Integrated MBBS-MD Courses May Launch in Select Institutes by 2026. The Indian Medical Association on Friday (May 30, 2025) condemned the introduction of a proposal for an integrated course combining MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) and BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) programs at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry. To know more about the topic “Integrated MBBS-MD Courses May Launch in Select Institutes by 2026,” read the complete article.
Integrated MBBS-MD Courses May Launch in Select Institutes by 2026
The Union government is Preparing to launch a new integrated medical course combining MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) and BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH (Independent Charge), Prataprao Jadhav, announced on Tuesday. Speaking to newsmen after inaugurating the renovated Emergency and Trauma Care Centre at JIPMER, the Minister said the course is presently at the conceptual stage, and efforts are underway to frame a new syllabus.
The Minister also said the medical facilities at JIPMER would be improved by the institute’s development objectives to meet the needs of the public. He made the announcement after arranging a meeting with the JIPMER governing body and visiting numerous divisions at the medical center. He made sure that the center would offer all essential monetary support for the development of the institution. “Funds will not be a constraint,” he said.
This year, the Ministry has authorized Rs 1,450 crore as Grant-in-Aid for JIPMER. At present, the institute caters to over 6,000 ambulatory patients daily and has 1,800 hospital beds. The building of a 470-bed hospital at JIPMER’s Karaikal campus has begun, with the conclusion targeted for June 2027. Ambulatory patient services at the new facility are anticipated to begin by January 2027, according to the institute’s Director, who was also there at the press conference.
ICARE Institute of Medical Sciences and Research is a renowned private medical college in West Bengal. It is connected with West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata. Its main goal is to deliver value-based education and international standard healthcare while helping the holistic development of Haldia.
The 500-bed Dr. B.C. Roy Hospital, attached to the ICARE Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, is equipped with cutting-edge medical facilities and specialized departments, including a 15-bed ICU, a 12-bed casualty ward, modern OPD services, and state-of-the-art diagnostic labs. The hospital offers round-the-clock emergency care, surgical units, and dedicated wards for high-risk pregnancies, including separate septic and AC labor rooms.
What are Integrated MBBS-MD Courses?
Traditionally, medical education in India involves
MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery): MBBS is an undergraduate degree program of 5.5 years’ duration. Apart from course tenure, it also includes one year of compulsory internship in the relevant specialization. The course curriculum of MBBS includes subjects such as anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. In later years, students study subjects such as medicine, surgery, and pediatrics.
MD (Doctor of Medicine) or MS (Master of Surgery): An MD (Doctor of Medicine) is a postgraduate degree that focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases without surgery. Their primary role is to understand a patient’s health condition, provide diagnoses, suggest treatments, and monitor progress via follow-up care.
Eligibility Criteria for Broad Specialty Postgraduate Program in Medicine
Eligibility to enroll in a ‘Broad specialty postgraduate program in Medicine’ will be on the foundation of the calculation of the Marks achieved in the common final year undergraduate examination to be known as the ‘National Exit Test,’ conducted by the National Medical Commission or caused to have been administered by the National Medical Commission. Till the first batch based on the National Exit Test (NExT) becomes qualified for admission in Broad Specialty, the existing system of admission via the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Post-graduate (NEET-PG) as per the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulation, 2000 (PGMER-2000), will remain in effect.
With the additional caveat that obtaining the minimum qualifying score on the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Super Speciality (NEET-SS) Exam, which is either administered by the National Medical Commission or caused to be administered by it, is the only way to be eligible to pursue a super specialty program or course in medicine. List of feeder broad specialty qualifications needed by a person to pursue a super-specialty course of recognized qualification is as per Annexure.
