MD

Yes, DM is higher than MD because it is a Doctorate programme.
While an MD is generally the abbreviation for a research degree, Doctor of Medicine is usually reserved for a professional degree. The MD degree is an award in many medical school programs, which integrates classroom instruction with clinical training. The degree aims to turn its students into licensed medical practitioners.
On the other hand, a Doctor of Medicine is a research degree where one normally participates in an original project and defends a dissertation. It is usually pursued by individuals interested in the field of academic medicine or medical research. Normally, this degree course involves further in-depth study and specialization in any one particular area of medicine.

No, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is not required to be taken up for admission to Doctorate of Medicine courses in India. Normally, postgraduate medical admissions are carried out through the NEET-PG examination intended for candidates seeking admission to MD, PG Diploma and MS courses.

The NEET-PG examination is a test of knowledge and skills acquired during the MBBS undergraduate course and is an eligibility requirement for admission to available seats in different medical colleges in the country. It is, further, a uniform entrance examination to ensure that admission to postgraduate medical study happens on a par and meritorious platform.

General medicine, alias internal medicine, comes with its set of merits and demerits in choosing an MD.
Merits:

• Scope of Knowledge: An MD in general medicine confers knowledge on a wide variety of medical conditions, diagnostic techniques, and treating options in the different organ systems.
• Versatility: A general medicine MD is trained in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of disorders and diseases; hence, they are versatile doctors in treating a broad spectrum of the needs of patients.
• Foundational to Specialization: An MD in general medicine thus will be a good foundation for one who would later like to specialize in one area of medicine.
• Holistic Approach: Internal medicine is concerned with the 'holistic approach' while undertaking patient care. It encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of several diseases and disorders in the adult patient population.
• Career Opportunities: Students attaining an MD in general medicine have a wide scope of career opportunities, from primary care practice to hospitalists, from academic medicine and research fields to healthcare administration.

Demerits:

• Heavy Workload: Residencies in internal medicine largely go in correlation with heavy work hours and loaded patient caseloads, predisposing residents and practitioners to burnout.
• Broad Scope of Practice: Though the broad scope within Internal Medicine may be viewed as a merit, this is sometimes considered a demerit for those practitioners who get overwhelmed by the depth of knowledge required in various medical conditions.
• Limited Specialization: Though the general medicine course imparts broad-based fundamentals, it lacks the in-depth specialization offered by other medical specialities with a narrower scope.
• Complex Patients: The internal medicine physician tends to deal with complex cases medically, hence intellectually stimulating but emotionally tiring.