More MBBS seats for Tamil Nadu students, cut offs to drop

By Ruchi Shrimali

In Tamil Nadu, the sale of applications for MBBS seats - online and offline - will begin on May 15 and their submission deadline will be June 2. The counselling for medical seats will begin by July 2. It is likely that the state government will add 285 new seats to government medical colleges this year. The cut-offs are also expected to come down by 0.5 to 1.25 marks, making it easier for students to get a seat this year.

Medical Council of India (MCI) is likely to flag off a new medical college in Sivaganga. The State has also requested the MCI to increase MBBS seats in Madras Medical College from 165 to 250, at Stanley Medical College from 150 to 250, and 50 each in Chengalpet Medical College and Kilpauk Medical College. The government is looking into upgrading the infrastructure, faculty strength, and medical equipments in these medical colleges to facilitate the increase in number of seats in these colleges.

At present, Tamil Nadu has 1,945 MBBS seats across 17 medical colleges. Read more

Academic experts also feel that since the Physics and Biology papers were tougher this year, cut-offs are likely to come down 0.5 to 1.25 marks. Hence, students of previous batches, who could not secure a seat last year, may have better chances this year.

Students aiming to study at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences will have better chances to secure a seat as six new branches of AIIMS have been established at Bhopal, Patna, Jodhpur, Rishikesh, Raipur and Bhubaneswar, albeit at a higher fees than AIIMS, Delhi. Know more

In Madhya Pradesh, private medical colleges charge as much as Rs 30 and 35 lakh for an MBBS seat and Rs 70 lakh to 1.5 crore for an MD seat in most sought-after courses, such as radiology, orthopaedics, dermatology, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology. See details

India needs 7 lakh more doctors in about a decade, isn't it high time medical education is made more accessible and affordable? Share your thoughts here.