Among the many choices made in a lifetime, none make or break a science student's life as much as that between giving the medical exams books, the engineering exams or the 'others'. But even when you choose to be one of those brave adventurers who will go for the first option, there are still many obstacles to cross. Which medical exam to give, and for which course? Here's some help.
NEET
The big one. For admission to MBBS and BDS courses in India, this is THE medical exam. This year, the online application process ended in March, with the exam to be held in June. As regards the big talking points, the Supreme Court will give its decision on the imposition of an age limit on candidates (no older than 25 is the current rule) on 31 March; as for the fate of Tamil Nadu colleges coming under NEET, technically speaking, they are as good as in. For one, medical education comes under the Centre's purview, and does not fall on the State or the concurrent list; two, Tamil Nadu took an exemption for one year, last year. All hail the new king!
AIIMS
The fact that the AIIMS institutes have been allowed to have their own, separate entrance examination despite being a government college, shows just how big a deal they are. Under AIIMS, 7 institutes are included: Delhi, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, Rishikesh, and an estimated 700 MBBS seats. For admission to any of these institutes, you will have to sit for the AIIMS medical exam; the registration closes in February, and the exam is held around May. Apart from AIIMS, there is also the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) medical exam, for two campuses in Karaikal and Pondicherry (the former being an off-site campus), and a total of 200 seats. From what students say, AIIMS is relatively the harder one to crack .
AIPVT
Becoming a vet is a much overlooked option; working with pets and nursing them back to health is just as rewarding (and lucrative) as it is with humans! Here, we have the All India Pre Veterinary Test (AIPVT) for admission to the Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry course, which will make sure that you get in any college (with the specified course) all over India, apart from J&K.
This year, however, the AIPVT medical exam will not be conducted by the Veterinary Council of India, the conducting body, due to 'administrative reasons'. The admissions for the same will be done on the basis of the NEET scores.
BAMS
Applying for Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine & Surgery (BAMS)? Considering the present government's push and an increasing focus on the traditional, this course has good prospects. As of now, this course does not come under NEET. So, what then? Apparently, you will have to apply to the colleges individually as there is no common medical exam; both the Rajiv Gandhi University, Bangalore as well as the Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar ask the applicants to complete their 10+2 and apply. However, there is also the PAHUNT medical exam in Madhya Pradesh for all aspirants in Unani, Homeopathy, Ayurved, and others; suspiciously, there is no mention of PAHUNT 2017 online.
Still unsure? Not to worry; as the cover of the book below shows, there are a number of options available for anyone giving a medical exam. All the best!
