Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery

MBBS Full Form in English, letter by letter

MBBS is the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, the 5.5-year degree (with internship) that qualifies Indians as doctors.

MBBS Full Form in Indian Languages

Medical colleges teach in English, so the degree name is usually written in English even in Indian-language documents. Here is Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in six Indian languages.

Two degrees in one name

People often read MBBS as a single degree, but it is two. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery are awarded together, which is why the abbreviation has two B's. In Latin they are Medicinae Baccalaureus and Baccalaureus Chirurgiae. Some countries abbreviate the pair as MB ChB, MB BCh or BM BS.

If you have seen 'Medical Bachelor and Bachelor of Surgery' somewhere, that wording is not used by any medical council. The correct expansion is Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery.

How the Indian course is built

The course runs five and a half years: four and a half years of academic and clinical study, then a twelve-month compulsory rotating internship. The early years cover anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. The middle years add pathology, microbiology, forensic medicine and pharmacology. The final stretch is mostly clinical, with medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology. Hospital postings in outpatient and inpatient wards start early, where students learn history-taking, examination and basic procedures.

During the internship, students rotate through internal medicine, general surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and community medicine, and they receive a stipend. Full registration with the medical council comes only once the academic, clinical and internship parts are complete, and some states and institutions add a rural service requirement for permanent registration.

Getting in: NEET and counselling

Admission is through NEET (UG). The National Medical Commission accredits colleges and monitors the curriculum, and the total number of seats in India has grown steadily and now runs well past a lakh across government, private and deemed colleges. Seat counts change every year, so read the latest figure from the NMC or the counselling authority.

Seats are filled through counselling. Fifteen percent of government seats go through the central pool, and the rest are filled by each state, with separate counselling for deemed universities. Government colleges are the most sought after because of subsidised tuition and the heavy patient load at the attached teaching hospitals, which gives students plenty of clinical exposure. Private and deemed university fees can be many times higher, so ask for the full five-year fee schedule in writing before you pay a seat deposit.

After MBBS

MBBS makes you a doctor, but most graduates continue. A postgraduate degree such as an MD or MS takes it further, and a super-specialty DM or MCh follows for some, with the national tests deciding seats. Others work in hospitals as junior doctors, take up public health, join the armed forces medical services, or prepare for civil services. The dental equivalent is the BDS, and look at the AIIMS page for India's best-known medical institute.

If you want to specialise, the route is the national postgraduate entrance test, with seats in government and private colleges. Competition for popular branches such as radiology, dermatology and medicine is high, so many graduates spend a year or two preparing after the internship. Plan your finances for that gap. Some graduates also take up fellowships or diplomas that add a skill without a full degree.

Why a doctor holds a 'bachelor' degree

It looks odd that a qualification for doctors is called a bachelor's. The reason is history. University medical education in England ended with the Bachelor of Medicine, while Scotland's ended with the Doctor of Medicine. Several early medical schools in North America were founded by doctors trained in Britain, so they first awarded the Bachelor of Medicine too, before changing to the MD.

Countries that kept the British pattern, India among them, kept the name. In practice the MBBS is the first medical qualification, and it is treated as equivalent to the MD that North American schools later adopted. You become 'Dr' on graduating, even though the title on the certificate says bachelor.

Other Indian systems: BAMS, BHMS and the rest

MBBS is not the only medical degree. BAMS covers Ayurveda, BHMS covers homoeopathy, and there are separate degrees for Unani, Siddha, yoga and naturopathy. These courses also use NEET for admission, but their syllabi, councils and scope of practice differ from MBBS. Check the scope of practice for your state before choosing one over the other.

Studying MBBS abroad and coming back

Many Indian students go to countries such as Russia, Ukraine, the Philippines, Georgia and Bangladesh to study medicine, mainly because of lower fees and easier entry. MBBS is used mainly in the United Kingdom and in countries that follow its university tradition. An Indian who earns a degree abroad generally has to clear a screening test set by the National Board of Examinations before registering in India, and must complete an internship here. Check that the foreign college is on the NMC's recognised list and that the course meets NMC duration rules before you pay anything.

MBBS is Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, two bachelor's degrees awarded together after five and a half years in India. Seat counts and exam rules change every year, so confirm the latest with the NMC and the official counselling notices.

MBBS Full Form: Common Questions