MBBS stands for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery or in Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus Baccalaureus Chirurgiae, The naming suggests that they are two separate degrees; however, in practice, they are usually treated as one and awarded together. Professionals holding MBBS degrees are referred to by the courtesy title of "Doctor" and use the prefix "Dr". MBBS are the two first professional degrees awarded upon graduation from medical school in medicine and surgery by universities in United Kingdom and other places following the British tradition, such as Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India. While in the US, both of the degrees are awarded separately as the M.D (Doctor of Medicine) and D.O (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). It is the only bachelor degree that makes the students eligible to carry the term “doctor” with their name.
An MBBS degree is an undergraduate course for aspirants who want to fulfill their dream of becoming a doctor. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) is a professional degree in medical science. A person holding the MBBS degree becomes a certified medical practitioner. The duration of MBBS course is five years and six months including one year of rotational internship at hospitals, health centers, and health camps organized by non-profit organizations (NGOs). MBBS course syllabus includes studies on anatomy, pharmacology, pathology as well as community health & medicine, paediatrics, and surgery. The syllabus, prescribed in such a way that MBBS degree holders can choose a specialization for further majoring and practicing medicine. The career specializations for MBBS students are Nephrology, Cardiology, Gynecology, Anesthesiology, Organ Transplant, Endocrine, and General Surgery, etc.
The MBBS is a 5.5 year (4.5 years academic education + 1 year mandatory internship) UG degree programme leading to the two degrees as Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.
The MBBS is one of the most sought courses after 12th science in medical field. There are so many colleges and universities from across the countries which are offering the MBBS course.
The students, who have cleared the 10+2 examination and they had the Physics, Chemistry and Biology in 12th stream, may go for the MBBS degree course.
The MBBS is the only course in India to become a medical doctor. The MBBS course contains the basic subjects like physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy, pharmacology and pathology.
The Medical Council of India is the only accredited body of medical courses.
It is the course with hands on training with five years long. The students interact with the patient and get the practical knowledge of diseases.
Students interested in pursuing an MBBS degree in India must be at least 17 years of age at time of admission. However, the upper age limit for NEET (UG) is 25 years as on the date of examination with relaxation of 5 years for the candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC-NCL category and PwD Candidates.
Students are required to complete an HSC, which is a Higher Secondary [School] Certificate examination, a twelfth standard. For the medical programs, the HSC (also known as the '10+2' exam) must be taken in the Science stream, in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and English, with a minimum of 50% marks in each course.
It is also important to get a cut off score in NEET exam.
| Phase | Semester | Subjects Covered |
| Pre-clinical | 1st and 2nd Semester | Anatomy, Bio-chemistry, Physiology |
| Para-clinical | 3rd, 4th and 5th Semester | Community Medicine, Microbiology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Pharmacology, Clinical postings in wards, OPDs |
| Clinical | 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Semester | Community Medicine, Obst. Gynae, Medicine and Allied Subjects (Psychiatry, Dermatology), Pediatrics Surgery and Allied Subjects (Anesthesiology, E.N.T., Ophthalmology, Orthopedics), Clinical Postings |
MBBS is considered as one of the most sought after courses in India with more and more students opting for this course in various government, semi government and private institutions. It is unfortunate that there is a recent upsurge of different diseases, but, this has led to the increase in the demand of doctors and hence, admissions in MBBS course all over the nation. Also, because of comparatively low cost of treatment, India is known as a choice able destination for medical tourists that resulted in higher demand of doctors. Another reason for the popularity of MBBS course is the good salary package offered to graduates. However, students opting for specializations in MBBS have better prospects as many diseases and ailments required specialized learning and training. But students often tend to get confused as in which specialization to opt for. Discussed below are some of the major specializations of MBBS.
MBBS graduates who specialize in Medicine are called Physicians and have the ability of understanding and diagnosing various medical related problems of the patient and accordingly prescribing medicines and further treatment.
Cardiology deals with the treatment of heart. MBBS graduates who specialize in Cardiology have the ability to diagnose any heart related problem and accordingly prescribe further course of action. Cardiologists are hugely in demand in govt. and private hospitals all over the nation.
