How to Become a Doctor after 12th: Career Guide, Courses, Eligibility, Entrance Exams, Skills, Salary

Qualifications to Become a Doctor after 12^th 

Some of the general qualifications that are required for doctors include:

• Education - Students need to have an MBBS degree to start practising medicine. They have to apply for Medical Practioner Number before opening a clinic or applying for jobs in hospitals.
• Specialised PG Degree - After MBBS, students can apply for MD and MS courses to learn advanced practices in a particular medical speciality.
• Certification/Diploma - Students can also opt for different certificate/diploma courses after MBBS in various specialities like paediatrics, gynaecology, surgery, etc learn skills.
• PhD in Medicine - Students can go for a doctoral degree in medicine to specialise in research and academics. PhD programs generally last for three to five years. 

Steps to Become a Doctor after 12^th 

There are many steps that have to be followed to become a doctor in India after class 12th. The steps to becoming a doctor are explained in the following points:

• Complete Class 12 - Students have to clear Class 12 with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognised board in order to be eligible to apply for medical entrance exams. They also need to have biology as one of their main subjects in the curriculum.
• Apply for entrance Exams - After clearing class 12, students have to apply for entrance exams to get admission to medical colleges. NEET is the most common and popular entrance exam in India for admission into the MBBS course. Students can also appear in medical entrance exams conducted by colleges like JPIMER, AIIMS, Kasturba Medical College and Maulana Azad Medical College.
• Complete MBBS Degree - Students have to complete the 5 years undergraduate course to become eligible to practice medicine in India. Upon completion of the MBBS, students can opt for speciality postgraduate courses.
• Enrol in an Internship - Students are required to complete a mandatory 1-year internship program to receive their MBBS degree. Internship teaches the basic working of a medical institution to students as they develop skills by working with doctors. 
• Registering with Indian Medical Register - Students who do not wish to pursue PG courses and start practising after MBBS have to get registered themselves with the Indian Medica Register. They have to first get registered with their state medical council followed by the Indian Medical Register to become fully functioning doctors. 
• Apply for a Postgraduate Degree - Students who want to practice in a particular specification can continue their education after MBBS. They can enrol in master’s programs like MD, MS or MSc to get a specialised degree. Students also have an option of going for a PhD in medicine.

Medical Courses

MBBS is the major course that every aspiring student has to pursue and clear to become a doctor in India. Other medical courses available to students include MD, MS, BDS, BHMS, BAMS, MDS, etc. Students can pursue these courses after their MBBS can go up to a PhD degree. The details for the most popular courses are mentioned in the following table.

Entrance Exams

There are many medical entrance exams that a student can appear for in India. NEET being the most important one, other exams include AIIMS, JIPMER, AFMC, CMC Vellore MBBS Examination and AIPVT. The details for some of the top medical exams are mentioned in the following table.