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Everything about MBBS: Full name, Syllabus, Fees, Duration, Subjects
MBBS full name is Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. It is one of the most popular and prestigious courses in the world. The demand for MBBS keeps on increasing year-after-year due to the nature of the profession and the respect it commands. MBBS is a very reputed program and the graduates are revered in society. But, it is not that easy to crack your way out of a 5.5 years degree in India. It is popular as well as one of the most difficult undergraduate degrees of the world. Not only is doing MBBS a difficult task, the bigger challenge often lies in getting admission in a medical college in India.
Note: Due to COVID-19, NTA has decided to conduct NEET 2020 on Sun, 26 July 2020.
For an MBBS seat in any college in India including AIIMS, you are required to clear NEET. To be eligible to appear for NEET, you must score at least 50% aggregate marks in chemistry, physics, biology/zoology in your 10+2 exams. The class 12th board must be a recognised one. Also, English must be a compulsory subject.
All the aspiring students in any part of the world, who want to become a doctor, have to complete the first step, that is, an MBBS degree. Don’t get fooled because of the ‘M’ in the name, it is not a master’s, it is just undergraduate. Apart from MBBS, students can also choose from some other courses in the medical field. The most popular ones are –
⇒ Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)
⇒ Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS)
⇒ Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS)
Most of the countries, including India, offer MBBS degree for undergraduate students. The degree is known as MD or MD Physician in many countries. Through this article, let’s understand what all MBBS entails and what it has to offer to the students across the globe. MBBS is a great stepping stone towards becoming a doctor and the world needs more medical professionals.
MBBS Duration in India and abroad
The theoretical part of the MBBS studies in India is 4.2 years. The duration before 2020 was 54 months. But the Medical Council of India reduced it to 50 months as the curriculum and examination pattern was revised. Students in the previous batches will not be affected by the change. Surprisingly, a lot of people ask if MBBS can be done through distance learning. However, as MBBS is a practical course, it cannot be done through distance learning.
This 4.2 years will be followed by a compulsory 1-year internship before you get to add ‘Doctor’ in front of your name. Therefore, as of 2020, the MBBS duration in India from 2020 onwards is 5.2 years. Those who are taking admission in 2020 will be required to appear for NEXT to get a license after finishing MBBS in India. There was no exit test for Indian students before. The same exit test will be given by Indian Foreign Medical Graduates.
But, the journey doesn’t stop here as it is famously said for any course – without PG you are nothing, likewise it is in MBBS. Students tend to go for an MD or MS degree after MBBS. MD is a Masters in General Medicine whereas MS is Masters in General Surgery. Here students get to choose a specialization. Furthermore, you can do super specialisation. Soon, NEXT will replace NEET-PG. Therefore, you will get your license as well as a PG seat in India from one single exam only.
Following is MBBS duration in various countries for Indian students –
| Country Name | Duration (years) |
| India | 5.2 |
| Ukraine | 5.8 |
| Russia | 5.8 |
| China | 5 + 1 |
| Bangladesh | 5 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 5 |
| Kazakhstan | 5 |
| Philippines | 5 to 6 |
| Nepal | 5 |
After completing your MBBS degree from abroad, you are also required to clear the screening test called NEXT. After clearing NEXT, you will have to do a 1-year compulsory internship in India as well.
Through this article, let’s understand what all MBBS entails and what it has to offer to the students across the globe. MBBS is a great stepping stone towards becoming a doctor and the world needs more medical professionals.
About NEET
The National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test or NEET is a common entrance examination for students applying for MBBS in any medical college in India. It is a 3-hour comprehensive exam which tests a student’s ability in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
To get admission in any medical college in India you need to appear for an entrance exam called NEET. From 2020 onwards, NEET-UG is the single entrance exam for admission in any and every medical college in India. In 2019, AIIMS-UG and JIPMER-UG entrance exams were conducted for admission in the respective colleges. However, from 2020 onwards, both the exams have been superseded by NEET-UG. So, to pursue MBBS admission in India, there is only one exam called NEET. It is a 3-hour comprehensive exam which tests a student’s ability in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
As per the recent changes in the rules, the NEET exam has been compulsory for students applying for MBBS abroad. You have to qualify NEET for admission in an MCI recognised medical university abroad to be eligible to appear for the screening test. In case you manage to get admission in a university abroad without qualifying NEET, you won’t be allowed do sit for NEXT. The NEET result is valid for a period of 3 years for MBBS abroad. For eg., you can take admission abroad in 2020 session if you have already qualified NEET in 2018 or 2019. However, the same is not true for admission in India where only the current year’s result is taken into consideration.
If you want a good college as a feather in your cap, enrol yourself for the NEET exam and aim towards a brilliant MBBS.
NEET Qualifying Criteria
| Category | Cut off Percentile |
| General / Unreserved | 50th |
| ST / SC / OBC | 40th |
| Unreserved – PH | 45th |
| ST / SC / OBC – PH | 40th |
NEET 2019 statistics –
| Total appeared | 14,10,755 |
| Total qualified | 7,04,335 |
| Cut off for General | 134 |
| Cut off for Reserved | 107 |
Why choose MBBS?
