Which Life Is More Stressful: MBBS Or NEET

Hello future doctors! We got this question from a lot of NEET aspirants. A lot of them have this little nagging feeling at the back of their minds, a doubt popping up, urging them to wonder if this NEET like struggle will last forever. Will MBBS stress be as bad as or even worse than the NEET stress. 

Let me tell you, it is a very valid question and the answer is actually shocking and opposite to what you think it might be. 

NEET Preparation: The uncertainty 

Before answering the question, let me take you through the stress of the NEET journey. 

The NEET preparation days have surely been the worst days of my life. I had a very difficult time coping with the stress. Everyday had a new concept, another problem that I am not able to solve, another formula that seems to be written in a foreign language. Another defeat in a mock test. 

NEET wasn’t just an exam; it was my dream. The anxiety before facing a mock test, the feeling of forgetting everything even after revising so many times, the classes filled with students who were much smarter than me, the group study sessions that I could not cope up with, and the hundreds and thousands of coffee cups. I used to sleep everyday thinking that ‘Okay, I’m done, I don’t think I can do this anymore’ Yet I woke up and decide to give it another try. This all became a routine. 

Not missing a single day, because of the guilt that I felt about it the next day. Giving up everything, my social life, my family events, my comfort, all I had for my dream. NEET was undeniably one of the most stressful times of my life. 

The uncertainty of admission. ‘Will I get a seat? Will I not?’ was the most difficult aspect. It got so difficult to keep working without the reward. It was the uncertainty for me that created the most stress. And that stress will remain unbeatable. 

MBBS Life: The lifelong battle

Now, onto MBBS. As college life begins, you enter a world filled with new terms, new subjects, practicals, clinical rotations and patient interactions. However exciting the newness is, it only lasts for so long. After the initial one or two months are over, it all is the same after that.

The same coffee, the same sleepless nights, the same anxiety before exams, the same revision sessions, the same imposter syndrome and the same uncertainty of clearing exams. The only thing that is different is the workload, the workload is double Or even five times.

It is the best of times, the worst of times. The horrific vivas where you are left crying, the fearful clinical postings where you say something wrong in front of the patient and get embarrassed about it, the attendance sheets, the exam months, it’s all a nightmare played over 5 years. 

So then, does this mean that MBBS is more stressful? 

I remember the day I got my white coat. I remember the day I brought my first stethoscope. I remember the feeling of pricking my finger for physiology practical. I remember the first gynaecology posting where I saw a life taking form. 

All these little victories make me feel like there is no profession that I could have pursued that would give me the feeling that medicine does. The joy of knowing that I will hold the power of saving someone from death is the best feeling in the world. 

Apart from these moments, there are other smaller joys too. Scoring good in your professional exams. Getting a compliment from your professors. The college events. And then there are the hostel stories, the late-night Maggi sessions, and the friendships that last a lifetime.

The life of MBBS students is a big rollercoaster. It has a lots of ups and downs, never static. 

It is stressful but it is also the best time of your life. You will cry both tears of frustration and tears of joy. One day you will be sitting in a book pit, wondering which book to read, how to read, when to read and the next day you will be partying with your roommates with no care about anything in the world. One day you will stuck in the OPD from morning to night and the other day you will be having gossip sessions with your friends the entire day. It is all one big crazy adventure. 

But a stressful adventure right?

See, I don’t want to lie to you. Being very honest, it will be a very very stressful adventure. Let’s compare some points in the NEET And MBBS journeys. 

• Duration:
  NEET preparation is very intense and monotonous but it is short-lived too. It typically lasts for around 2-5 years. MBBS is a very long battle of 5.5 years. It will not be stressful continuously, you will have a lot of relief too. But when the stress hits during the exam periods, it hits very hard. 

• Nature of Stress
  NEET is the type of stress that can lead to nothing. This is the most difficult part, knowing that all the effort, all the stress can all go to waste. MBBS is a lot more certainty than NEET. It is surely a lot more work. It is about balancing theory, practicals, postings and mental health. MBBS is a series of challenges – academic, practical, and emotional. Every mistake becomes very difficult to deal with, making you question your worth. But then again, a mistake does not hamper your future, you are still going to learn and be a better doctor. 

• Support System
  NEET can feel lonely, because 25 lakh people are trying to earn the same seat. But in MBBS, you are a part of a community. Seniors, batchmates, professors – these people do not pull you down or try to sabotage your career. It’s a community where everyone lifts each other. The late-night study groups, the shared notes, the pep talksjourney before a tough exam – these are the best moments of MBBS life

The Bigger Picture

Think of NEET as climbing a mountain. It’s tough, but there’s a summit, a finish line (clearing the exam). MBBS? It’s like looking ahead of the finish line and seeing ranges of never-ending mountains. So many peaks, so many valleys. There’s no end, just new horizons, new discoveries.

Advice from a Senior

Life will always have its stresses, be it during NEET, MBBS, or elsewhere. The main difference is the constant stress during NEET versus the occasional very harmful stress in MBBS. If you want to get into MBBS be prepared for thousands of sleepless nights, bags under your eyes, no social life outside of college, leaving your friends behind, and just having lots of mental breakdowns.

The pressure will be much worse than what you felt during NEET. You can forget eating and taking care of yourself. You will have to study just 100× of what you studied for NEET. You will have to watch all your school friends get graduated and start making money while you’re still in 3rd year. It will all be a nightmare until you learn to cope with it. 

But, after getting into a college, at least you’re free from the uncertainty. You have the comfort of knowing you’ll be a doctor in a few years. You will be a healer, a saviour, a respected person with financial stability even if a pandemic hits. 

To answer your question in one word: Yes. MBBS is just hundred times as stressful as NEET, but it also offers the best reward to those who dare to endure it. 

Sending loads of love and best wishes for your medical journey! 

Your ever-supportive senior.