Top  8 Reasons to Study an MBBS Degree in 2024

This is one of the most important blogs to read before NEET counselling and even before beginning to prepare for NEET. 

We all know that NEET is one of the most competitive exams in the world, with over 25 lakh students competing for a selection percentage of about 2%. Why is medical the most sought after career prospect in India?

Healthcare is a very broad field of education including lots of courses. Of these, MBBS has the highest cutoff during NEET counseling. This means that it is the most opted course in medical education. Why has this been the case for such a long time?

Let’s try to understand the reasons behind. 

First and foremost reason is the:

High demand for doctors and medical professionals

India has a population 140 crores. The ideal doctor patient ratio should be 1 doctor per 1000 people. This means that there should be at least 14 lakh doctors in India. This number has been met on paper. But what is the reality? 

There is a shortage of primary health providers, India faces severe shortage of specialists both for its rural and urban services. Seventy per cent posts of specialists (surgeons, physicians, paediatrics, gynaecologists, etc.) at the Community Health Centers (CHCs), which provide minimum specialist services to villagers, are lying vacant. 

After covid, this demand has only further increased. People have realized that there is a dire need of working allopathy doctors in India. It is a need that won’t be quenched ever with the current population scenario.  

Amidst all this, the dream of becoming a doctor pops up in every other household. Thus, MBBS becomes the most sought after career in the country. 

Lucrative career options and job security 

Along with being the most in-demand course, MBBS comes with the best job security too. No recession and no amount of people having the same degree will ever make a doctor go jobless. With such a high demand for doctors and the unbelievable Indian population, doctors are always going to have a job. 

They will always be employed, even if AI replaces most of the jobs. No technology can take away the physician’s touch. No machine can cure a human without another human intervening. Doctors are not just professionals on paper, they are healers, they are listeners. And thus, they cannot be replaced. 

Doctors also have a good constant salary of at least Rs. 50000 per month after MBBS. This just keeps increasing with the years, your PG, your specialization, establishing a clinic all help increase this amount. This is another incentive to get into MBBS. 

 Opportunity to specialize through MD/MS courses

There is a lot of career scope after MBBS. You can open your own clinic, get into hospital management, get a  job or even continue your education. You get the opportunity to opt for Post graduation courses like MD and MS, and become a surgeon, a pediatrician, a cardiologist or anything else after an MBBS degree. 

Specialization also helps in getting a better salary as there is a big demand for expert services.

 Chance to work abroad and migrate 

In the field of medical sciences and healthcare there is a shortage of specialized professionals in several countries. Therefore, you can have the opportunity to settle abroad after specialization or even before specialization. 

Exams like USMLE and PLAB are the two most popular exams that Indian MBBS medical degree graduates take to pursue a Postgraduate course in the US or in the UK. These offer a chance at a very good salary, a great lifestyle and defined working hours. 

 Research and innovation opportunities

The MBBS degree offers a lot of scope for research projects. Students are taken on clinical rotations during each MBBS year. In these rotations they can observe and identify areas where improvement can be done. They can then collaborate with a group of people specializing in different fields and build something that will transform the healthcare scenario. 

Research in medicine is also possible and encouraged by professors. The students can conduct research under any faculty of the college after taking appropriate permissions. This helps them contribute to the science that we know and leave their mark on the world of discoveries. 

 Prestige and respect in society

The respect that doctors get in society is one of the most important reasons for getting into MBBS. 

There are certainly cases of violence against doctors too and doctors face a very difficult time in the OPDs. But at the end of the day, the respect that a patient has in his eyes when a doctor is able to take away their pain, is unmatched. 

Just the ‘Dr’ tag before your name is enough to get you respect in every room you walk into. Doctors are next to God for a lot of people and this is never going to change. Doctors are people who can change the course of someone’s life with years of hard work and perseverance and they are paid back amply in respect and prestige. 

Doctors are always the most respected members of society, the white coats are the proof. 

 Opportunity to give back through service  

The feeling of a saved life goes both ways, it is a celebration for the patient and it is also a celebration for the doctor. Every patient we save is a testament to the number of years we put in, working tirelessly, working day and night, studying for months without skipping a day, doing whatever it takes to be able to save that life. It is the best feeling ever, which cannot be described in words. 

The doctors we talk to, tell us that the feeling of saving a patient is the most rewarding part of the profession. It is the satisfaction that they feel, the urge to learn more and work even harder, and the sheer joy of life that keeps them going. 

This is the core reason any one of us gets into this profession. And it is enough motivation for anyone who wants to get into the profession. 

 Dynamic nature of medicine as a field

This profession is perfect for anyone who cannot sit idle. If you like working, medicine will always keep you on your feet. There are so many technological advances happening everyday, so many discoveries and challenges come up every day. 

Some drugs get banned and some others get introduced. Some drugs are suddenly reported to have a lot of side effects in a certain group and some drugs emerge as revolutionary drugs. Doctors keep doing things we never thought would be possible. 

Anyone holding a medical degree needs to be up to date with all that is happening so that he/she can offer the best possible treatment to a patient. You need to be a workaholic to be able to pull this off. 

Conclusion:

So, these are the reasons that MBBS is one of the most sought after medical degree in India. The career scope, the opportunities, the personal fulfillment and the opportunity to settle abroad are few of the best reasons to get into MBBS. 

It is indeed one of the most difficult yet one of the most rewarding courses in the world. 

So what are you waiting for?