The Indian Medical Association’s Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN) has recently written a formal letter to Union Health Minister JP Nadda asking them to lower the cutoff for NEET-PG 2024.
This request is made after the completion of the second round of NEET-PG counselling. According to National Medical Commission (NMC) data, 31,490 candidates were deemed eligible for admission after NEET postgraduate (PG) Round 2 counseling 2024, leaving around 15,000 to 16,000 seats vacant. Out of which 1,500 seats are in Maharashtra.
A TNN report suggests that in the 2022-23 academic year, 4,400 NEET PG seats remained vacant, a 17.5% increase from the previous year, when 3,744 seats were unfilled. Also, 860 MBBS seats are vacant in the last three years. Notably, there has been a significant increase in the number of medical seats. According to data shared by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharti Pravin Pawar, the number of MBBS seats in 2020-21 was 83,275, which has increased to 107,948 in the academic year 2023-24.
NEET 2023: Cutoff drops to zero to fill vacant seats
The NEET PG 2023 cutoff was reduced to zero, allowing candidates who scored as low as minus 40 to qualify for postgraduate medical programs. This unprecedented decision, which was suddenly announced by the Directorate General of Health Services, caused widespread uproar. Critics argued that the move undermines the merit-based system, as candidates with very low marks can now secure PG seats, displacing those who narrowly missed out. Several educationists and parent groups have expressed concern, questioning the fairness of the test. However, private and deemed universities had welcomed the change, expecting a larger pool of candidates for NRI seats. While some believed it could help fill vacant non-clinical seats, others observed it could compromise the quality of medical professionals entering the system.
Why are our medical graduates turning away from PG courses?
Postgraduate (PG) medical education in India has grown significantly in recent years. India has seen an impressive 127% growth in PG medical seats over the past decade, rising from 31,185 in 2014 to 70,645 in the academic year 2023-24, according to a study titled KPMG-FICCI. Strengthening Post Graduate Medical Education in India. Despite the expansion, the issue of vacant NEET PG seats remains a major concern. Although there has been a substantial increase in the number of PG seats, this increase has not always matched the demand, leading to a considerable number of unfilled posts, especially in certain specialties. This gap between seat availability and candidate preferences reveals systemic challenges in India’s medical education landscape. Discover the challenges.
Faculty shortage and limited training capacity
Inadequate faculty and lack of experienced trainers in some key specialties, especially in government institutions, hinder effective utilization of PG medical seats. Specialties such as cardiology and medicine are particularly affected, as many qualified professionals prefer higher-paying private practice rather than teaching at medical institutions. This shortage of faculty affects the ability of institutions to provide quality education and training, leaving seats in these critical fields unfilled.
Lack of appeal to certain characteristics
An important reason behind the vacancies is the lack of incentives for less sought-after specialties in medical education. Fields such as family medicine, community medicine, and preventive care, which need to enhance primary health care, often fail to attract enough candidates. Many medical students are deterred from pursuing these specialties due to the perception of lower career growth and earning potential compared to more attractive and popular fields such as orthopedics and cardiology. This mismatch between the healthcare needs of the country and the preferences of the PG aspirants leads to vacancies in areas important to address the healthcare needs of the nation.
Mismatch between characteristics and health care needs
The main reason for the non-availability of NEET PG seats is the growing preference for prestigious and high-paying specialties such as radiology, orthopedics, and dermatology. These fields are considered to offer good career prospects, work-life balance, and financial rewards. In contrast, specialties critical to India’s healthcare system, such as family medicine, community health, and preventive care, struggle to attract students. These specialties, which are needed to strengthen primary health care, face a persistent lack of interest, leaving vacant seats that are critical to addressing the country’s health care challenges.
Brain drain and migration
The issue of vacant PG seats has been further complicated by the phenomenon of brain drain. A substantial number of Indian Medical Graduate Choose to pursue your postgraduate education abroad in countries like USA, Australia and United Kingdom. These countries offer better career opportunities, higher salaries, and improved living standards, making them an attractive option for many graduates. This migration exacerbates the shortage of specialists within India, especially in rural and underserved areas, leaving many PG seats vacant.
Geographical disparity in seat distribution
Another factor contributing to vacant seats is geographical disparity in the distribution of PG seats. States like Maharashtra and Karnataka have a high concentration of medical colleges and PG seats, while northeastern states and rural areas are severely underserved, the KPMG-FICCI study found. This imbalance limits access to PG education for students from less developed areas and results in incomplete placements, especially in remote parts of the country. Addressing this disparity is critical to ensuring more equitable access to medical education.
Faculty shortage and infrastructure issues
Vacant PG seats are also a result of faculty shortage and inadequate infrastructure in many medical institutions. Some of the newly established colleges, in particular, suffer from a lack of qualified faculty and clinical facilities necessary to impart quality training. As a result, students are deprived of opting for PG courses in institutions that cannot provide adequate mentorship or hands-on experience, leaving many seats vacant.
High fees in private medical colleges
Another important factor is the high cost of tuition fees in some private medical colleges. These institutions charge exorbitant fees, making it financially challenging for many students to pursue postgraduate courses. As a result, even when seats are available, they are not filled due to affordability concerns.
Preference for clinical courses over pre and para-clinical courses
One of the major reasons for NEET PG seats being vacant is the lack of interest in pre- and para-clinical courses. Students mainly prefer clinical courses such as general medicine, surgery, and pediatrics, which offer great opportunities for patient care and professional growth. Courses such as anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, and pharmacology are often overlooked due to limited scope of clinical practice and low career prospects.
Saturation of the job market
The job market for para-clinical specializations is already saturated, discouraging students from choosing these fields. With fewer employment opportunities and limited possibilities of direct clinical practice, students avoid these courses in favor of clinical subjects that promise better career stability.