Medicine - Study & Training

Young men and women who desire to choose a career of a doctor have to face a long, difficult, and extensive training period. It is a competitive course, and highly motivated students with a good academic record can compete. Students must know that for all those who aspire for this prestigious and noble profession, there are not enough training places in medical colleges. But for the students who have high potential, various medical specialities in the best professional institutes are available in our country. All such prospective doctors must have the ability and perseverance to complete the required years of study. Those interested in the medical profession must take a decision after class 10 and study Physics, Chemistry and Biology at the +2 level.
There are medical colleges in every State. While some are controlled by Central or State Governments, others are administered by municipal and private bodies. Admissions are through competitive entrance exams or marks obtained in the qualifying exam. A large percentage of students fail to qualify the final examination in their first attempt. Doctors who graduate are awarded an M.B.B.S. degree and are general physicians. Their job entails regular clinical work-examining patients, diagnosing, prescribing and administering treatment. They make referrals of cases to specialist doctors.
Medicine
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
Graduate medical education offers a bachelor’s degree qualification known an MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) to aspiring candidates. The course is 4½ years of classroom study followed by a year of rotating internship that is a total of 5½ years. The 4½ years of medical class room study is broken down into 3 phases of 18 months each. Each professional, as it is called, is of 18 months duration and is divided into 3 semesters of 6 months each. There is a test/exam called as Semester exam after the end of each semester. Examinations are held at the end of each ‘professional’ and they are called Professional I or II or final examination. Last 1½ years i.e. third professional is devoted to monthly clinical work in the wards and departments of the hospital. In all there are 3 professional examinations, followed by practical and clinical examinations. 50 per cent marks are required to be procured in each subject both in written, oral and practical. The success, rate of passing MBBS in one attempt in all the three professional parts is , however, only 70 per cent and this is the optimal aggregate.
Post graduation MD/MS/DM/MCh
Post graduation and super specialisation today is the need of the hour and 65-70 percent of all MBBS graduates try for post graduate qualification rather than going in for a job or practice. However, it is during internship that a student is able to decide his field of interests. His choice is based on large choice of subjects studied during MBBS - Surgery, Medicine, Microbiology, Dermatology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Psychiatry, Paediatrics, Otolaryngology, Biochemistry, Radiology, Opthalmology, Pathology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Physiology, Anatomy and Preventive Medicine etc. After specialisation there is a choice of further super specialisation as Neurosurgeon, Paediatric surgeon, Cardiologist, Nephrologist, Gastroenterologist, Cardiothoracic surgeon, Genito-urinary surgeon, Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon.
Bio-informatics, Implant Materials and Prosthesis, genetic Engineering, Immunotechnology, Telemedicine, Biophysics, Bio mechanics, Bio materials, Nutritional Science, Biomedical Simulation, Cryobiology are some recent trends and developments in the field of Medical Sciences. The human genome project has opened up new vistas in the prevention, detection and cure of human diseases with molecular precision ushering in the medical researcher
National Board of Examinations (NBE)
The NBE offers postgraduate specialist training through select medical colleges in India , abroad and through almost 200 accredited institutions imparting medical education at different levels and specialisms. After specified training a Diplomat of National Board is awarded. Diplomat is equivalent to postgraduate qualification such as MD/MS or DM/ MCh. The Board confers a DNB is several broad specialities. The exam is held in 2 parts - primary and final. The Primary exam is open to medical graduates on completion of internship. Postgraduates and Diploma holders in any specialities are exempted from the the Primary exam and can take the final exam directly.