Beginner’s Guide to Medical Applications
For medical aspirants, it is common knowledge that the admission process to an MBBS has a number of items to address and keep track of, which makes the process a long drawn one. Given below are some tips pre-med students can use to successfully navigate their application process.
Choose the right subjects for your senior secondary education
The first step that any medical aspirant must take to pursue a career as a doctor is to choose the core science subjects for their senior secondary (+1 and +2) education. Physics, chemistry and biology are mandatory to qualify for the next step, the MBBS entrance exams.
Take the NEET
After the 12th grade final examination, candidates can appear for an entrance exam to secure admission to their desired medical college. The National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) is the most popular for MBBS and BDS and alternative medicine (AYUSH) candidates.
Several other colleges like JIPMER, AIIMS, Armed Force Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Kasturba Medical College, Maulana Azad Medical College, Christian Medical College, etc., conduct their own entrance examinations. Students looking to gain admission to these colleges do not have to appear for the NEET.
Figure out which schools you will apply to
This is a step students are advised to take while preparing for their NEET. It is imperative that students spend time comparing the facilities and academic options to shortlist colleges/universities. Medical schools usually have resources on their websites that can help students make informed decisions.
MBBS vs Other Medical Degrees
Students who are interested in the medical field have options other than MBBS. BDS (Dentistry) is one of the more popular courses that a lot of aspiring candidates go for. Apart from that, students can also opt for B.Pharm (Bachelor of Pharmacy), Physiotherapy, Radiography, Nursing, Optometry, Anesthesiology, Hematology, etc., as equally viable courses in the medical field.
Look at international options
In 2021 alone, 16.14 lakh students appeared for the NEET. Out of that only 8 lakh, students were able to score the required cut-off. In situations like these, a number of students usually either choose to appear a second time or try their luck with an international medical college.
A number of international college degrees are recognised in India for students who are interested in returning to the country to practice. St. George’s University (SGU), in Grenada, for example, is working with the Ramaiah Group of Institutions to offer students a 5-year MD pathway. This degree enables students to begin their studies in India for their first year, and move on to SGU’s joint campus at Northumbria University in the UK or at SGU’s main campus in Grenada for their second year, the third year in Grenada, and the last two years doing their clinical rotations either in the US or in the UK.
Post their MBBS students can also choose to study further, and specialise with an MS or an MS. MD graduates usually become physicians while MS offers the option to pursue surgery as their specialisation.