MD vs MS: Right Choice for Postgraduate Medical Education?

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So, you have completed your MBBS and want to do a specialty course. Got confused what to choose after MBBS among MD vs MS? Keep reading!

During the MBBS degree, you get exposure to various fields of surgery and medicine. It is a bachelor’s program that offers optimum knowledge of multiple specialties. However, doctors and medical students have to pursue a specialty after completing MBBS to become a surgeon or specialist. As a surgeon, you would handle the equipment necessary in surgery, whereas the specialist will diagnose, medicate, treat, and cure his/her patients’ ailments.

The degree that helps you become a specialist or surgeon is Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Master of Surgery (MS), respectively. In this article, we will discuss MD vs MS to help you make the right decision. If you are still confused about whether you should pursue a post-MBBS course or not, we have explored that in the following section.

Why Should You Take a PG Course After MBBS?

Getting specialized becomes mandatory for Indian doctors to pursue a PG course after MBBS student to be successful in the medical industry. However, the completion of specialization holds some prominent contradictory points. If you complete MS or MD courses after MBBS, you are able to receive better career prospects and salary in the future.

Let’s see the difference.

• Demand
  It is obvious that as a post-graduate medical professional, you have a higher demand in the healthcare market. No patient would prefer to go to an MBBS graduate for their dermatology-related health problem. They would search for a specialist with an MD degree.
  Can you see what difference that an MD in India can make?

• Career Prospects
  While career prospects with MBBS are favourable, you need special skills in a field. If you are just an MBBS graduate, you are going to do fine in the healthcare industry. However, with deep knowledge in the field, such as MS in OBG, you gain optimum diagnosing skills, confidence, responsibility, and better communication ability.
  Hence, of course, your career graph would become an upward trajectory with specialization through MD or MS after MBBS.
  With an MBBS degree, you can practice as a physician. With an MS or MD in India, you can work as a knowledgeable specialist or surgeon. 

• Salary of Doctors with Post-MBBS Courses
  There’s a huge difference in the salary range as well. Just like in most other fields, when you are an MBBS graduate, you may get INR 30,000 per month to something more than that, usually up to INR 1 Lakh. However, as an MD in India, you get INR 2–20 Lakhs, and as an MS in India, you get INR 4–35 Lakhs.

MD vs MS: Which Is the Best?

In reality, the decision of the best course is based on your skills, interest, and aptitude. When you are oscillating MD or MS or comparing MD vs MS, you should consider factors like skills, career prospects, etc.

If you pursue MS after MBBS, you may have to work with blood and human tissue, a lot. If you are not able to stand lacerations and too much blood, then avoid considering MS after MBBS.

Similarly, if you want to enter general medicine, then MD in India is the best option. As a specialist, your work would be related to prescribing drugs and medication to patients. In this field, you don’t need to handle machinery or equipment that often, and you would stay in touch with patients directly.

MD vs MS: Mapping the Difference

If you are trying to map the difference in MD vs MS, we have explained some important factors below. Read on to decide the best post-MBBS course.

But, before we move on to that, let’s define both MS and MD in India.

MD in India is a post-MBBS course that helps you gain deep knowledge in a specific field of medicine. Through this study, you develop the ability to diagnose patients more accurately to offer them the right treatment at the right time. This field includes the following specializations:

• MD Paediatrics
• MD General Medicine
• MD Pathology
• MD Radiology
• MD Cardiology
• MD Dermatology
• MD Neurology
• MD Neonatology
• MD Oncology
• MD Gastroenterology

MS after MBBS is also a post-MBBS course that helps you receive deep knowledge in the field of surgery. This field includes patient care, seminars, clinical discussions, hands-on clinical experience, and supervised surgery. An MS after MBBS includes the following specializations:

• MS Orthopaedics
• MS OBG
• MS Ophthalmology
• MS ENT

• Demand
  There’s no doubt in the fact that MD and MS after MBBS help you acquire specialized skills that allow you to treat patients in an efficient manner. You gain the ability to research new health issues, diagnose patients correctly, and offer proper medication or surgery. There’s a demand for both MS and MD in India. You have to choose one field, which interests you the most. 

