A career in medicine has by far topped the list of career choices if not amongst students then definitely amongst parents. In India, particularly medicine has been a very reputed career choice. Though times are slowly changing and parents and students are opening their minds up to careers that are more about what their children are inclined to and not their own interests. Still, Medicine remains the most sought after career choices.
There are numerous colleges across India but before you select the most suitable one for your child or as a student for yourself, but it is advisable to make a checklist of points you need to make, shortlist a few colleges as per your priority and then narrow down to the final one or two.
Well, yes primarily to open the gateway to any medical college, you need to crack the NEET code but once you clear the NEET UG entrance exam, you can start thinking about the college you wish to get admitted to. The other exams include All India Institute of Medical Sciences for MBBS (AIIMS MBBS) and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER MBBS) entrance exams. In India MBBS colleges offer over 66K seats across over 470 colleges in India. AIIMS with 8 campuses under its roof offers over 800 seats. There’s a counselling procedure done after NEET.
Infrastructure – A college with good infrastructure is the need of the hour. So, it’s always advisable that you primarily shortlist a few colleges and then visit the college to check out the infrastructure facilities and amenities most importantly that of the hospital because all the learning is going to come from there. It’s very important because you will be primarily living out of your comfort zone if you are taking admissions away from home. So, getting into a college that has a good setup is a good idea.
Rankings – Though rankings of medical college are usually based on the number of years the college has been in existence as well as the hospital reputation, it should not be the main criteria for evaluation. If the hospital is working well and has a good number of patient load, it will definitely help you gain practical experience.
Bonds – It’s a criteria you need to be aware off atleast. There are some colleges which want students to sign bonds for a mandatory internship. There is always a mention of the same in the brochure of the medical institutes. So, before you choose a college do go through the information pertaining to the bonds.
Location – Yes, location is one point to consider and for many it could be one of the vital points. Primarily because you might be stepping out of your home or comfort zone for the first time and hence, considering the location criteria is advisable. Another important reason being that the MBBS course is over 5 years and considering the duration and the workload you’ll be having while doing the course, you might not want to lose your valuable time in commuting or feeling nostalgic about living away from home.
Well, finally, the student and their parents need to narrow down to one college and particularly it’s the student’s prerogative and choice when it comes to selection of college.