Private Medical Colleges Profit from NEET PG Delays; Quality of Specialists in Question

NEET PG Cut-Offs Lowered Amidst Admission Delays, Raising Concerns

The ongoing delay in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (postgraduate) admissions is significantly impacting the healthcare system, with resident doctors bearing the brunt of the increased workload. The National Medical Commission (NMC) continues the NEET PG counselling process, leaving thousands of medical aspirants in a state of uncertainty. This delay, despite results being declared in August last year, has led to a silent crisis within hospitals. Resident doctors, who form the backbone of hospital services, are now working nearly twice as much to compensate for the missing junior workforce. Reports indicate that these doctors are often working extra shifts, sometimes exceeding 24 to 30 hours at a stretch. This excessive workload is resulting in exhaustion, burnout, and raising concerns about the quality of patient care.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has criticized the government for the delay in NEET PG admissions, highlighting that 80,000 aspiring medical postgraduates are suffering. The delay not only affects the aspirants but also increases the strain on current resident doctors, who are struggling with additional responsibilities due to the absence of new postgraduate batches. This situation underscores the urgent need for timely admissions to ensure hospitals are adequately staffed and resident doctors are not overburdened, thereby maintaining the quality of patient care and the well-being of healthcare professionals.

As delays and shifting cut-offs persist, private medical institutes benefit by quickly filling seats at high fees, while government institutions face a shortage of junior doctors. The NEET PG 2024 exam, initially set for June 23, was postponed to August 11 and cancelled the night before due to concerns about the NEET (undergraduate) exam. With the NEET PG 2025 exam scheduled for June 15, students face additional pressure to prepare for the next cycle. The NEET PG counselling process, essential for filling medical seats nationwide, has experienced multiple delays due to legal challenges, policy changes, and administrative inefficiencies. This has left hospitals severely short-staffed, with current residents taking on extra duties in the absence of new junior doctors. A second-year medical student at a government hospital in Delhi noted that resident doctors suffer whenever counselling is delayed, as the existing staff is already short-handed, and the workload becomes unbearable without the incoming batch.

The student explained that resident doctors, who are essential to hospital services, are working extra shifts, sometimes exceeding 24 to 30 hours, to make up for the missing junior workforce. This excessive workload has impacted their mental and physical well-being and raised concerns about patient care quality. Meanwhile, NEET PG aspirants are equally frustrated due to ongoing delays. One aspirant from Dibrugarh, Assam, mentioned they have spent months waiting for the process to start, having left jobs and stopped practising to focus entirely on preparation, leaving them in limbo. Another aspirant from Jaipur shared that the delays have disrupted their wedding plans and caused family pressure to reconsider their plans, making them feel stuck between their career and personal life.

With each delay, NEET PG cut-off marks have been consistently lowered, giving an unfair advantage to those who initially did not qualify but now secure seats. An aspirant practising at a government hospital in Lucknow noted that the system seems to reward those who wait rather than those who worked hard from the start. In 2023, the qualifying percentile for the NEET PG exam was lowered to zero across all categories. In 2022, the cut-off for general category candidates was reduced from the 50th percentile to the 35th percentile, for unreserved persons with disabilities (PwD) from 45th percentile to the 20th percentile, and SC, ST, and OBC candidates (including PwD candidates from these categories) from 40th percentile to 20th percentile. These changes have faced significant criticism from doctors' organizations and students.

While government hospitals struggle with staff shortages, private medical colleges are benefiting from the delays. A NEET PG aspirant who didn't clear the entrance test mentioned that, with counselling dates being pushed back and cut-offs reduced, many private colleges are already filling seats through management quotas and NRI admissions at high fees. A resident doctor from Kerala noted that private colleges charge between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore for PG seats and are capitalizing on desperate students unwilling to wait another year. Frequent cut-off reductions allow these colleges to admit students who may not meet the original merit-based criteria, raising concerns about the quality of future specialists.

According to the Centre, the number of medical colleges in India increased from 387 in 2014 to 780 in 2024, and PG seats grew by 135 per cent from 31,185 in 2014 to 73,157 in 2024, as presented in the Rajya Sabha in December 2024. The delay has disrupted the academic calendar, pushing PG courses that should begin in May or June, affecting clinical training and research work, and causing perpetual delays in subsequent intakes.

A third-year surgical resident in Mumbai noted that these delays impact not just students but also the healthcare system, leading to a shortage of trained specialists and ultimately affecting patients. Doctors and students are calling for a permanent solution, including stricter adherence to counselling timelines, policy reforms to prevent repeated delays, and better planning to ensure government medical institutions do not suffer from these inefficiencies. Resident doctors continue to work long hours, patients face the consequences of staff shortages, and thousands of medical aspirants remain in limbo, while private medical colleges profit from the situation. Overall, addressing these delays is crucial to maintaining the quality of medical education and ensuring the well-being of both healthcare professionals and patients.

Editor's Note:

The ongoing delays in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) postgraduate admissions need urgent attention. These delays are not just minor issues; they are causing significant problems for our healthcare system and the doctors who keep it running. Resident doctors are working extra shifts, often 24 to 30 hours straight because new batches of postgraduate doctors have not joined. This heavy workload is affecting their physical and mental health, and it's also raising concerns about the quality of patient care. Doctors are getting exhausted and burnt out, which is not acceptable for a job that requires high performance and accuracy. Moreover, the delay in admissions and changing cut-off marks are making the system unfair. Lowering the cut-off marks to fill seats may seem like a quick fix, but it compromises the quality of future specialists. This is worrying and raises questions about the abilities of future medical professionals.

Skoobuzz believes that policymakers must recognize the severity of these delays and their detrimental impact on the foundation of our healthcare system. Immediate action is necessary to streamline the admission process, adhere to counselling schedules, and prevent resident doctors from being overworked. Ensuring the well-being of our healthcare professionals and maintaining the quality of patient care must be our top priorities.