By- Akanksha Yadav

Are you among those who are confused about choosing between postgraduate medical courses MD and MS? Here are the differences and similarities between these two courses. You can read this article for a better understanding of MD and MS courses. 

Every year the National Board of Examinations (NBE) conducts the NEET PG examination for the students to get admission in MD and MS courses in India. A large number of students appear in this examination every year but only 10 to 12,000 students manage to get their desired seats. NEET PG exam can only be given after completing an MBBS degree. After he/she sits for the NEET PG exam, he/she needs to clear the exam to go to the next step which is NEET PG counselling registration.

The Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS) both are the most famous medical post-graduation courses. MD/MS can be done once graduation from an MBBS is over. The choice of choosing MD or MS depends upon the student’s interest.

What are Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS)?

The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a postgraduate programme for students to do their masters in the medical field and the MS (Master of Surgery) is also a similar programme. MBBS degree holders are eligible for both these degrees but for admission to these courses, students need to qualify for the NEET PG examination. MD course is for students who want to become a physician while the MS course is for students who want to become a surgeon.

The basic differences between the Master of Surgery (MS) and the Doctor of Medicine (MD) are given below.

• MD is for the aspirants who want to become a physician while MS is for the students who aspire to become a surgeon.
• MD is a non-surgical programme while MS is a surgical programme.
• In MD, No tool or equipment is required to treat patients whereas individuals who do MS use tools and equipment to treat the patients.

The eligibility criteria for MD and MS:

For getting admission to MD/MS course, students need to first sit for the NEET PG examination. Once the student qualifies for the examination, he/she can go ahead with the NEET PG counselling process. For the counselling process, registration for the same is important. There are many colleges available in India for MD/MS admissions. If a student is preparing for the NEET PG examination, he/she should first check the eligibility criteria of the examination. The eligibility criteria for the exam are given below.

• The applicant should have an MBBS degree from a recognized medical college or university.
• The MBBS degree should be issued or approved by NMC/MCI.
• The student must obtain a provisional or permanent enrollment certificate.

MD/MS Specializations:

In both MD/MS courses, various specializations are available. Students can study his/her preferred specialization during the programme. The list of specializations is mentioned below.

For MD:

• Obstetrics
• Gynecology
• Orthopedics
• Neurology
• Anesthesiology
• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Gynecology
• Internal medicine
• Pediatrics
• Psychiatry
• Dermatology
• Radio-diagnosis
• Pathology

For MS:

• Pediatric surgery
• Plastic surgery
• Cardio-thoracic surgery
• Urology
• Cardiac surgery
• Cosmetic surgery
• ENT
• Ophthalmology
• Gynecology
• Obstetrics
• Orthopedics

Career opportunities after MD/MS:

MD/MS both fields have good prospects. Individuals, who will do MD, will become a physician while the person who will do MS will become a surgeon. After finishing the post-graduation in MD/MS, individuals will get a good salary wherever they’ll work. Both fields are equally good and have good career opportunities. After completing MD/MS, a person can expect a salary of RS 75,000 to Rs 1.5 Lakhs per month.

Top MD/MS entrance exams:

Aspirants, who want to take admission into MD/MS programs offered by top colleges, will have to qualify for the NEET PG examination. Other than NEET PG, there are many MD/MS entrance examinations in India for admission to top universities.

The students need to qualify for the entrance exam to sit for the counselling session. Once counselling is over the student can take admission. Some of the top MD/MS entrance exams are given below.

NEET PG: conducted by the National Board of examinations (NBE) for admission into MD/MS courses.

AIIMS PG: conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for admissions in MD/MS courses.

Top colleges/institutes offering MD/MS:

Some of the top colleges/institutes which offer MD/MS programmes are provided below for the students.

• Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
• Christian Medical College, Vellore
• Maulana Azad Medical College, new Delhi
• Dr D Y Patil Medical College, Pune
• Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore
• Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Mumbai
• Madras Medical College, Chennai
• Institute of Medical Sciences BHU, Varanasi