Ranking Agency | Category | Rank | Year |
---|---|---|---|
NIRF | Medical | #4 out of 50 | 2023 |
IIRF | Medical | #4 out of 100 | 2023 |
For post MBBS direct MCh/ DM neurology and MD Psychiatry courses, NIMHANS conducts an online entrance exam consisting of MCQs.
The key to get through is by reading all subjects till the last 10 days to the exam and later focusing on the neurology part. This ensures that your preparation level would be optimum on exam day.
To clear the NIMHANS entrance exam for M. Phil in clinical psychology, you need to be thorough with the basics of the syllabus of a PG in psychology either be MA in psychology or MSc in psychology, especially cognitive psychology, biological basis of behavior, abnormal psychology, social psychology research methodology, and all the different branches of psychology from PG level.
My friend is currently pursuing the M.Phil course in clinical psychology at NIMHANS. According to his experience, clearing M.Phil entrance is just one part of the game.
You will have to be passionate enough to take the pressures of having to report to different people, being able to work together with people from different disciplines, and being able to be resilient with minor or major put-offs.
Getting used to the work hours is very exhausting, including Saturdays and at the same time there are no holidays or you cannot leave clinical work while preparing for exams, so the clinical work and patients have the highest priority at this place.
In exchange, you will have the best people guiding you and the day-to-day privilege of working with the best people in the field, so you should be able to manage both academics and clinical work. Not to repeat but you should be mentally strong and constantly enthusiastic about what you are doing and be able to reach out to people when you have difficulties.
I know a person who is pursuing Neurosurgery and he does not feel it is not necessary to go through 3 years of MS general surgery before taking up neurosurgery. As a 6-year student, he was supposed to rotate through 10 months of general surgery.
He did not find general surgical skills that he acquired during the rotation, of much use in neurosurgery, other than the very basic knot tying and suturing skills, which can also be acquired through dedicated lab practice.
The other techniques followed in neurosurgery are significantly different from those followed in general surgery. The extensive use of the surgical microscope and bipolar coagulation for hemostasis distinguishes this surgical discipline from general surgery.
Today, neurosurgeons typically use access surgeons (thoracic surgeons or urologists) if they want to perform any unconventional approaches to the spine, which is much safer for the patient.
A lot of post-MS students don’t find much difference in incompetence or spectrum of surgeries and they are comfortable when compared with those having gone through six years of courses.
Globally, there is a trend towards running integrated courses only. Also, in India, pursuing a 6 years’ course after MBBS means you will have one less entrance examination to worry about.
According to the new updated pattern from 2018, there are separate papers for DM neurology, Mch Neurosurgery, and MD psychiatry courses.
The 70 marks paper continues. The questions are asked from all 19 subjects. The questions are asked randomly. The weightage of any subject is increased at any time. No fixed weightage from the subjects can be expected. Don’t leave out any topics from the 19 subjects. Each mark counts and can be the reason for selection and non-selection. Only 4 seats for DM and 4 for MCh.
For 30 marks separate papers-
Neurology: Neuro medicine is asked mainly. So it's important to read Harrison's neurology portion. You should have good concepts of Neurophysiology, neuropathology, CNS pharmacology, Neuro-ophthalmology, and a few neuroanatomia. Ketzung for CNS pharma part and CNS pathology from Robbins is recommended.
Neurosurgery: Mostly basic questions are asked. Good concepts of Neuroanatomy is a must. Snell and Neuro medicine from Harrison is equally important for neurosurgery. A head injury from Bailey/ Sabiston is recommended.
Psychiatry: Kaplan and Saddok is a standard book. Cover Schizophrenia and depression topics from it with the psychological examination. Praveen Tripathi's psychiatry reference book as a whole is helpful. Understand concepts well. Watch Caplan videos on behavioral science for a good understanding.
Follow crash courses from DAMS, DBMCI, and Positive classes. You can also join the Telegram channel for NIMHANS preparation.
One of my cousins graduated from NIMHANS and according to him, here are the courses available for an MBBS doctor in NIMHANS.
If you are interested in research you can choose Ph.D. in Clinical Neurosciences or Ph.D. in Psychiatry. There is a direct entry after MBBS for MCh in Neurosurgery apart from DM in Neurology and MD in Psychiatry.
After doing some research online, I gathered some information regarding your question. Let me mention these which you can later analyze and check if it is useful or not.
For preparing Neurology you can take help from the following books:
Try solving the previous 4 to 5 years of any NIMHANS MCQ guide. Also, try to score 120-130, this will secure your place among the top rankers.
You need to secure a very good rank in the NIMHANS entrance exam, this could be among the top 4 or 5. Here are some things about the course you should know about beforehand.
As it is an institute of national importance, there are plenty of research opportunities for interested students. At the end of the course, you are expected to have a thorough knowledge of clinical aspects of Neurology, investigational modalities not limited to EEG, EMG, MRI, CT, etc. Thus it opens a huge scope of learning.
This is very difficult to differentiate, as both of them are hugely notable for Neurosurgery. But like every other institution, they also have their fair share of pros and cons. Let me discuss some facts about both the institutes, analyzing which you can make your final decision.
You can also choose the college favoring your location. North Indians generally opt for AIIMS while South Indians will go for NIMHANS.
Ultimately, it depends on the student’s choice, because both the institutions are equally good. But a university name does not matter, it might give you the first push but after that your training and your work will speak for themselves.
This is a choice that can vary from individual to individual. It is each student’s unique preference of certain things like location, curriculum, alumni, crowd, etc. that influence their choices.
One of my friends cleared both the entrance exams at the same time but opted for AIIMS over NIMHANS, due to its location. Being a North Indian he felt it would be easier to blend in rather than getting accustomed to a new culture, food or place.
Also, he mentioned that the Neurosurgery course will only provide an McH degree and no MS degree. This was also another concern for him and why he in the end went for AIIMS.
Therefore, you should think clearly and point out all the pros and cons of these institutions. Check which one is satisfying all your requirements and then go for it. Both AIIMS and NIMHANS are reputed institutions, graduating from any of them will prove to be great for your career. If you are North Indian go for AIIMS, if South Indian opt for NIMHANS.
It won't be right to talk about other institutions that offer Neurosurgery, but as one of my friends studied at NIMHANS, I will be able to share some details about it, analyzing which you can make your choice.
Ultimately, it is your duty to gather information from the cases, and what you learn from each of them after completing the clinical work. Always be ready to face any situation and work a hectic schedule.