What is the best time to start preparing for NEET PG?

Want to pursue a master’s degree after completing MBBS and wondering what is the best time to start preparing for NEET PG? Read on to get the answer to your question.

NEET PG 2026: To reach the destination, one needs to make a series of decisions. One of the major decisions is to calculate the time required to reach the destination and plan the journey accordingly. When preparing for any entrance examination, your destination is the college or course that you want to get into. Choosing when to start preparing for the examination will have a major impact on the final outcome.

While preparing for NEET PG 2026, starting early will prove beneficial. Starting early does not mean that you start solving MCQs from various books during the initial years of college. Every academic year has its own importance in NEET PG preparation. However, there is no standard period defined for the preparation of NEET PG. Understanding the basics during MBBS is important for a successful career in Medicine. Thus, if you have paid attention during the classes, your NEET PG preparation is half-way through. But, students still want to know the best time to start preparing for NEET PG. For them, the importance of each academic year, along with the do’s and don’ts for NEET PG have been elaborated below. 

What is the best time to start preparing for NEET PG?

Up to Second Semester MBBS

The first two semesters cover the basics. Students are introduced to subjects, namely, Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology. Though it is only the beginning, focusing during the lectures and pre-clinics will help during NEET PG preparation. This is the year when you must try to resolve all the doubts pertaining to these subjects, especially Anatomy and Physiology. Once you are thorough with the basics, building a foundation for the coming years will be easier. You must also prepare notes for these subjects which can be revised during each semester.

Third to Fifth Semester MBBS

Once the basics are clear, students are introduced to more complex subjects. The third semester introduces new subjects, namely, Community Medicine; Forensic Medicine, Pathology, Pharmacology and Microbiology. Along with these, students also start attending clinical postings and OPDs. While in the fifth semester, you must focus on understanding the basics in the clinics. Read and revise everything that is being taught to you in these classes. Notes made during clinical postings will also help with NEET PG preparation.

Sixth to Ninth Semester MBBS

This is the most important academic phase of all. With the core subjects, like Medicine and Surgery, being introduced, your focus must be attending all lectures and getting a hold of these subjects. Apart from this, you will start attending OPDs and clinical postings for a longer time. Understanding the subjects covered in these semesters will be easier if you have a good hold on the basics taught in the previous years. Again, focus on preparing notes during lectures and revisions. However, your primary focus must be academics only.

Also Read: How to crack NEET PG in the first attempt?

During the Internship

Note that during any of the previous years, you are not expected to solve NEET PG level MCQs. Your focus during the academic years must be on understanding the basics and making notes. When you start with your internship, you can begin focusing solely on NEET PG preparation. Start your preparation by attempting the question papers of previous years. The MBBS curriculum does not cover a few subjects in-depth, such as, Psychiatry, Dermatology and Anaesthesiology. These subjects, cumulatively known as short subjects, have to be covered in a little more depth for NEET PG. During your internship, you can focus on expanding your knowledge about ‘short subjects’ by referring to other books. You must also attempt two to three mock tests during this period. 

Also Read: How to prepare for NEET PG at home?

If you start preparing after completing MBBS

If you are one of those candidates who could not decide whether they wanted to appear for NEET PG until after graduation, you still have a lot of time to prepare for the examination. The strategy will, however, change in this case. The sequence that must be followed for NEET PG preparation during the internship for beginners is listed below:

• Strengthening the basic subjects and clarifying doubts, if any
• Preparing notes for all the subjects
• Taking mock tests and practice tests
• Referring to various study material for short subjects
• Regular revision of all the subjects

A time table and disciplined routine will help cover all this before the examination. At last, you must remember that no matter when you start preparing for NEET PG, only a wholehearted preparation will reap results.

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