As explained earlier, MBBS is a great course that acts as a stepping stone towards becoming an established doctor. But why would anyone like to become a doctor or what are the qualities one requires to be a doctor? Let’s see.
MBBS students are responsible for the diagnosis and prognosis of ailments of an individual or of society as a whole. The students are well-equipped with the knowledge of each and every branch of medicine and can use that knowledge in emergency situations.
Being a doctor comes with a lot of responsibilities and for that one has to be quick on the feet to make decisions. And being a doctor doesn’t only mean diagnosis and prognosis, it also means researching or even working in a lab to make a drug that can cure a certain ailment. All the doctors have to follow the Hippocratic oath and they learn how to uphold it every time they are in a professional workplace.
Students get to learn more about anatomy, physiology, histology and embryology and many other branches of medicine related to humans. MBBS is hard work for a few years and the result is the sweetest fruit one can ever taste. Now, you can experience some difficulties in your time but you have to push through. Students should work on these skills constantly-
⇒ Concentration Skills
⇒ Memory Power
⇒ Analytical Skills
⇒ Logical Skills
⇒ Strong Moral Values
⇒ Humane Values
⇒ People Skill
⇒ Leadership
⇒ Academic Excellence
⇒ Team Management Skills
MBBS Course Structure
Usually, the MBBS courses around the world for approximately 5-6 years with the last two semesters being focused on internships. Now, let’s see what all subjects a student can learn if one wishes to take up MBBS as a profession.
Anatomy
It is a branch of biology that deals with the study of organisms. MBBS students get an opportunity to learn about the human body, its tissues and organs and the whole internal structure. It is considered one of the most fun subjects of MBBS.
Genetics
Genetics is a quite fascinating and advanced subject studied in MBBS. It consists of the study of cell formation, mutilation, regeneration, mutation, etc. There is a huge scope in genetics and most students pick this field as their specialization in their MD or PhD.
Physiology
It is a more scientific study of the human body and its internal working systems like cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, reproductive, etc. It focuses on how organisms, cells, individual organs and organ system carry out the physical and chemical functions in a living body.
Biochemistry
It is a laboratory-based course which brings Biology and Chemistry together. By using the knowledge of chemicals and their effects on a biological body, specialists can understand and solve problems related to the body like some vaccines or antibodies.
Microbiology
It is the study of microscopic organisms- such as bacteria, viruses, archaea, fungi and protozoa. This discipline includes subjects like-biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, ecology and evolution of cells. All the diseases caused by microorganisms are studied here from infections and host-parasite behaviour. It is a great and progressive field to specialise in.
Pathology
Pathology, in general, is the study of diseases and their effects on a body. It involves every aspect of medicine and science, from diagnosis to prognosis of an affected patient.
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is a branch of pharmaceutical sciences in which a student learns everything about man-made, natural endogenous molecule-based drugs and its applications.
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine and surgery which deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders related to the eye and its structure. After a specialization in this, one can become an ophthalmologist.
Community Medicine
Community medicine is a branch of public health which studies the role of people on their own as well as the health of their surroundings in contrast to environmental health. Importance of sanitation, cleanliness, hygiene, etc comes under this.
Otolaryngology
It focuses on the diseases and ailments related to the eye, nose and throat of a human body. Doctors specialized in this are often called ENT.
Some other subjects are-
⇒ Forensic State Medicine and Technology
⇒ Surgery
⇒ Medicine
⇒ Obstetrics and Gynaecology
⇒ Paediatrics
⇒ Dermatology
⇒ Psychiatry
⇒ Anesthesiology
⇒ Radiology
MBBS from Abroad
As already mentioned, to do MBBS from outside India first you have to clear the NEET UG exam. No doubts about that. But, for countries like the USA and Canada admit students in their medical program by conducting MCAT and other countries like Australia, UK or New Zealand admit students through UCAT or UMAT.
Rest of the popular countries like Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, China accept students on the basis of NEET or some universities conduct their own entrance exams which a student can easily crack.
Let’s see some of the top countries to do MBBS from and are most popular among Indian students.
⇒ Ukraine
⇒ China
⇒ The Philippines
⇒ Kyrgyzstan
⇒ Russia
⇒ Bangladesh
⇒ Kazakhstan
⇒ Armenia
⇒ Belarus
⇒ Georgia
These are the most popular countries which are usually chosen by Indian students to do MBBS for. Before choosing a country for MBBS check these things-
⇒ What is the course structure of a particular university in a country?
⇒ The fee structure prevailing in that university?
⇒ What is the cost of living in that area of the university?
⇒ Is the university recognised by MCI?
⇒ What is the FMGE passing percentage of the colleges from that country?
⇒ The process of visa application?
⇒ Is the university offering a scholarship or rebates?
Most of the Indian students tend to go for MBBS abroad because of the fees asked by the Indian private universities. The students complete their MBBS from abroad, say from Ukraine, and then come back to India and sit for a licensing exam called NEXT. It is that simple and you get the best of both worlds. Even the students who study MBBS in India will have to appear for NEXT now.