How to Choose the Best Medical College Based on Your NEET Rank
Hello there! You must be planning your admission to the medical colleges of India. Since there are 700+ medical colleges in the country, it can be confusing for anyone to choose the best one. So, through this article, I will help you navigate some tips on choosing the best medical college based on your NEET rank.
Factors You Must Know Before Choosing a Medical College
There are some factors that you must be aware of before choosing the best medical college for yourself based on your rank. I am going to list them here and discuss each one of them in detail.
Course Overview
So first let's learn about the course you plan to join, Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). MBBS is one of the most chosen undergraduate courses after 12th. Once you pass your 12th exam, you have to appear for the entrance exam and qualify to join the course.
The course duration is 4 and a half years, followed by a 1-year internship period. So, the overall course is completed within 5 and a half years. It's one of the longest UG courses. The curriculum involves subjects like human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacology, general surgery, general medicine, etc. Commonly these subjects are referred to as basic sciences.
Additionally, there are various specialty subjects such as psychiatry, dermatology, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatric, anesthesiology, ENT, ophthalmology, and orthopedics, etc., which you will study during the MBBS course. All these subjects indulge both theory and extensive practical learning.
The practicals play an important role in medical courses. This is because eventually, when you complete your studies, your career opportunities rely on your practical knowledge.
Eligibility criteria
It's important that you know the eligibility criteria for joining a medical college for MBBS. The primary requirement is that you must pass your 12th Std exam with English as one of the languages.
You must also have a minimum of 50% of marks in aggregate in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology subjects. In case you belong to the SC/ST/OBC categories, you must obtain 40% aggregate for the same.
The age criteria for joining MBBS is that you are 17 years of age at the time of admission.
Lastly, you must qualify for the NEET UG exam and obtain the minimum qualifying percentile or score in the respective year. The National Testing Agency (NTA) announces this score after the NEET UG exams.
Medical College Types
In India, medical colleges can be majorly categorized into two categories, which are government medical colleges and private medical colleges. The government college category includes the government colleges affiliated with a state health university and the colleges under a central university. The private medical colleges include private medical colleges affiliated with state health universities and deemed medical colleges. Including all these types of medical colleges, precisely, India has 779 medical colleges for the MBBS courses.
Out of these, 432 are government medical colleges, 8 are central universities, 289 are private medical colleges, and the remaining 51 fall into the deemed category. All these colleges together contribute 118,910 MBBS seats in India. We will learn about these seats in detail in the sections below.
Seat Categories and Reservations
Out of the 118,910 MBBS seats in India, 55,648 are in government medical colleges, 1,015 are in central universities, 51,400 are in private medical colleges, and 9,887 are in deemed medical universities. However, not all the seats are available. There are various seat divisions based on categories and reservations.
So, you must be aware of these various seat divisions and their reservation percentage in a medical college. This will guide you to make a clearer decision in choosing the colleges. So, in government medical colleges, the seat categories include 85% state quota seats and 15% open domicile-free seats. 85% of seats are only available for students of the respective state, which means if you want to apply for a state quota seat, you must bear the domicile of that particular state.
On the other hand, the remaining 15% of seats are open for any student and hence are also referred to as domicile-free seats.
For a wider understanding, let's have a look at the 15% open seats, which includes
1. 15% All India Quota seats MBBS Seats of States,
2. 100% MBBS Seats of BHU OPEN
3. AIIMS Open 100% MBBS Seats of AIIMS across India
4. JIPMER Open (Puducherry/Karaikal)
5. AMU Open
6. 15% All India Quota seats of DU/I.P University (VMMC/ABVIMS/ESIC Dental)
7. Jamia Open Seats—Faculty of Dentistry (Jamia Milia Islamia)
8. 15% All India Quota Seats of ESIC
The central government has fixed a reservation policy for the 15% All India Quota seats, which is as follows:
1. S.C.- 15%
2. S.T.- 7.5%
3. O.B.C.- (Non-Creamy Layer) as per the Central OBC list- 27%
4. EWS-as per Central Government norms- 10%
5. PwD-Horizontal Reservation as per NMC norms- 5%
You can expect a similar reservation policy for the state quota seats across various government medical colleges in India. These seats are also further reserved based on GEN/SC/ST/OBC/EWS categories. However, the reservations vary based on the state government rules and reservation policies. Many states also have certain sub-categories; hence, it is not possible to mention the reservation percentage of each state in this article.
So, in order to learn about the seat reservation of a particular state or college, you must refer to the information bulletin issued during the NEET UG counseling.
