NEET PG Seat Counselling: MD Radiodiagnosis, MD Medicine most sought after specializations, Surgical Specialisations lose their glory

The surge in preferences towards general medicine and radio diagnosis among top rankers was quite evident since the first all-India allotment list for MD/MS admissions demonstrated that 53 out of the top 100 candidates chose general medicine, closely followed by 35 candidates who went ahead with radio-diagnosis. Meanwhile, the remaining candidates opted for specialized fields such as dermatology, gynaecology, and surgery.

In 2020, the number of aspirants for general medicine stood at 47, while 32 for radio-diagnosis. In other words, increasing interest towards the said specializations among the medicos is apparent.

However, what draws attention is how medical students are doing away with considering General Surgery as an option which was once inundated with eager applicants. Data from the Medical Counselling Committee's first list has revealed that among the top 100 PG aspirants, only 4 choose for Surgery that too after 47 candidates who preferred either general medicine, radio-diagnosis, dermatology or gynecology.

Another striking revelation that this year’s statistics showed was that just 3 years ago, pediatrics held appeal for five aspirants within the top 100, whereas this year it has garnered none.

An analysis of this changeover of preference in medical specialization put forth a number factors that influence MBBS doctors. To mentions a few, general medicine offers a strategic route to early financial stability through medical super-specializations such as cardiology, nephrology, and gastroenterology. Moreover, the course demand a relatively lower investment compared to surgery, which entails more years of training, greater commitment, and substantial financial input for independent practice.

Further, examining the initial list from the Counselling Committee, it has been concluded that a great number of candidates favor institutions in Delhi over those in other states. The choice can be well reasoned out, as any bond requirement is absent for institutes in Delhi, these institutes are cheaper and offer higher pay for residents as compared to other states.

These institutes as mentioned in the list includes Delhi University Quota, Banaras Hindu University, All India, Management/Paid Seats Quota, Muslim Minority Quota, IP University Quota, Aligarh Muslim University, Non-Resident Indian, DNB Quota, Jain Minority Quota.

A total of 22,506 students have been allotted seats in the first round in various institutions across the country.