Best Medical Colleges in Karnataka

Karnataka is home to 70 medical colleges, out of which 22 are government-owned and 48 are private medical colleges. There are a total of 11745 MBBS seats in these 70 best medical colleges of Karnataka. Apart from the MBBS, there are many fields within the medical field which a student can pursue like dentistry, homeopathy, physiotherapy, pathology, Ayurveda, psychology and others. Students can also make a career in this field along with the MBBS MS/MS degree, these fields are also gaining importance. 

Below is the detailed list of the best medical colleges in Karnataka along with the specialisations, admission, fee structure, eligibility criteria, top recruiters and other options. 

Medical colleges in Karnataka: Specialisation Available 

Undergraduate level

Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)

This course is a high in demand course in India, there are some 76,000 odd seats available all over India. The applications received annually for admission is almost 15 lakhs plus. From 2020, NEET will be the only entrance exam considered for admission in undergraduate medical courses in India. This is one of the toughest entrances to crack for any student, students sometimes start preparing in advance for the exam or even apply multiple times so that they can get through. 

The other degrees you can apply for after appearing for NEET are

• Bachelor of Dental Surgery – this is a five-year undergraduate course with four years of theory and one year of rotary internship. Dental council of India regulates this course

• Bachelor of Ayurvedic medicine and surgery - this is five and a half-year course and the student will get the degree of Áyuvedacharya’ at completion 

• Bachelors of Unani medicine and surgery – it is a 4.5-year course which is regulated by Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH)

• Bachelor of Homeopathy medicine and surgery

• Bachelor of Yoga and Naturopathy Sciences

• Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry

Postgraduate Level 

Doctor of Medicine (MD) Master of Surgery (MS) Diplomate of National Board (DNB)

All students who want to study MBBS, will want to continue with further studies with a master’s degree. This course is also a challenging one as there are limited seats available and an entrance exam and merit-based selection applied to this too.  Once the entrance exam is cleared, the student can study any of the three courses at any medical college. With the master’s degree, the students get a chance to select a specialization in their field. After the completion of both the degrees, the aspirants can work as Physician or Doctor in Clinical Care, Education or Research.  As per the degree the specialization that can be selected are as follows

Doctor of Medicine (MD) 

MD is a professional degree that a student can enrol into after finishing MBBS at a medical college. This degree is awarded after the study and completion of the examinations in a pre-clinical or clinical set up of non-surgical nature.   

The most popular branches of MD are-

• General Medicine – This field is also known as Internal Medicine and it deals with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. 

• Anatomy – This field specializes in the structure of human beings including the system, organs and tissues. 

• Paediatrics – This field specialises for medical care of infants, children and adolescents. 

Master of Surgery (MS)

This is a professional degree for an advanced course in surgery. This is awarded to students after completing the course in a clinical set up including surgery. 

The most popular branches of MS are: -

• General Surgery - This field specialises in the abdominal region of the human body which includes stomach, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, and bile ducts. It also deals with treatments of breasts, skin, soft tissue, trauma and some other parts.

• Orthopaedics - This branch of surgery deals with the human musculoskeletal system of the human body. The surgeons specializing in this field will deal with any trauma to the musculoskeletal system, spine, sports injury, degenerative diseases, and other such things

• Obstetrics and Gynaecology – These are two specialities which go hand in hand. Obstetrics deals pregnancy, child-birth, and postpartum period. Gynaecology deals with the female reproductive system. The course specialization will be a combined one with both these specialities being taught. 

Diplomate of National Board 

This is the second alternative to MD or MS degrees, and it is equivalent to both. This is a three-year residency course post MBBS, which is conducted by the National Board of Examination. There are fourteen specializations to choose from. 

Super Speciality Medical Degree in India

After the Post Graduate degrees of MD, MS or DNB, a student can consider doing a super specialization in the field he/she chose to do the specialization at postgraduate level. After an entrance exam, a student can do a super specialization in his/her chosen field 

Super specialization degree in medicine is known as D.M.

Super specialization in surgery is known as M.Ch.

The most popular post-doctoral courses are available in the below mentioned super specialities 

The most popular super specialisation categories are 

• Endocrinology - this field deals with the Endocrine System of the human body, including its diseases, and the specific secretions known as hormones. 

• Urology – this field deals with the male and female urinary tract system and the male reproductive system. 

• Neurosurgery – this field deals with the nervous system of the human body including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system. 

Doctorate of Philosophy in Medicine 

This is a three-to-five-year full time Doctoral program in Medicine. This course is designed for students who want to get in-depth knowledge about various areas of medicine and want to conduct research. Ph.D. in medicine and Doctorate in Medicine are often offered together at many medical schools.   