You can also expect a similar category-based seat reservation in certain private medical colleges. In certain states, private medical colleges have state-quota seats, management seats, and NRI seats. Similarly, in deemed medical colleges, seats are divided into 85% management quota seats and 15% NRI seats. Few colleges also have a certain percentage of seats reserved as minority seats.
The allotment also depends on which category you have applied for. Commonly it's seen that the NRI category and management quota ranks are lower compared to the state quota seats. However, the fee is also high in both the former categories. Unlike state quota seats, where you get the advantage of low fees. However, you also need an exceptional rank to get an allotment.
Cut-off Trends
Most students confuse the cut-off score of a medical college with the qualifying percentile. The former is the last rank that got an allotment in a respective college, and the latter is the minimum mark required for you to be eligible for participating in the NEET UG counseling process.
So, you might be qualified with the minimum marks announced by the NTA. However, that doesn't assure your admission to a medical college. It only makes you eligible to participate in the counseling. Knowing the cutoff score can help you navigate your admissions for MBBS in any medical college. If you are aware of the last rank that got allotment in the medical college of your interest, you can predict your chances of allotment as well. For example, in 2022 the last student who got an allotment to a medical college was AIR 102,524.
In 2023, the last rank in the same medical college was AIR 112,523, and the same was AIR 99,412 in 2024. So, in that case, if you are planning for admission to that same medical college in 2025, your AIR must be below 1 lakh. In that case, you have a safer side for your allotment to that college.
It's not like, if you have a rank above 1 lakh, you cannot apply for that college. Of course, you can! However, the cut-off will also prepare you to keep alternative college choices as a backup. This will help you to ensure an allotment and save you from losing a year!
Apart from that, the cut-off may vary based on your category. This usually happens in state quota reservations or government medical colleges. The cut-off and qualification percentile for general category students is higher compared to SC/ST/OBC category students. So if you are planning for state quota seats in government and private colleges or all-India quota seats in government medical colleges, the cut-off rank will vary based on the different quota reservations. So, plan your admission after comparing your state rank with the category cut-off.
Similarly, for AIQ seats, compare your AIQ rank with the previous year's category cut-off. This will give you a probable idea of your allotment chances in your desired medical institute.
Admission Process
The admission process to the MBBS course in any medical college you choose is conducted through NEET UG counseling. There are 6-7 steps that you must follow to complete your admission process. The steps are as follows:
Registration
Payment of Registration Fee
Payment of Security Deposit
Choice Filling & Locking
Allotment & Results
Reporting & Document Verification
The NEET UG counseling schedule will be announced by the Medical Counseling Committee of India (MCCI). Once you qualify and decide on your medical college options, you must participate in the NEET UG counseling. The NEET UG counseling for state quota seats in government colleges and private medical colleges will be conducted by the respective state medical directorates.
On the other hand, the NEET UG counseling for AIQ seats in state government colleges, central universities, and deemed universities will be conducted through AIQ counseling.
So if you have a high rank and are planning to target govt. medical colleges, then you must register for the state counseling to get a state quota seat in a GMC. If you are planning to target a medical seat in any GMC outside your domicile state, go for the AIQ counseling. Likewise, once you choose the type of private college, you can register for the NEET UG counseling conducted for admissions there.
I often get asked by students how many counselling processes they can target. Well. The answer is multiple! You can register for both AIQ counseling and state counseling. You can also apply for AIQ counseling for deemed universities at the same time. However, you have to fill out different registration forms, pay multiple security deposits, and undergo the complete process. This can lead to problems like allotment in 2 different colleges. There is no problem if you have participated in the first counseling round.
However, from the second counseling round, your security deposit will be forfeited if you leave a seat after allotment. So, if you get allotted to 2 colleges through 2 different counselings, you might end up losing money on one side. So, it is always better to target one or two counseling processes after having a clear picture based on your rank and the type of medical college you are interested in.
Of course, there are multiple other factors, such as fee structure and location preferences, that will influence your choice. So in the next section, we are going to dig into the details of which will be the best medical college to choose, based on your rank!
Which is the Best Medical College?
It's a difficult question to answer when it comes to the best medical college. Like I already said, there are 700+ medical colleges in India and stating ony one as the best, will be not judicious. This is because there are multiple medical colleges with more or less same reputation in the country. Some colleges are well-recognized and one of the most chosen colleges by students.
However, I could definitely suggest you some factors that you must evaluate to find your best match for a medical college.
