Doctor of Medicine, commonly known as MD, is a postgraduate degree where graduates study medicine in detail. It is a two-year course that trains medical graduates in the study, prevention, diagnosis, and the treatment of adult diseases. Someone who holds an MBBS degree can pursue MD degree to obtain training on a specialization of choice. Some of the specializations include pediatrics, gynecology, obstetrics, ophthalmology, and dentistry. Graduates should know that the admission to MD course in many of the colleges is granted through the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test PG, commonly known as NEET PG. On the other hand, colleges that do not come under the ambit of the exam have their own admission criteria. As per the Medical Council of India, there are a total of 220 medical colleges in India (both government and private) that offer around 17950 seats for MD course.
There are several advantages when it comes to pursuing a degree in Doctor of Medicine. Some of them are mentioned below:
Doctor of Medicine i.e., MD is a postgraduate degree, which can be opted after completing MBBS.
To pursue MD, aspirants must fulfill the eligibility criteria set by the authority. The eligibility criteria include a mix of educational qualifications, registration, internship requirement, etc. It should be noted that aspirants who seek admission through NEET PG must fulfill NEET PG eligibility criteria to qualify. On the other hand, those who seek admission through AIIMS, JIPMER or any other institutes where NEET PG scores are not applicable can also check the eligibility below.
The admission in MD to most of the colleges is granted based on NEET PG scores along with counselling sessions. However, other institutes/universities such as AIIMS, JIPMER & PGIMER conduct their own entrance exam along with group discussion/personal interview. Every institute conducts the exam in different patterns. The name of the major entrance exams for MD has been mentioned below.
Listed below are the major entrance exams on the grounds of which admission to MD is granted through various medical colleges. It is to be noted that the admission procedure of all these entrance examinations is different.
Listed below are division MD seats that are filled after the declaration of NEET PG result.
Doctor of medicine does not have any further division of course since it is a course itself. However, there are several specializations in this degree which are mentioned below.
All the specialties in MD (Doctor of Medicine) have been listed in the table below.
| Aerospace Medicine | Marine Medicine | Radiotherapy |
| Anatomy | Medical Genetics | Respiratory Medicine |
| Anesthesiology | Microbiology | Sports Medicine |
| Biochemistry | Nuclear medicine | Immunohematology and Blood transfusion |
| Biophysics | Pediatrics | Infectious Diseases |
| Community medicine | Palliative Medicine | Tropical Medicine |
| Dermatology, Venereology & Leprosy | Pathology | Hospital Administration |
| Emergency Medicine | Pharmacology | Radio diagnosis |
| Family Medicine | Psychiatry | Health Administration |
| Forensic Medicine | Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | Geriatrics |
| General Medicine | Physiology | Pulmonary medicine |
It is to be noted that the syllabus for MD varies from institution to institution, as well as from the specialization. However, candidates can refer to the syllabus of major specialties in MD set by Medical Council of India (MCI) below.
The motive of training the students for MD in Aerospace medicine is to produce a postgraduate student who after undergoing the required training can deal with the requirements of the community and should be competent to handle all. The student should also acquire skills in teaching medical/para-medical students in the subject that the student has received his/her training. The student should be aware of his/her limitations.
Students should also acquire skills in teaching anatomy to medical and para-medical students and be able to integrate the teaching of Anatomy with other relevant subjects while being aware of her/his limitations. Students should also acquire skills in teaching anatomy to medical and para-medical students and be able to integrate the teaching of Anatomy with other relevant subjects while being aware of her/his limitations.
Students with training in anesthesiology should be able to recognize the health needs of the community. He or she should be competent to handle effectively medical problems and should be aware of the recent advances pertaining to his/her specialty. She/he should be a highly competent anesthesiologist with a broad range of skills that will enable him/her to practice anesthesiology independently. Students should also acquire basic skills in teaching medical/para-medical students. They are also expected to know the principles of research methodology and modes of the consulting library. They should attend conferences, workshops, and CMEs regularly to upgrade his/her knowledge.
The student who has obtained an MD degree in Biochemistry should be well-versed in basic concepts and recent advances in the subject and should have acquired skills and expertise in various laboratory techniques applicable to metabolic and molecular aspects of medicine and in research methodology. Training during the course should equip the student with skills to become an effective teacher, able to plan and implement teaching programs for students in medical and allied health science courses, set up/manage a diagnostic laboratory, generate, evaluate, and interpret diagnostic laboratory data, interact with clinicians to contribute to more effective patient care and carry out a research project and publish its results.
