Specialisation after MBBS - MD, MS and Diploma

Specialisation after MBBS - After completing the medical UG degree, aspirants who want to study further usually face a common dilemma about what to study after MBBS. Knowing the best specialisation after MBBS in the early stages will help graduates to make an informed decision.

The country produces the largest number of doctors in the world but when it comes to specialisation after MBBS the number of seats available is even less than half as compared to the number of MBBS seats. The reason is the sprouting of private colleges offering medical undergraduate courses. While the competition at the UG level is tough, with more than 15 lakh candidates competing for approximately 89,395 MBBS seats each year, admission to PG courses is also a tough row to hoe.

Specialisation after MBBS includes around 38844 seats in Doctor of Medicine (MD), Master of Surgery (MS), PG Diploma, and DNB CET for lakhs of candidates who can get admission through various postgraduate entrances annually. Going by the trends, pursuing specialisation after MBBS has become the need of the hour as demand for consulting a specialist for even treating minor ailments is increasing.

In this article candidates can check the entrances to take in order to pursue specialisations after MBBS; the various specialisations available in the country and abroad; some preferred specialisations after MBBS; and specialisation abroad.

Route to pursue specialisation after MBBS

As per Section 10 (D) of the Indian Medical Council Act of 2016, NEET PG is a single eligibility-cum-entrance examination for admission to various MD/MS, PG Diploma, and DNB CET courses apart from the entrances conducted by AIIMS, New Delhi; JIPMER, Puducherry; PGIMER, Chandigarh; NIMHANS, Bengaluru; and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum.

Out of these, NEET PG is the largest by any margin, offering admissions to Government and Private medical colleges, as well as the Central and Deemed Universities across all states and union territories. Therefore, qualifying at least one of the above-mentioned entrances becomes mandatory to pursue specialisation after MBBS. A total of 12,690 Master of Surgery (MS), 24,360 Doctor of Medicine (MD), and 922 PG Diploma seats are offered through NEET PG.

The admission to AIIMS PG, JIPMER PG, PGIMER, and NIMHANS institutes will be granted through INI CET. A total of 872 seats in MD, MS, Master of Dental Surgery (MDS), Doctorate of Medicine (DM), and Master of Chirurgiae (MCh) courses are offered through the INI CET exam.

The alternative way of pursuing specialisation after MBBS is to take DNB CET (which is conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE). The DNB qualification is accredited equal to MD and MS courses. The training of these students takes place at various institutions and hospitals.

Postgraduate Medical Degrees - Important skills

Before delving into choosing the specialisation after MBBS, candidates must decide the postgraduate medical degree they should go for. The postgraduate medical education for broad specialties includes courses like MD, MS, PG Diploma, and DNB. With the exception of PG Diploma courses, which are for a duration of two years, the postgraduate medical degree is of three years duration. Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a postgraduate degree in general medicine while Master of Surgery (MS) is a qualification in surgery.

NBE Diplomate of National Board receives hands-on training at the hospitals and the institutions in the specialisation that one has opted for. The curriculum of the postgraduate medical degrees include these components-

• Theoretical knowledge
• Practical and clinical skills
• Thesis skills
• Attitudes including communication skills
• Training in research methodology

Various Specialisation after MBBS

The specialties after MBBS are broadly divided into three different types- Clinical, Non-Clinical, and Paraclinical. The difference among them is whether you are providing direct patient care in terms of giving a direct diagnosis or treatment. Clinical roles and thus, in turn, clinical specialisation includes face-to-face interaction with patients while non-clinical roles, in some cases, can require interaction with patients but they do not provide diagnoses. Paraclinical fields also do not include much involvement in inpatient care. The different specialisations after MBBS are listed below-

Specialisation after MBBS

Diploma Specialisation

Diploma Specialisation

• Allergy & Clinical Immunology
• Anesthesiology
• Clinical Pathology
• Community Medicine/Public Health
• Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprosy
• ENT
• Forensic Medicine
• Health Education
• Health Administration
• Immunohematology & Blood Transfusion
• Obstetrics & Gynaecology
• Occupational Health
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Otorhinolaryngology
• Pediatrics
• Psychiatry
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
• Pulmonary medicine
• Radio-diagnosis
• Radiation Medicine
• Sports Medicine
• Tropical medicine
• Tuberculosis & Chest Diseases
• Virology

List of PG courses after MBBS

Medicine is a lucrative field. However, choosing the right specialisation as per your interest and scope is necessary when the amount of time and money that one spends is huge. As the Medical Council of India (MCI) is also bringing major changes to medical education like renewing the MBBS syllabus and making it competency-based, the choices among medicos with respect to specialisations are also altering. Here is a list of the top five most preferred specialisations after MBBS were shortlisted on the basis of choices made by the top scorers of NEET PG during counselling, and demand in the market.

MD Radiodiagnosis

The specialisation involves diagnostic testing and radiation treatments. Radio-diagnosis has emerged as the most preferred specialisation after MBBS going by the previous year's trends. The role is to interpret diagnostic tests like X Rays, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs), Computed Tomography (CTs) scans, and ultrasounds. The branch has found its niche in advancing medical science.

MD Radiodiagnosis - Seats in India

MD General Medicine

In the country, there is a great deal of disparity between urban and rural regions in terms of quality and access to health care. The health quality among the states is also stark. This is the reason that the country, which lacks access to primary health care, needs specialisations like General Medicine. The purpose of this course is to enable the students to deal effectively with the needs of the community. The specialty requires patient care and providing comprehensive treatment. The role of the postgraduate in general medicine is to practice medicine in different practice settings like ambulatory, intensive care, inpatient, and emergency medicine.

MD General Medicine - Seats in India

MS General Surgery

Doctors who specialize in general surgery have a broad knowledge of medical conditions through operations. Surgeons are required to work with their patients throughout the process - diagnosing the medical condition for which surgery is required, operating, and providing postoperative care. The field is booming with each passing day as there are a lot of dimensions that are still unknown and unexplored and with the advancement in technology, medicos are also opting for this field.

MS General Surgery - Seats in India

MD Dermatology

MD Dermatology emerged from general internal medicine and much later it was recognized as a different specialisation in the country. Specialisation has become the subject of choice among students. As per the statistics, approximately 1 in 20 Indian citizens are suffering from a skin disease while there is no easy access to dermatologists, especially in rural areas. Not only the specialisation is high in demand, but also the quality of life of dermatologists is much better when compared to other postgraduates in medicine.

MD Dermatology - Seats in India

MS Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Doctors who wish to seek a specialisation in women’s reproductive health should pursue MS Obstetrics & Gynaecology. The specialisation seeks to provide optimal health care especially to half of the population i.e. women. These doctors’ role is to manage pregnancy, labor, diagnose and treat diseases. MS Obstetrics & Gynaecology remains a favorable choice for female students.

MD/MS Obstetrics & Gynaecology - Seats in India

Specialisations Abroad

It is believed that out of the total number of doctors that the country produces, one-third of them goes abroad for residency training or to practice. The most preferred choices for countries among doctors at home are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore among others. Indian medical degrees are recognised in a lot of countries. To pursue postgraduate medical courses in the USA and Canada, candidates are required to take ECFMG and USMLE while in the UK, students appear for PLAB. Candidates will be required to choose which country they wish to pursue specialisations after MBBS and follow the admission procedure. The medical institution from where the MBBS is completed must be registered with the World Directory of Medical Schools.

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