Diploma or Certificate courses – Many colleges offer short term diploma or certificate courses at postgraduate level to the students with various specializations.

Eligibility Criteria 

For Undergraduate course (MBBS) 

• The student must complete their 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as compulsory subjects.

• The minimum aggregate total is 50% in the last exam is a must 

• The student must be between the age of 17 to 25 years to apply for MBBS

• The student must crack the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduates)

For Post Graduate Course (MD/MS)

• The student must have successfully cleared MBBS from a reputed medical college

• The student must crack any one of the following entrance exams, NEET-PG, JIPMER PG, AIIMS PG, and PGIMER

• The minimum aggregate score may vary from college to college, it is advisable to check with the colleges.

• Must complete or likely to complete 12 months of rotary internship

• Provisional or permanent registration certificate by Medical Council of India (MCI) or State Medical Council (SMC)

For Diplomate of National Board (NCB)

• To be eligible for this course the student must clear the Diplomate of National Board Post Diploma Centralised Entrance Test (DNB PDCET) entrance exam conducted by National Board of Examination

For Super Specialisation

• The student must complete his MD/MS/DNB for eligibility to apply

• They should also clear any one of the entrance exams mentioned, NEET SS, AIIMS DM/M.Ch., JIPMER DM/M.Ch./Fellowship, or any such exam. 

• Provisional or permanent registration certificate by Medical Council of India (MCI) or State Medical Council (SMC)

PhD in Medicine and Doctorate in Medicine

• The student needs to pass the All India Entrance Examination to qualify for the interview round. 

• The student also needs to clear a six-month pre-PhD course and submit a research proposal for the same

• The student will also be considered on merit.

Medical colleges in Karnataka: Admission Process

For Undergraduate (MBBS)

• The student will apply for admission through appearing for NEET-UG entrance exam. The application form can be filled online on the website of National Testing Agency (NTA)

• After the filling of these forms, and the process of correction of NEET-UG form, the student will give the entrance exam.

• After the exam, the result will be declared for NEET-UG exam and the list will be released with all the students' names in it which will be the merit list. 

For diploma or certificate course 

• For these courses, the eligibility criteria is on merit basis only and subject to seat availability

For Postgraduate (MD/MS)

• All students who wish to pursue the MD or MS will give the NEET PG or any other such exams and await the merit list declaring the results. 

• Depending on this score, the student will be called for a counselling process and can select the specialization and college of choice depending on the vacancy in the colleges.

For Diplomate of National Board (DNB)

• After clearing the DNB PDCET test, the student can select from 14 broad specializations and get admission in any of the teaching hospitals recognised by the board for three-year post MBBS residency training programme.

For Super Speciality Medical Degree 

• After the entrance exam and finishing the PG degree, the student can apply to any medical colleges where this course is conducted. 

• With all the certificates and MCI and or SMC registration, the student can apply.

For PhD in Medicine and Doctorate in Medicine.

• After passing the postgraduates and securing the registration card, the student can apply for this course 

• Clearing the entrance is a prerequisite for admission. 

• The admission is on merit basis too.

For diploma or certificate course 

• For these courses, the admission is on merit basis only and subject to seat availability

Medical colleges in Karnataka

FAQ’s

1. Is NEET the only entrance exam for MBBS?

Yes, from 2020 NEET – UG is the only exam for all students in India

2. Can NEET be given other languages apart from English?

Yes, NEET can be given in Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.

3. Is DNB and MD/MS equivalent or different?

They are equivalent, specializations offered could be different and MS/MD is for two years and DNB for 3 years.

4. Will doing a PhD help my prospect as a researcher?

Yes, PhD in medicine or Doctorate in Medicine are programs designed for the same purpose.

5. Will pursuing a super specialisation help?

In some specialisation, super specialisation will give you in-depth knowledge and research knowledge for your chosen field.

6. Can I choose a specialisation at MBBS?

No, specialisation can only be chosen after you enrol for MD or MS.

7. Do I have other options apart from MBBS?

Yes, there are many options which you can with NEET or without NEET too

8. Can I get admission in the college of my choice while pursuing MBBS?

It depends on your NEET score and the vacancy in the college you want, so keeping more than one option is always a good idea.

9. Can I do MBBS after a B.Sc. degree?

yes, provided to crack your NEET and your age is 21 yrs. and below.

10.  Is studying easy for NEET?

It is expansive due to the portion size and therefore, it is advisable to start studying early.