Community Medicine is an academic subject, a branch of medicine which deals with the promotion of health and prevention of diseases, involving people’s participation, utilizing professional management skills. The Community Medicine specialist will inculcate a holistic view of health and medical interventions primarily focused on Community Health/Population Health. Thus, he/she should be equipped with the knowledge, skills, competencies in primary, secondary & tertiary care, control and prevention of outbreaks/epidemics, community diagnosis, health needs assessment, epidemiological assessment, research and planning evidence-based health policies and programs.
Students having undergone the required training should be able to recognize the health needs of the community, should be competent to handle effectively the medical problems and aware of recent advances pertaining to the discipline. Students should acquire basic skills in teaching medical/para-medical students. The student should be able to counsel patients and relatives in infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, STDs, cutaneous tuberculosis, leprosy, and any event of serious illness or death.
The salary in MD depends on the experience of the graduate, the hospital/institution as well as the location. The more you work in the field and gain experience the more you will get paid for it. However, if we talk about the starting salary in MD for freshers, then it is somewhere between INR 25,000 to 30,000. Graduates with an experience of a year two, can earn up to INR 40,000 to 45,000. And of course, as the experience grows, the salary can go up to INR 70,000.
| Level of Experience | Estimated Salary in INR |
|---|---|
| Freshers | Between 25,000 to 30,000 |
| Graduates with an experience of a year or two | Between 40,000 TO 45,000 |
| Graduates with more than two years of experience | Up to 70,000 |
After completing an MD degree, graduates can not only call themselves an MBBS/MD, however, they can also opt for some amazing career prospects. It is indeed true that an MD has better career prospects in the long run. Few big career opportunities that an MD graduate can opt for after completing the degree are mentioned below.
It is not easy but not impossible either. After completing the course, candidates can apply for MD jobs in the government sector. These government jobs will pay a hefty salary and will come along with many additional benefits. Candidates would be pleased to know that a lot of doctor recruitment exams are conducted by UPSC where MD qualified doctors can try their luck
MD graduates also have an option to set up their own clinic. Having set up a clinic, candidates can have their own rules made on a convenience basis. The beginning might not be great but if you cope through that then undoubtedly your future is safe and secure
Because of the ever-increasing demand and shortage of medical practitioners, there are many MD jobs in the private sector which are always in the hiring process for MD specialized doctors.
If you believe in serving the poor and needy then NGOs are the best options for you. Also, you must note that not all jobs in NGOs are unpaid as some will pay u well. If you think you got the nerve for it then go hit the nail
This is never an option for an MD degree holder, it is always a choice. Having said that, it does not at all mean that this is not a good option. It is great if you decide to study further and add more feathers to your cap. However, candidates must keep in mind that their super-specialty option will depend upon the specialization that they opted for while pursuing MD.
Master of Surgery commonly known as MS is a three-year postgraduate programme designed for aspirants to have comprehensive knowledge and skills in surgical training. Candidates pursuing an MS degree will go through the high-quality health care details and the advancement in the cause of science and medical fields through having deeper research & training. The course Master of surgery provides all the necessary and scientific knowledge to become a surgeon in their respective area of specialization. The study of MS degree comprises the learning about the common diseases along with the study and method to diagnose it with proper treatment.
Some of the advantages of pursuing a master of surgery are:
MS (Master of Surgery) is a postgraduate degree and it is mandatory for students to complete their MBBS degree before proceeding for their MS degree studies. Medical Council of India (MCI) regulates post graduate medical education in the country. The regulations postulated by MCI are referred to as “The Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations 2000.”
NEET PG exam is conducted by National Board of Examinations (NBE) and is the basis of admission to the MS degree course among all medical colleges in India. There are some exceptional colleges which are established by an act of parliament like JIPMER and AIIMS. These colleges have their own procedure of examination and admissions. To pursue MS courses in the medical college's candidates, have to fulfil certain NEET PG eligibility criteria which includes age limit, academic qualification and internship requirements.
Institutes like AIIMS, JIPMER and PGIMER will conduct their own individual exams and consequently may have their own eligibility criteria. Please note that the broad criteria may remain the same, like an applicant needs to be an MBBS degree holder, but there may be some minor points that the candidate needs to be aware of.
Admissions to the postgraduate course of MS is done based on NEET PG examination. Every year around 1.5 lakh candidates register for NEET PG out of which in the year 2019, a total of 79,633 candidates qualified the same and a significant number of them opted for MS. It must also be noted that institutes like AIIMS, JIPMER PG and PGIMER are not covered by NEET PG as they conduct their own exams. There are more than 200 medical colleges in the nation that offer MS courses and the total seat intake of these colleges is 10826. NEET PG is conducted nationwide by the National Board of Education (NBE) and is the common exam for admission to both MS and MD courses. It is at the time of counselling that the candidates must choose whether they wish to opt for MD or MS. The allotment of seats will be based on merit rank of each candidate and score.
