How to Get Admission into Top Medical Colleges?

In most Asian households, it’s the dream of parents to see their kids become doctors someday. "Bada hoke doctor banega" is a common statement made by parents in many Indian households. In fact, for the longest time, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities and rural areas, people have believed that a good career is equivalent to becoming either an engineer or a doctor, with the latter being slightly more prestigious. But the journey to becoming a doctor in India is a tough one. It takes years of consistent effort and planning to get admission into one of the top medical colleges in the country. So, if you are a student eyeing a medical seat at one of the top medical colleges, this article is for you. We have detailed each step for you.

To become a doctor, you need to complete MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) course, a five-year undergraduate medical degree programme aimed at equipping students with skills and knowledge to conduct diagnoses, suggest treatment and medicines, and perform surgeries. To be eligible for this course, your first step is to take up science with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as your main subjects in classes 11th and 12th. These two years are crucial for MBBS aspirants because they build a foundation for medical entrance preparation. So, it is very important for students to study hard and understand the subjects thoroughly at this stage. At this point, it is also important to remember that you must score a minimum of 50% in 10+2intermediate to be eligible for the main medical entrance exam in the country, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) for MBBS and BDS courses. There is an age criterion as well; for example, students eyeing the upcoming NEET exam must be 17 years of age by December 31, 2023. NEET, which lasts for three hours and 20 minutes, is conducted once a year, and millions of students participate every year.

So, plan ahead. Take your time to become well acquainted with the exam syllabus, typical questions asked, and important dates such as the last dates for filling out the NEET form, the entrance examination date, etc. Thereafter, you must fill out the NEET application form online on time.

The next step for you should be to start the preparations and discuss your career goals with your parents, teachers, seniors in school, friends, etc. Do your research on choosing the best study materials and books recommended by experts and toppers. Create a study schedule for yourself. Make sure you allocate enough time for revisions and practice tests. Go through the mock tests and previous year’s papers to understand the level of questions that may come your way during the NEET exam. If you feel that taking tuition or coaching for NEET will help you, go for it. The entrance test, with 200 multiple-choice questions from Chemistry, Physics and Biology, will judge your aptitude and foundational knowledgefor MBBS.

Once you have appeared for the NEET exam and have scored the minimum qualifying percentile, you must brace yourself for a complex admissions process. Up next is a counselling process conducted by the Directorate General of Health Sciences (DGHS) on behalf of the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). Your NEET-UG score will be used for admission to 15% All India Quota (AIQ) and 85% State Quota MBBS seats in a government college and also for other private or deemed medical colleges.

How to apply for a government MBBS college?

If you have successfully passed the NEET exam and secured a position in the NEET-UG merit list you will have to complete the registration process for counselling. To learn about the counselling process, you can check out the official website of the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC): MCC.nic.in. On this website, click on the "New Registration" tab and fill in all the required details, such as your NEET Roll number, date of birth, email ID, name, application number, etc., and complete the registration process. Once you are done, you will be given a username and password, which you need to use to log in, enter details such as your All India Rank, NEET score, category, etc., and pay an application fee. At this point, you will need to confirm your preference for colleges. Based on your rank, seat availability, reservation criteria, and some other factors, you will be provided with the  the particularcolleges. After the counselling, you can either accept the assigned college or choose to appear in subsequent rounds of counselling. For the 85% state quota, candidates who are domiciled in the particular state are considered.

How to apply for a private MBBS college?

When it comes to the private MBBS colleges, the seats are typically allocated based on the NEET All India Rank (AIR). No reservation is made based on the category of the candidate or their domicile. However, it is to be noted that, unlike government MBBS colleges, private colleges also allocate seats under the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Quota.

Generally, most students with higher NEET All India rankings opt for government colleges; however, some private colleges, such as CMC Vellore, attract a large number of top students owing to their name and advanced faculty.

Government colleges usually charge affordable registration and tuition fees, and private MBBS colleges are generally expensive. However, students can apply for educational loans as well.

If you want to apply to a private college in another state, you will need to go through the interstate counselling process. Don’t forget that each state has its own dos and don’ts for interstate admissions, and you will be required to apply through the respective state counselling authorities.

All shortlisted candidates must keep their documents ready for admission, whether they have been allocated a government MBBS college or a private MBBS college. They must report to the relevant college within the given deadlines with originals and photocopies of documents, including their NEET admit card, NEET score card, 10th mark sheet, intermediate mark sheet, and passport-sized photos, to complete their admission process. You must do this to secure yourself a seat.

Getting into a good MBBS college in India can be a long and complex process. However, with proper planning, preparation, and adherence to guidelines, you can land a seat at your favourite college.

All the best!