Despite a favourable doctor-to-population ratio, unemployment and exam delays plague India’s medical graduates.
New Delhi: The doctor-to-population ratio across our country is 1:834, which is better than the WHO standard of 1:1000. This data is based on the latest information from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. However, beyond this fact, the real scenario is completely different, with unemployment among doctors at its peak.
A viral tweet by an MBBS doctor said, “MBBS is taking over B.A./B.Tech in unemployment. About 2,500+ candidates appeared for the temporary 194 posts of JR in VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi.”
Speaking from Gautam Nagar, a hub for PG medical preparation, one aspirant described the situation bluntly, “A lot of people are preparing in Delhi. If you want to prepare for PG, you have to focus entirely on PG; you can’t work because doctors’ shifts are hectic. But because the exam has been delayed for two years, no paper has been held.”
Doctors also pointed out how job opportunities have become unstable, “Everywhere, there are one-year or six-month contracts. There are no permanent jobs for MBBS doctors, and that’s the reason more MBBS doctors are enrolling for PG. But the sad part is NEET PG has been delayed for two years, which is leading to more competition. That’s the first thing.”
One aspirant noted the sharp increase in competition due to exam delays, “If the exam isn’t held for two years, one lakh candidates automatically accumulate. The competition has increased a lot.”
The NEET PG exam has been facing multiple postponements since 2021. In 2021, the exam scheduled for April 18 was postponed to September 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following year, the 2022 exam moved from March 12 to May 21 to accommodate internship completions. While the 2023 exam proceeded as planned on March 5, 2024, it witnessed unprecedented chaos. Initially set for March 3, it was rescheduled multiple times, ultimately being conducted on August 11 after a last-minute deferment citing exam integrity concerns. The 2025 exam, originally slated for June 15, has been postponed to August 3, following a Supreme Court directive mandating a single-shift examination to ensure fairness.
Typically, MBBS students complete their degrees and internships between February and April, aiming to commence postgraduate studies by July. The delays have led to a cascading backlog, disrupting not just one batch but multiple.For many, sustaining this wait in Delhi has become financially unviable. “We have expenses. It is not affordable to live here.
So we do jobs, not because we want to, but because we have to stay financially strong, rather than asking for help from the family,” added an aspirant.
“Most private hospitals hire BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) and BUMS (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery) doctors, whom they get as cheap labour for the work that needs to be done by MBBS doctors, leading to more competition and decreased salaries,” said Vaibhav Jindal, DNB medicine resident.
Adding to the blow, aspirants claim that Mohalla Clinics that once offered short-term employment have been shuttered.
“If the Mohalla Clinics were running, doctors would at least get one vacancy. But that, too, has come to an end. Everything is locked,” they added.