The qualifying percentile, commonly known as cutoff, is the minimum percentile that a candidate is required to score in the examination to qualify. This means that if any candidate scores below the minimum qualifying percentile, s/he will not be permitted to participate in the admission processes. It must be noted that NEET PG cutoff is category specific, thus, candidates are required to refer to the qualifying percentile mentioned in the column of their category. Another important point is that candidates need to keep in mind is that the qualifying percentile reflected in the table is not the same as raw score and that it is only a reflection of a candidate's performance in comparison to their scores.
| Category | Qualifying Percentile |
| General | 50th Percentile |
| OBC, SC, and ST | 40th Percentile |
| UR-PwD | 45th Percentile45th Percentile |
Master of Surgery (MS) - Course, Master of surgery itself is a course. However, there are several specializations available in the degree which are mentioned in the article below.
The specializations and course that are available and can be chosen by MS aspirants while completing their postgraduate degree are:
Candidates can go through the below mentioned syllabus of MS degree, which an aspirant has to go through while completing the postgraduate degree.
| Level of Experience | Estimated Salary in INR |
|---|---|
| ENT | General Surgery |
| Embryology | Plastic & Reconstructive surgery |
| Anatomy | Disorders of salivary glands |
| Physiology | Pharynx, larynx, and neck |
| Radiology | Thyroid |
| Pharmacology of drugs commonly used in ENT | Parathyroid and adrenal glands |
| Biochemistry | Breast |
| Other applied basic sciences like Allergy and Immunity related to ENT | Thorax |
| Otology | Cardiac Surgery |
| Neuro-otology | Arterial disorders |
| Audiology | Venous disorders |
| Vestibulometry | Lymphoedema |
| Nose | Esophagus |
| Paranasal Sinuses | Stomach and duodenum |
| Throat | Liver |
| Nasopharynx | Spleen |
| Esophagus | Gallbladder and bile ducts |
| Head & Neck | Pediatric Surgery |
| Level of Experience | Estimated Salary in INR |
|---|---|
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | Ophthalmology |
| Anatomy & Physiology | Anatomy |
| Medical Genetics | Developmental Anatomy of Eye |
| Antenatal | Physiology |
| Intrapartum | Biochemistry |
| Postpartum | Pharmacology |
| Newborn | Pathology |
| Clinical Gynecology | Microbiology |
| Operative Gynecology | Applied optics |
| Family Welfare and Demography | Clinical Ophthalmology |
| - | Essentials Diagnostic skills |
| - | Operating theatre |
| - | Research skills |
| Orthopedics & Gynecology |
| Metabolic Bone Diseases |
| Diseases of Muscles Anatomy of Eye |
| Trauma |
| Fractures |
| Arthrodesis |
Aspirants after completing their postgraduate can bag lots of job roles with handsome salary. Candidates can go through the various roles which they can opt for after completing the MS degree. In respect of money, MS graduates easily earn more than a medical graduate as a major surgery costs higher money and dedication than an average salary of a physician. There are many hospitals across our country, where job opportunities are vast for the MS graduates.
| Job profile | Average salary offered (annually) |
|---|---|
| Lab technician | Rs. 4- 5 lakhs |
| Ophthalmologist | Rs. 5 - 7 lakhs |
| Neonatal Surgeon | Rs. 8 - 14 lakhs |
| Vascular Surgeon | Rs. 7 - 12 lakhs |
| Plastic Surgeon | Rs 10 - 15 lakhs |
| Researcher | Rs. 4 - 6 lakhs |
| Pediatric surgeon | Rs. 7 - 13 lakhs |
In today's world, where health is the primary concern for everyone, the scope of MS in India and abroad is very high. People now are more approaching the doctors who are specialists in it. The scope of Master of Surgery (MS) in India is very wide and variable. It depends on the respective aspirants’ skills, knowledge, calibers, and the place they are practicing. The course of MS is very career oriented and serves the society with its application. MS is a degree, as after completing this, candidates not only are benefited with money but also with the value and respect in the societies. Working as a surgeon may be tough & challenging but it is of gratification at the same time. Careers in surgery are always rewarding as surgeons use to serve the health of the nation.
It is an interesting fact about MS courses that candidates pursuing the same are exposed to a lot of exciting and new opportunities which includes a better package and higher security. There has not been much increase in specialty and super-specialty hospitals far and near in recent years and this is going to remain a trend for quite some time. This in other ways means that there will be ever increasing demands for MS specialists in the medicine field. Some careers options for MS degree holders are mentioned-below: