MBBS Branches: What You Need to Know About Specializations in Medicine
After completing your MBBS, the basic medical degree required to practice as a doctor in India. Also known as Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, it’s your foundation—but not your final destination. Most doctors don’t stop here. They move into specializations, focused areas of medical practice that require further training like MD, a postgraduate degree in non-surgical fields like Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, or Psychiatry, or MS, a surgical specialization such as Orthopedics, General Surgery, or Obstetrics. These aren’t just titles—they’re career paths that decide where you’ll work, how much you’ll earn, and what kind of patients you’ll see every day.
Choosing a branch isn’t just about interest. It’s about competition, demand, and lifestyle. Some fields like Neurology or Dermatology are packed with applicants because they offer better work-life balance. Others like Emergency Medicine or Obstetrics are high-pressure but vital. The government pushes certain specialties through quotas and funding—like Psychiatry or Rural Medicine—because there aren’t enough doctors there. And then there are the hidden gems: Anesthesiology, often overlooked, pays well and has fewer applicants. Your rank in NEET PG decides which branch you get, not just your preference. That’s why so many students spend months preparing for that single exam after MBBS.
What you pick now shapes your next 20 years. A surgeon’s schedule looks nothing like a radiologist’s. A pediatrician deals with anxious parents; a psychiatrist talks to patients who won’t speak. Some branches lead to private practice quickly; others require years in government hospitals first. And if you’re thinking about working abroad? MD degrees are more widely recognized than MS in countries like the US and UK, though both are respected. The good news? You don’t have to decide right after MBBS. Many doctors take a year off, work in general hospitals, and then choose based on real experience. The posts below break down which branches are hardest to get into, which ones pay the most in India, and which ones are actually dying out. You’ll find real stories from doctors who made the call—and what they wish they’d known sooner.
