This year’s NEET-PG top rankers have made their preferences clear: roughly half are opting for medicine and radiology, while very few are choosing core surgical branches. In Western countries, the highest-ranked candidates often gravitate toward surgery, drawn by the challenge, skill, and exposure in the operating theatre.
In India, however, a growing number of bright students are avoiding surgical fields—and this trend has serious implications for the nation’s healthcare system. The NEET PG results were out on August 19 and the counselling results for round 1 came out on Friday.
MedBound Times connected with Dr. Shikhar Dabbas (MBBS) and Dr. Muskan Bhalla (OBGYN, RML hospital) to get their views about the NEET PG departmental allotment trend in India.
According to the provisional Round-1 allotment for NEET PG 2025, out of the top 100 All-India ranking candidates:
46 opted for MD General Medicine.
40 opted for MD Radiology (Radio-Diagnosis).
Only 3 chose MS General Surgery — underscoring the retreat from core surgical fields.
These numbers confirm that medicine and radiology dominate the preferences of toppers. 1
A broader analysis of the first 1000 allotted candidates shows the same pattern. According to data shared on Reddit (r/indianmedschool), MD General Medicine was chosen by 400 candidates, making it the most popular specialty. MD Radio-Diagnosis followed with 289 takers, firmly securing its place as the second most preferred branch. Dermatology had 74 takers, while core surgical branches such as MS General Surgery (61) and MS Orthopaedics (15) saw significantly lower interest. The total number of candidates in the dataset was 1000.
Careers360 also reported that MD General Medicine has dominated Round 1 seat allotment in NEET PG 2025, with several doctors describing it as the most trusted and impactful branch.
Residency is often the first reality check for aspiring doctors. Surgical branches such as general surgery, OBGYN, and orthopaedics demand long hours, unpredictable schedules, and frequent emergency duties. Dr. Shikhar Dabas, MBBS, Safdarjung Hospital, who took the NEET-PG exam this year on August 3, explains:
"Many students choose radiology or dermatology because the residency is much less hectic compared to surgical branches like general surgery or OBGYN. The difference in lifestyle during residency and even later in life is massive.”
Dr. Muskan Bhalla, OBGYN at RML Hospital, adds:
"During internship, we witness residents in paediatrics, medicine, OBG, surgery, or ortho working extreme hours without basic sleep or meals. It scares most students away and drains their passion.”
In contrast, radiologists and dermatologists typically enjoy fixed working hours, predictable schedules, and early financial stability. For many students, this combination of work-life balance and professional security is becoming increasingly appealing.
While lifestyle pressures are significant, the culture within many medical colleges further discourages students from pursuing surgery. Dr. Tanuj Lawania Rai, an infertility specialist, highlights systemic issues through her LinkedIn post. A toxic and discouraging atmosphere across many medical colleges, professors who do not teach or guide, and seniors who gatekeep even basic surgical steps make it difficult for students to thrive.
Dr. Bhalla adds that most MBBS students, especially first-generation doctors, have little insight into the realities of the healthcare market or the opportunities available in different specialties:
“Most MBBS students have no real understanding of the market, corporate culture, or what hospitals actually pay. First-generation doctors especially have no exposure to the financial reality.”
The lack of mentorship, exposure to modern surgical techniques, and hierarchical training systems leaves students feeling unprepared for the demands of a surgical career.
Technological change is another factor influencing career choices. Dr. Dabas explained that many aspiring radiologists are increasingly concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence on their field. There is a belief that while AI will not completely replace radiologists, the number of jobs in radiology could decrease, and the nature of the field is likely to change. This uncertainty, combined with evolving healthcare systems and shifting career priorities, is leading students to perceive medicine and dermatology as safer and more stable options in a rapidly changing landscape.
Cultural expectations and peer influence also shape specialty choices. Dr. Bhalla points out:
“A major reason toppers choose radiology and dermatology is herd mentality. We grow up seeing the top 100 ranks take these branches, and it subconsciously forces us to consider them the only respectable choices. Even if someone truly wants pediatrics, surgery, psychiatry, or OBGYN, it’s extremely difficult to convince family and peers that you’re rejecting radiology at a premier institute for something more demanding.”
Female candidates often face additional pressure to select “work-life balanced” specialties to accommodate future family responsibilities, further skewing trends away from surgical fields.
The choices students make during NEET-PG do not exist in a vacuum. While many top rankers gravitate toward medicine, radiology, or dermatology for lifestyle and work-life balance reasons, fewer are entering surgical specialties. This trend has real-world implications. The demand for surgical care in India is enormous, but the supply of trained surgeons and specialists is limited and unevenly distributed.
Estimated Surgical Need
A study in Mumbai (2017–2018) found that 4,642 surgeries were performed per year in a cohort of approximately 88,000 people.
When extrapolated to the national population, this corresponds to about 3,646 surgeries needed per 100,000 Indians per year. 2
This is below the benchmark of 5,000 surgeries per 100,000 for low and middle income countries but still indicates a very high unmet demand. 3
One-third of the surgical demand arises from people aged 30 to 49 years.
Among the surgeries included in the study, the most common were cataract surgery, caesareans, fracture repair, and hernia repair. 2
As Dr. Kamlesh Darji highlights, the obsession with ranking medical specialties undermines the system and the confidence of young doctors. Every branch, clinical or non-clinical, plays a vital role in patient care and medical education. Surgeons, radiologists, physicians, pathologists, microbiologists, anaesthesiologists, psychiatrists, and foundational departments like anatomy or pharmacology are all links in the same chain. Medicine does not have superior or inferior specialties; it thrives when every doctor’s skill, commitment, and character are respected and valued.
References:
1. Kaushik, Vagisha. “NEET PG 2025: General medicine dominates toppers’ choices; ‘most trusted, impactful’ branch, say doctors.” Careers360 News, 23 Nov. 2025. https://news.careers360.com/mcc-neet-pg-counselling-2025-md-general-medicine-dominates-seat-allotment-toppers-choice-most-trusted-impactful-branch-say-doctors?
2. Bhandarkar, Prashant, Anita Gadgil, Priti Patil, and Nobhojit Roy. 2021. “Estimation of the National Surgical Needs in India by Enumerating the Surgical Procedures in an Urban Community Under Universal Health Coverage.” World Journal of Surgery 45 (7): 2163-71. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1007/s00268-020-05794-7
3. Vashist, Praveen, Souvik Manna, Vivek Gupta, Noopur Gupta, Rohit Saxena, Surbhi Agrawal, Amit Bhardwaj, Suraj Singh Senjam, Namrata Sharma, and Radhika Tandon. 2025. “Human Resources and Infrastructure for Ophthalmic Services in India: Results from the National Survey.” Indian Journal of Ophthalmology 73 (11): 1679-86. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41148023/
Edited by M Subha Maheswari