• Eligibility
  For an MD in India, you need to spend 2–3 years on full-time studies with fees that can go up to INR 15 Lakhs.
  For MS after MBBS, you need to complete a 3-year full-time degree with fees that can go up to INR 10 Lakhs.
  Both MS and MD in India require an MBBS degree obtained from any MCI-recognized college. You also require a NEET score or clearance from any other exam to pursue a specialization in MD or MS.

• Specialization
  We have already discussed some specializations in MD and MS after MBBS. Here’s an exhaustive list of specialization that you can pursue with MS or MD in India.

• Career Prospects
  One of the most crucial MD vs MS factor is the career prospects. In both MD and MS after MBBS, you have an equally rewarding career graph. Your success ultimately depends on your skills, experience, and aptitude. Regardless of the degree you pursue in post-MBBS courses, your career prospects are dependent on your specialization.
  Overall, your career prospects are great in both fields.
  The fact that you should keep in mind is that a surgeon can treat patients for certain common ailments other than surgery since they have completed their MBBS already. However, a general physician or any other specialist cannot take up surgery without proper education and training.

• Salary Range
  Another major deciding factor for MD vs MS is the salary range of both professions. As an MD in India, you can get INR 2–20 Lakhs, and as an MS in India, you can get INR 4–35 Lakhs. If you choose to enter the teaching field, you may get INR 30,000–60,000 initially.

How to Pursue Post-MBBS Courses

We are positive that you have already made up your mind about your post-MBBS course by now. For this reason, we have discussed methods to pursue an MD or MS after MBBS in the following sections. Explore the best way to pursue an MD or MS.

• Completing MS or MD in India
  Completing an MS or MD in India is not a simple task. You need to give NEET PG or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Medical Postgraduate Courses after your MBBS. After giving the exam and clearing it, you would be given a chance to select your post-MBBS course during counseling.
  This route is taxing. Here’s how:
  • There are a limited number of PG seats in India. It may be hard for you to secure the one you like.
  • Even if you manage to get a seat for MD or MS after MBBS, you may not get your preferred specialty.

• Giving Exams
  There are other options than NEET PG exam, such as DNB or Diplomate of National Board. This DNB specialization allows you to consider various specific fields after MBBS. However, the issue here is that the exam is difficult to clear, so very few people complete the exam and take up a course.

• Royal College Exams
  The simplest and the best option is the Royal College exam. Upon clearing the Royal College exams, you can practice as a specialist in the UK, India, and most Commonwealth countries.
  Even though clearing the exam takes a lot of effort, TAU makes it easier for Indian doctors through its training programs, offered in association with the University of Central Nicaragua. This program will offer training for the following specialties in India:
  • MRCP (Membership of Royal College of Physicians)
  • MRCS (Membership of Royal College of Surgeons)
  • MRCPCH (Membership of Royal College of Paediatrician and Child Health)
  • MRCOG (Membership of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists)

This 3-year, hospital-based fellowship course prepares students for their Royal College exams. It is exclusive because this training has been given by the Royal College-certified trainers. Through this course, we help aspiring medical specialists to gain knowledge, skills, and hands-on expertise, which leads them toward clinical mastery and specialization.

Under this fellowship course, we cover a range of specializations that includes General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics and Child Health, Fellowship in Clinical Cardiology with Critical care, and Radiology.

Why Consider Texila for the Training for Royal College Exams?

Are you still having second thoughts?

Here are some reasons why you should consider TAU:

• 3-year hospital-based course
• Vigorous training for Royal College exam
• Supervised training from clinical and education experts
• Continuous assessment at the workplace for your skills and knowledge
• Opportunity to become an associate member of a Royal College during the course
• Upon clearing the exams Opportunity to explore a medical career in the UK and other Commonwealth countries
• Access to 2000+ questions, online education data, and study material
• Mock exams to make you ready for Royal College exams

It is not uncommon for MBBS graduates to draw a distinction between MD vs MS because they are confused about their choices. Now, you get a better understanding of PG medical courses. Make your decisions wisely by choosing the easiest way and have a successful career ahead!