Medical Education in India – Challenges and Opportunities for Prospective Doctors

Many young Indian students aspire to become doctors someday, and why not. In India, doctors, surgeons and other medical specialists have always been on the top of the hierarchy.

Doctors make good money, live a good life and are respected by one and all. The average salary of a surgeon in India is Rs. 4 lakhs/year, which is twice as much as what the Prime Minister of India makes!

One of the reasons for this high demand for doctors is that there is a serious shortage of good medical professionals in a country of 1.3 billion people. There is just one doctor for every 1,000 people in the country, which is a horrible statistic, no matter how you look at it.

That is why well trained, qualified doctors are so much in demand, and so respected. They are the cream of the crop in India. It also explains why most parents want their children to be doctors when they grow up. But it is not easy to be a doctor in India, and there is an intense competition among students to get placed in India’s top medical colleges.

The cutoff to get into the top medical colleges is very high. Very few students – just 1% of the 1 million or so who write the various entrance tests to get into medical colleges actually get selected. Most of the applications – over 99% - get rejected, although they are just as talented. The competition is as cut throat as it gets.

Joining a medical college is just the start of the battle. Students have to work incredibly hard for the next 4 to 5 years to get their MBBS. Then, they have to do an internship.

Many state governments in India have made it compulsory for medical students to serve in villages for 18 months after getting their MBBS.

Following this, the newly minted MBBS students have to do their MD or post-graduation in medicine. If you thought getting an MBBS seat was hard, you have no idea – getting an MD seat is much harder. There is intense competition for MD seats and only the best can get through.

There are scores of MBBS graduates, but very few who have done MD as well. There is a wide gulf between doctors who have done their MBBS and those who have done their MD as well.

Doctor with an MD are qualified to perform surgeries, and are considered to be at the top of their profession. They are the ones who get the best jobs, best salaries and enjoy solid career prospects.

Doctor who have only an MBBS degree can only work as general physicians and have limited opportunities. They fill in the junior level positions in hospitals and are never seriously considered for top level jobs.

So, if you want to be a doctor in India, make sure to get your MD degree – this is extremely important. This takes 3 years, during which you will have to work very hard, but it will set you up for the rest of your life.

One of the biggest drawbacks of medical education is that a typical medical student will be studying till they are well into their late 20s. It is only when they are 28, 29 or 30 that they start earning. In comparison, engineering graduates start earning big as soon as they graduate at 22.

This can be frustrating for sure, but the best doctors more than make up for that, and work until they are well into their 60s.

Do you want to be a doctor? You will find a list of the best medical colleges in India. Do have a look!