Medical Courses: List of Top Courses, Eligibility and Admission Process

Medical Courses: List of Top Courses, Eligibility and Admission Process

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Sreetama Datta
Sreetama Datta Roy
Manager Content
Updated on Feb 17, 2026 17:13 IST
In this Shiksha article, we will be exploring various Medical courses, their eligibility criteria and admission process. Know the top Medical courses along with important information related to those such as duration, eligibility, admission process, etc.

Let us explore different Medical courses, eligibility criteria and their admission process. 

Medical Courses: List of Top Courses, Eligibility and Admission Process

Medical Courses: List of Top Courses, Eligibility and Admission Process

Medical is the field of study that involves anatomy, diagnosis of ailment and treatments that use multiple scientific processes and methods. There are many undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and postdoctoral level courses.

Medical courses are further segregated into core medical, paramedical and allied subjects. For example, MBBS, BDS, MD, MS, etc. are core Medical courses whereas courses such as Nursing, Pharmacy, etc. are allied medical courses. In this Shiksha article, we will explore various Medical courses, their eligibility criteria and the admission process.

Table of contents
  • List of Medical Courses, Duration and Eligibility Criteria
  • Medical Courses Admission Process
  • What After Completing Medical Courses?
  • FAQs Regarding Medical Courses

List of Medical Courses, Duration and Eligibility Criteria

The following table brings the list of top Medical courses along with their eligibility criteria.

Medical Course

Duration

Eligibility Criteria

MBBS

5.5 years

Candidates should pass Class 12 in the Science stream with Biology as a compulsory subject. They will have to qualify for NEET. The minimum age limit is 17 years.

 

 

 

 

 

BDS

5 years

BAMS

5 years

BHMS

5.5 years

 

 

BUMS

BVSc.

MD

3 years

 

 

Candidates should have an MBBS degree from a recognised medical college along with completion of compulsory internship

 

MS

MDS

Candidates should have a BDS degree from a recognised medical/dental college along with completion of compulsory internship

While the above-mentioned programmes are core Medical courses, the following courses refer to the other allied courses of Medical courses.

The above mentioned Medical courses are of undergraduate level. These courses can also be pursued at the postgraduate level. The duration and eligibility criteria are also similar to that of the core medical courses.

Medical Courses Admission Process

The admission process for medical courses comprises registration, appearing for the exam, and counselling. Medical admission is purely based on the entrance exam. For undergraduate programs, students need to appear for the entrance test, which is NEET (UG). It is the gateway for undergraduate medical and paramedical courses.

For postgraduate (PG) admission, there are various entrance tests. Some of them are listed below.

 
  • NEET PG - NEET PG is an entrance test for admission to various MD (Doctor of Medicine)/ MS (Master of Surgery) and PG Diploma courses across the country. The National Board of Examinations (NBE) conducts the NEET PG. 
 
  • INI CET - Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test or INI CET is conducted by AIIMS Delhi for admission to PG medical courses such as Masters of Surgery (MS), Doctorate of Medicine (DM), Master of Dental Surgery (MDS), Doctorate of Medicine (DM), and Master of Chirurgiae (MCh).
 
  • NEET MDS - This entrance exam is for every postgraduate dental course that is offered by Indian institutes. It is also conducted by NBE.
 
  • AIAPGET - All India AYUSH Postgraduate Entrance Test is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admissions to the postgraduate courses in   Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
 
  • NEET SS - Admission to DM/MCh courses is through this entrance exam. 

What After Completing Medical Courses?

The graduate students choose to pursue postgraduate to upgrade their learning and skills. Many graduates choose to practice. There are various scope for the medical graduate in the healthcare profession. Some of the professions available for medical graduates are mentioned.

  • Medical Researcher

  • Anesthesiologist

  • Healthcare Consultant

  • Medical Officer

  • Medical Laboratory Technician

  • Environmental Health and Safety Manager

FAQs Regarding Medical Courses

Q: What is the eligibility criteria for pursuing Medical courses?

A: For UG level courses,  candidates should have passed Class 12 in the Science stream with a minimum of 50 per cent in aggregate. For PG courses, candidates should have passed the undergraduate medical course with due aggregate or CGPA.

Q: Is it necessary to study Biology at a higher secondary level to be eligible for Medical courses?

A: Yes, candidates must have studied Biology as a core and compulsory subject as Biology, including Zoology and Botany, form the core of Medical courses.

Q: Is there any age limit for the PG Medical courses?

A: There is no age limit applicable for PG medical courses.

Q: What are some of the top Medical courses at the UG level?

A: Some of the top Medical courses at the UG level are MBBS, BDS, BVSc, BPT, BSc Nursing, among others.

Q: Can I pursue a UG Medical course without taking NEET?

A: Generally, all UG Medical course admissions are conducted through NEET UG. However, for some courses like Nursing, BPT and other paramedical courses, NEET is not mandatory.

Q: Do all medical colleges in India conduct their UG admission through the counselling process?

A: Yes, medical college admissions are conducted through a centralised counselling process. State counselling is conducted separately by the state counselling conducting authorities.

Q: What is the duration of the Medical courses in India?

A: The duration of Medical courses vary from programme to programme. For the UG programmes, the duration ranges from five to five-and-a-half years. On the other hand, the duration of PG Medical courses is of mostly three years. 

Q: What is the average fee structure for Medical courses in India?

A: The average fee structure of the Medical courses range from INR 2 lakh to INR 5 lakh or above.

Q: What are some of the top colleges offering Medical courses in India?

A: Some of the top colleges offering Medical courses in India include AIIMS Delhi, JIPMER Puducherry, Maulana Azad Medical College Delhi, PGI Chandigarh, to name a few.  

Q: How many medical courses are there?

A: There are approximately 12 to 15 medical courses offered at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Q: Which is the best medical course?

A: Each medical course has its own curriculum, pedagogy and scope. Hence, it is difficult to mention a particular course as best. Still, it can be said that at the undergraduate level, the MBBS course is the best and at the postgraduate level, MD or MS course is the best.  

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Sreetama Datta Roy
Manager Content
Sreetama Datta Roy is a journalist working in the Education beat, with over 15 years of work experience. A postgraduate in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. At Shiksha, s
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