Course Structure

Undergraduate courses

• Prospective students for an undergraduate course leading towards a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree must have completed their 10+2, or High School in the Science stream with at least 50% marks.
• Candidates must also have a combination of Biology, Chemistry and Physics at their 10+2 level

Graduate courses

• An MBBS degree with registration in the Medical Council of India is the basic requirement for all graduate courses in the field of medicine and surgery.
• The duration of MBBS is five and half years, which includes 4½ years of lectures and clinical study, and one year of hands-on work experience as an intern or house surgeon.

Training Period and Time Distribution

Every student is required to undergo a period of certified study extending over 4 ½ academic years which is divided into 9 semesters, (i.e. of 6 months each) from the date of commencement of the academic calender to the date of completion of examination. This is followed by 1 year compulsory rotating internship. Each semester consists of approximately 120 teaching days.

The period of 4 1//2 years is divided into three phases as follows:-

(a) Phase-1 (2 semesters) – consisting of Pre-clinical subjects (Human Anatomy, Physiology including Bio- Physics, Biochemistry and introduction to Community Medicine including Humanities). Besides 60 hours for introduction to Community Medicine and Humanities, rest of the time is equally divided between Anatomy, and Physiology plus Biochemistry combined (Physiology 2/3 and Biochemistry 1/3)

(b) Phase-II (3 semesters) – consisting of para-clinical/clinical subjects. During this phase, teaching of para -clinical and clinical subjects shall be done concurrently. The para-clinical subjects shall consist of Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine including Toxicology and part of Community Medicine.

The clinical subjects shall consist of all these detailed below in Phase III. Out of the time for Para-clinical teaching, approximately equal time is to be allotted to Pathology, Pharmacology, and Microbiology, plus Forensic Medicine and Community Medicine combined (1/3 Forensic Medicine and 2/3 Community Medicine).

(c) Phase-III (continuation of study of clinical subjects for seven semesters after passing Phase-1)
The clinical subjects to be taught during Phase II and III are Medicine and its allied specialties- Surgery and its allied specialties, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Community Medicine.

Besides clinical posting as per schedule mentioned herewith, rest of the teaching hours are to be divided for didactic lectures, demonstrations, seminars, group discussions, etc. in various subjects.

(Source: Medical Council of India)

Internship

After successful completion of 4 1/2 year MBBS course, one has to compulsorily work in the hospital attached to the medical college for a period of one year. After passing the final MBBS examination, every candidate will be required to undergo compulsory rotational internship to the satisfaction of the College authorities and University concerned for a period of 12 months. It is only after the completion of the compulsary internship does a student become eligible to:

• Be awarded the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
• To be registered with the Medical Council of India

An Intern (also called as an Internee or a CRRI or a House Surgeon) is posted in all the clinical departments of the hospital on a rotational basis. The intern shall be entrusted with clinical responsibilities under direct supervision of senior medical officers. They shall not be working independently. This exercise imparts basic clinical and practical knowledge about all the disciplines of medicine and makes the medical graduate fit to work in the community as a General Physician.

He/ she is also paid a monthly stipend for their work in the hospital which differs from hospital to hospital. The student is licensed to practice medicine only after completion of this internship. One also becomes eligible to pursue Post Graduation studies after finishing the internship. The University shall issue a provisional MBBS pass certificate to students on passing the final examination.

Specializations

Medicine and its allied specialties training in India include-

• General Medicine,
• Pediatrics,
• Tuberculosis and Chest,
• Skin and Sexually Transmitted Diseases,
• Psychiatry,
• Radio-diagnosis,
• Infectious diseases etc.

Surgery and its allied specialties training in India include-

• General Surgery,
• Orthopaedics Surgery including
• Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation,
• Ophthalmology,
• Otorhinolaryngology,
• Anesthesia,
• Dentistry,
• Radio-therapy etc.

The Obstetrics & Gynecology training in India includes-

• Family Medicine,
• Family Welfare Planning etc.

The MBBS course starts with the basic non clinical subjects, such as Biochemistry, Physiology, Anatomy, Microbiology, Pathology and Pharmacology. All the major colleges also have Postgraduate Degree or Diploma courses in their programmes. The awards conferred are Doctor of Medicine (MD), Master of Surgery (MS) or Diplomate of National Board (DNB)).

An MD or a DNB (General Medicine or Paediatrics) is the basic requirement for specialization in Cardiology, Nephrology, Neonatology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, etc while an MS or a DNB (General Surgery, ENT or Orthopaedic Surgery) is the basic requirement for Neurosurgery, Urology, Cardio-thoracic & Vascular Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery, etc.

Aadditionally, paramedical courses have many areas of specialization, such as Nursing, Medical Lab Technology, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy etc.