one’s knowledge and skills to bring relief into the lives of people!
The profession is quite challenging too. It involves tough working schedules, little to no rest (sometimes), emergency calls etc. Often, a Doctor has to put his/her comfort aside, for the sake of his/her patients!
Becoming a Doctor is not an easy task! Pursuing and completing MBBS course will make you a Doctor. But securing admission in a good medical college is a tough task! The competition among aspirants is so enormous that getting a seat in top medical colleges has become very difficult. But with hard work and dedication, no goal is beyond one’s reach! In short, if you want to become a Doctor, you will have to work hard for it.
If you posses qualities such as- good memory, good communication skills, decision making skills, good observational skills, compassion, good academic aptitude etc, you may perform well in this field.
Let us check out MBBS course details now. I’ve covered most of the important details below-
MBBS stands for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. It is an UG level Degree medical course. The course duration is 5½ years. The academic program is 4½ years long. 1 year is dedicated towards rotating internship.
The academic program is divided into 3 phases. The first phase if 1 year long. The second phase is 1½ years long. The 3rd phase consists of final 2 years. Together, these 3 phases are combined to form the 4½ years long academic program.
After completing the academic program and internship, successful graduates may use the prefix of ‘Doctor (Dr)’. Successful graduates may start practice as medical practitioners and treat patients under supervised or independent setup.
Minimum age: 17 years
Candidate must have passed 10+2 Science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Biology subjects, from a recognized board. Minimum aggregate marks required in PCB subjects- 50%. Minimum marks scored in Biology subject- 50%. Note: Minimum marks criteria may vary (usually around 50% marks).
Candidate must also have taken part in medical entrance examination organized by State or Central Government. Some of the well known entrance tests are- State wise CETs (Medical), AIIMS Entrance, AIPMT, PGIMER, JIPMER, NEET UG and AFMC. Note: There exists even more medical entrance tests. Some Private Universities have their own entrance tests (example- Manipal University).
Merit based admission process is followed in case of all institutes. Deserving candidates are allotted seats based on merit marks obtained by them. Entrance test marks and board examination marks are combined to create a ‘merit score’.
Candidates may also make use of NRI quota and donation seats to secure admission by paying money. Many private colleges have a certain percentage of seats reserved under ‘NRI’ and ‘Donation’ quotas!
To get a better idea about the course structure, let us run through the list of important subjects present in MBBS program. In general, the course covers clinical and non clinical subjects.
Phase 1 (1st year or I MBBS) subjects-
Phase 2 (2nd year or II MBBS) subjects-
- Forensic Science
Phase 3 (III MBBS part 1) subjects-
- Community Medicine
Phase 3 (III MBBS part 2) subjects-
- General Medicine
- General Surgery
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Evaluation is done through internal assessment and University examination. University examination is the main evaluation. It is held at the end of each phase. Only on passing Phase 1 will one be able to take on Phase 2. Similarly, only on clearing Phase 2 will one be able to take on Phase 3 part 1. One may enter Phase 3 part 2 even after not clearing Phase 3 part 1. But to appear for Phase 3 part 2 exam, one must have cleared Phase 3 part 1 successfully.
Higher studies and PG courses
This is the age of super specialty! Just an MBBS Degree is not enough in today’s world of cut throat competition! After completing MBBS, graduates may go for the below mentioned traditional PG courses-
- MS (Master of Surgery)- 3 years long
- MD (Doctor of Medicine)- 3 years long
- PG Diploma- 2 years long
- DNB (Diploma of National Board)
Using the above mentioned PG courses, one may go for clinical or non clinical studies. PG courses can be used to specialize in a particular discipline/field. Some such areas of specializations are- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pathology, Orthopaedics, ENT, Anaesthesia, Paediatrics, Pharmacology, General Medicine, Radiology etc.
After completing any one of the above mentioned PG course, one may go for super specialty course. After MS, you may go for M.Ch. program. After completing MD, you may go for DM program.
Even after going through all these PG and specialty courses, a Doctor must keep the learning process a continuous one! He/she must keep up with the latest developments taking place in the field of medicine and healthcare sector.
Other than the traditional PG courses, one may also go for slightly different courses like-
- PGDMLE (Post Graduate Diploma in Medical Law and Ethics)
- MMST (Master’s in Medical Science and Technology)
- M.Tech. (relevant field like Biomedical Engineering)
Career prospects and job opportunities
With an MBBS Degree, one may practice as a General Practitioner in Government or Private hospitals/clinics. After pursuing PG courses, one’s chances of landing a good job will increase! After MBBS, job profiles available in front of graduates include-
- Junior Doctor
- General Physician
Private practice (setting up own clinic) is another option available in front of graduates. Graduates may use CMS entrance test held by the Central Government and join Central Government setups (post of Medical Officer).
Graduates may also take part in Government schemes such as Rural Health Mission. Government enterprises such as ONGC, BHEL, OIL etc also recruit medical officers. One may also join hospitals as a Junior Doctor. Joining Armed Forces is another option (PG education at AFMC). Graduates may also work as a tutor at medical schools.