NIMHANS Course Admission 2025: Dates, Fees, Eligibility, Application Process, Selection Criteria

NIMHANS conducts an online MCQ based entrance test for Mch/DM Neurology and MD Psychiatry. A common exam is held for all these courses, and later on, a separate merit list is published for each. You have to select your course while applying, and can’t change it later on. You can apply for all three courses or one/two of them. 

Here is some information on the entrance exam:

1. It is a one-hour test with 150 MCQs.
2. 1 mark is awarded for each correct answer, and ¼ mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
3. 90-100 questions are asked from 19 MBBS subjects. These questions are not related to CNS. With good preparation for other PGMEE, you can answer them.
4. Regular one-liner guidebook questions are asked.
5. 50-60 MCQs are directly/indirectly related to CNS. For these, read the neuro aspect of all major subjects- Anatomy, Physio, Medicine, Psychiatry, Surgery, Patho, Micro, Pharma, Radio, and Anaesthesia. These questions are solvable given that you prepare well in the last 10-15 days before the exam.

The entrance is overall easy. However, the number of seats is very low, so the margin of error for silly mistakes is very low. 

Read all subjects before the last 10 days. Then, focus on the Neurology part in the last 10 days. By following these tips, you’ll successfully crack the NIMHANS entrance test.

In my opinion, it’s best to complete an MD in medicine first rather than pursuing DM Neuro directly after MBBS. 

It is so because M.B.B.S. students receive minimal clinical exposure and therefore their interest in a particular field might not be genuine. They might later regret their choice. 

An integrated program is a 5-year program that requires a lot of commitment. So, if you go for a field you are not interested in, you will be wasting 5 years of your life. Even if you are sure of your interest in neurology, you may not actually like it when you start working. That being said, it's better that you do MD in medicine, have first-hand exposure to all the specialties, and then choose one for you. 

People often choose integrated courses so as to save one year of education. However, they fail to recognize the risks involved. 

Ultimately, unless you love neurology passionately and have enough exposure in the same, go for direct DM, else completing MD would be the safest bet. 

NIMHANS is an excellent choice for those who are only interested in neurosurgery and are certain of pursuing a career in the same. However, you won’t be learning anything about general surgery. You’d do a craniotomy for EDH evacuation in a trice but will have a major problem putting your finger on an offending appendix.

Ultimately, if you are making this choice just because you want to pursue MCh directly, it’s better to reconsider your decision. 5-years is a long time to waste on something you aren’t sure of. So choose wisely after considering all options.

Yes, an MCH in Neurosurgery at NIMHANS is certainly an excellent choice. Here are some strong points in favor of my opinion

1. By choosing this course, you will be able to complete your course in 5 years, unlike CMC or AIIMS where it will take 6 years.
2. NIMHANS is a Neuro-centric institute so you will be better exposed to the different aspects of the nervous system.
3. The patient load is heavy and the OPD witnesses diverse cases every day. 
4. NIMHANS is also the best choice for research enthusiasts because it’s a research institute, so offers excellent resources for the same.
5. Bangalore has a more pleasant climate in contrast to Delhi and Vellore. 

So, go for it without any second thoughts.

First of all, there is no fixed syllabus for NIMHANS’ M.Phil and PhD (Clinical Psychology) entrance exams. The exam comprises several MCQs, for which you have to go through many topics rather than studying deeply. So, one should try to read as many books as possible or at least go through their glossaries only. Here are some great recommendations for M.Phil and Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology):

• Theories of Personality
• Any good ‘Introduction to Psychology’ book
• Any good Statistics/Research Methodology book
• Social Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology

To score better you should focus more on these specific topics:

• Cognitive Psychology

• Biological Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Additionally, for the PhD entrance exam, you need to study Statistics and Research Methodology.

Yes, everyone who clears the entrance exam for MPhil Clinical Psychology at NIMHANS is called for an interview. However, not everyone gets selected because the number of seats available is very low in comparison to the shortlisted students.

The interviewers don’t ask much technical questions and usually assess your personality and talents. The most common question asked is ‘Why do you want to join this specific course?’. So, it’s better to prepare for it beforehand. Sometimes candidates might be enquired about their post-graduation thesis.

Usually, it’s just a very personal interview with no technical questions so don’t worry about preparing for it and just be your real self.