Doctors who specialize in Paediatric deal with medical issues related to children and are called Paediatricians. This specialization enables them to understand the ailments of the children and treat them accordingly. Paediatricians are hugely in demand as parents don't want to take chances when it comes to health related issues of their children.
Doctors specializing in treatment of any ailment related to the bones or the skeletal structure of the body are known as Orthopaedic Surgeons. By using both surgical and nonsurgical means, Orthopaedic Surgeons treat various conditions related to the skeletal system of the body such as sport injuries, musculoskeletal trauma, fractures, etc.
Neurosurgery is the specialization that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders related to the nervous system of the body which generally includes treatment of brain, peripheral nerves, spinal cords, etc. Because of the graveness of these kind of ailment, Neurosurgeons are greatly respected and hugely in demand.
Doctors dealing with problems and issues related with the female reproductive organ and prescribing necessary course of action have specialization in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Operations such as Caesarean, Hysteroscopy’s, Laparoscopies, etc. are also conducted by Obstetricians and Gynaecologists along with treatment of ovarian cancer.
Doctors specializing in Ophthalmology have the ability to perform medical and surgical treatment of eye and are called Ophthalmologists. From eye surgeries to treatment of glaucoma, Ophthalmologists are specially trained to provide treatment for any diseases or infections of the eye.
General Surgeons have speciality in General Surgery and have the ability to operate and provide treatment for different abdominal contents such as stomach, liver, colon, pancreas, etc. They also, at times, provide treatment for skin, hernias, etc. Because of the wide range of areas of the human body they operate in, doctors having speciality in General Surgery are hugely in demand.
Otolaryngology or popularly known as ENT is the specialization in MBBS that deals with the treatment of Ear, Nose and Throat. A huge number of patients visiting hospitals for treatment have ailments related to ENT and as such the Otolaryngologists are much sought out in various government and private hospitals all throughout the country.
Endocrinologists deals with glands in human body. They treat patients who suffer hormonal imbalance like thyroid. They are also of help during menopause, infertility, osteoporosis, cholesterol, ovary dis functionalities and more.
Medical professionals trained in anesthesia and preoperative medicine belongs to the department of anesthesiology. Under the head of anesthesiology, there are further branches like cardiac anesthesia, neuro anesthesia, pain management, pediatric anesthesia, liver transplant, anesthesia, critical care and solid organ transplant anesthesia.
A. The full form of MBBS in India is 'Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery'. However, MBBS is an abbreviation of Medicinae Baccalaureus Baccalaureus Chirurgiae, which is the term used for this course in Latin.
A. Yes, pursuing MBBS from a private medical college will not affect your career in any way. The only flip side of taking admission to a private medical college is the fees. The tuition fee of a private medical college can be up to 10 times that of a government medical college.
A. Before taking admission to any medical college, check whether the college is recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI). Also, check if the college/ university is approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Indian Medical Council (IMC).
A. Yes, an MBBS is a graduate in Surgery, hence, he/ she is licensed to perform surgeries. However, surgery is a complicated procedure and only those who have enough expertise in this discipline opt to perform surgeries after completing MBBS.
A. Yes, to join an MBBS course you need to complete 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English. You must also secure a minimum aggregate of 50% in the core subjects (PCB).
A. No, to join the MBBS course you need to write the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Even if you want to opt for a management quota seat, you have to secure the qualifying percentile in NEET.
A. There are a lot of good universities for an MBBS course in India, but the best of the lot is AIIMS Delhi. A few other top institutes for the MBBS course are AFMC, CMC (Vellore), Maulana Azad Medical College and Lady Hardinge Medical College.
A. Fees for an MBBS degree course varies for the institutes of different categories. Fee in a government college ranges between Rs 10000 - Rs 50000, whereas that of a private medical college, can start from Rs 2,00,000 and can go up to Rs 22,00,000.
A. To complete the MBBS degree course, you need to complete two stages: 4.5 years of academics and 1 year of internship. Hence, the total duration of an MBBS degree course is 5.5 years.
A. Yes, once you clear the final examination or qualifying examination of MBBS, you need to complete a compulsory rotatory internship of 1 year from a recognised institution/ hospital. On successful completion of the internship, you can officially add "Dr" to your name.