A Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery abbreviated as M.B.B.S is one of the professional degree streams offered in India and it is the stream dedicated to the graduate study in the field of Medicine. It is the most sought after course for medical aspirants and since the number of seats is few when compared with the aspirants, it can be said that it is one of the most contested graduate streams. Considering that India was the cradle of the ancient medical science – “Ayurveda” it is no wonder that this course attracts a lot of aspirants.
Having said that, since the course is one of the toughest to crack and a lot of preparation goes for the entrance exams ( students start attending coaching classes from their first year of HSC itself for this ) it is a fruit which can be attained after only dedicated effort.
The institutions offering MBBS course in its curriculum are only known as medical colleges. Those colleges may teach Post graduate as well as para medical and /or nursing courses as well. Admission is very competitive because of the high subsidy involved and extensive hands on experience. The Course duration is for 5.5 years ( 4.5 years of classroom study followed by an year of house internship ). The Study period is further broken down into 3 phases of 18 months each known as professional which is then further subdivided into 3 semesters of 6 months each. Examinations are conducted at the end of each semester and well as each phase. The third phase is mainly concentrated on monthly clinical work in the wards of the hospital associated with the institution/ university. There are practical and clinical examinations as well. At every stage, the aspirants are monitored by the in house specialists as well as external specialists. The Minimum pass percentage required to clear the exams is 50%.
Eligibility:
The main eligibility expected from aspirants for enrolling in this degree course are as follows:
- Completion of Higher secondary education with Physics, Chemistry, English and Biology as core subjects with minimum 50% aggregate. ( For reserved category students the aggregate is maintained at 40% )
- MBBS admissions are not centralised and differs across universities
- The Entrance examination conducted by the particular college or institute.
Generally the aspirants who score very high marks in HSC and in the entrance examinations conducted are accepted/ enrolled in the MBBS course.
The Entrance are conducted by many agencies/ authorities, to name a few as follows:
- AIIMS – All India Institute of Medical Sciences
- AIPVT – All India Pre Veterinary Test
- AIPMT – All India Pre Medical/ Pre Dental Test
- JIPMER – Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research
- AIMS – Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences
- UPCAT/UPCMET/ UPCPMT – Uttar Pradesh Medical Entrance Authorites
- WBJEE – West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations
- GUJ CET – Gujarat Common Entrance Test
- AFMC – Armed Forces Medical College
Future Prospects / Job Opportunities:
Since the course exhaustively covers all major streams in the field of medicine ( for example – anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology etc ) followed by the intense and strenuous internship which ensures that the aspirant gets a hands on experience to practically apply the theoretical knowledge learned during their course. 24 hours of nonstop work is not unheard of during the internship period. Students get the degree only after the successful completion of the internship.
Such is the experience they get during their graduation itself that they are well prepared for their career / post graduation study by the time they complete MBBS. A successful graduate can use the title prefix “ Doctor” or “Dr” before their name and can operate their own clinics/ work in a hospital as a general physician. Alternatively some of them choose to pursue higher degrees either in India or abroad ( M.D ) where they go for specialisations in their chosen field. Upon completion they embark on a successful career. Doctors who become famous in their practice of their specialisations have a long waiting list for consultation and their advice and participation in surgeries are much sought after. The crème-de-la crème of these keep travelling to various hospitals for consultation and are paid huge sums for it.
Some of them choose to go into National Service once they complete their graduation. The Armed Forces Medical Corps welcomes them guaranteeing them a shining career. Some of them choose the research field in famous institutions/ universities.
Some of the Top Colleges/ Institutions/ Universities whose MBBS degree is much sought after are as follows:
- AIIMS, New Delhi
- Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
- University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
- Government Medical College, Kozhikode
- Christian Medical College, Vellore
- Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
- Grant Medical College, Mumbai
- Madras Medical College, Chennai
- Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
- Stanley Medical College, Chennai
- Government Medical College, Pune
- Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata
Since this course offers a lot of opportunities for the aspirant in the medical field where doctors are considered as “ life savers”, those both with an intention to pursue a career for scientific advancement and those who pursue it for social service ensure that the demand for this course never wanes and this is further cemented by the fact that doctors are well respected in the Indian society as anywhere else.