Recognition
Infrastructure
Academic Quality
Location and Safety
Fee Structure
Recognition
The medical college that you have shortlisted for yourself must be recognized by the National Medical Council (NMC), the Government of India (GOI), and the Ministry of Health. Additional recognitions such as NAAC accreditation and NABH accreditation are also important to check when you are planning to join a medical college.
This kind of recognition reflects the reputation of a medical college. You can also check if the college is NIRF ranked. The NIRF rank will help you identify the academic quality of the medical institute.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is one of the core factors that defines the quality of a medical college. A good medical college will have advanced technologies, research wings, an attached general hospital, a well-equipped teaching facility, practical laboratories, good patient care facilities, diagnostic laboratories, operatories, critical care units, and medical emergency management facilities. You must check the availability of all these facilities in a medical institute before planning admissions.
Additionally, the hostel facility, sports facility, and food availability are basic needs for a student. You must check the boarding facility or even the alternative options nearby the college if you don’t prefer college accommodation.
Academic Quality
Academics of a medical college are controlled by many factors such as the clinical exposure, teaching faculty, ongoing research, super specialty wings, CDE programs, and the daily patient flow. If you join MBBS, a regular OPD of minimum 200+ patients is considered good for a medical college. This will provide you with good clinical exposure in terms of learning patient management and treatment. Of course that cannot happen without supporting mentors. So, a bench of faculties with great knowledge and key expertise in all subjects is a mandate. Research conducted will also pave a pathway for you to indulge in advanced studies.
As the field of medical science is always expanding and progressing surveys, studies, conferences and CDEs are tools that enable the scope of learning modern medicine. If you get a chance, try to find the pass percentage of MBBS students in a college or alumni reviews/records. This can also help you to gauge the academic quality of a medical college. In fact, alumni are the best people to help you review the progress of a medical college.
Location & Safety
The location and safety are crucial factors that you must evaluate before choosing a medical college. This is because you will be residing there for more than 5 years, which is a long time. You can even call it your second home…Haha! Hence, accessibility through public transport is very important. The distance from the airport to the college, nearest railway station, and nearest bus station and information about the travel time are important to know. Safety is the most important factor, whether it's inside or outside the campus.
Especially female students must be cautious when you move to a new location. Nearby public places to fulfill your basic needs, buy daily amenities, and find eateries and local markets are some recommendations from my side. The local transport facility and connectivity must be evaluated as well!
Fee Structure
The fee structure is one of the decision-making factors while choosing a medical college. As I have already mentioned earlier about the different medical college categories. So, government medical colleges have a very reasonable fee structure. It can range between 10,000/- per annum to 100,000/- per annum. However, only a high rank can help you to get admission to these colleges. On the other hand, in private medical colleges and deemed universities, you can expect a higher fee structure.
The fee can range between 900,000/- per annum and 4,000,000/- per annum. This depends on the type of seat you have been allotted. Here, your admission depends on your rank and your budget. Planning your budget is very important because when we talk about fee structure, we cannot ignore the additional costs. These include your hostel and food, university charges, examination fees, books, equipment, and even your own personal expenditures.
So, when you choose a medical college, consider an extra miscellaneous fee apart from the mainstream fee structure. One more important thing is the fee increment. The private medical colleges might have a yearly fee increment, so plan your budget accordingly.
Conclusion
MBBS is a core foundation course, and studying in a good medical college actually makes a difference. A good quality medical college will help you shape yourself as an efficient doctor. It also determines your career path in the long run. Moreover, you will be investing a huge fortune if you join a private medical college. You must try to get value for that money and also look forward to the returns of investment.
Apart from that, your NEET rank plays the most important role in your admission process. The NEET cutoff and qualifying percentile vary every year, and hence the allotment trends. If you are well-versed with the previous years results, you can at least identify which colleges you can apply for based on your rank. It might not give you the exact result, but at least you can prepare your college preferences easily.
Additionally, your fee structure planning is very crucial, especially if you get an allotment in private medical colleges. If you have a higher rank, you can plan for state quota seats in certain private medical colleges. This will help you get an MBBS seat at almost half of the management quota seats.
Above all, what's important is to get the best quality medical college for your graduation. It needs a lot of zeal, hard work, discipline, and dedication to become a doctor. So, choose a college that satisfies all the parameters and standards I have mentioned above. It's your career, time, and money at stake…so don't compromise on the college quality.
I hope after going through this article, you must have gotten the clarity about how to choose the best medical college based on your NEET rank!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I take admission in a medical college?
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