The NEET PG counselling process is stuck in limbo, and it's not just the aspiring doctors who are suffering. Thousands of resident doctors across India are overworked, exhausted, and struggling to keep hospitals running. With fresh PG batches yet to join, the existing residents are doing double the work, leading to extreme burnout and serious concerns about patient care 🩸.
80,000 Aspirants Left Waiting ⏳
The National Medical Commission (NMC) is still conducting the counselling process for NEET PG admissions, even though results were declared in August 2024 ❓. This delay has left 80,000 medical graduates waiting in uncertainty. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh recently criticized the government for not addressing this issue, leaving thousands of medical aspirants in distress. But the real crisis is unfolding inside hospitals ⚕️. With no new junior doctors joining, existing resident doctors are forced to work extra shifts, sometimes 30 hours straight. They are mentally and physically exhausted, and patient care is suffering as a result.
Why the Delay? 😕
The NEET PG 2024 exam was supposed to happen on June 23 but was rescheduled to August 11. It was even cancelled last minute, adding to the frustration of medical aspirants. Meanwhile, the 2025 NEET PG exam is already scheduled for June 15, making it even more stressful for students preparing for the next cycle.
A System at Breaking Point 💔
The NEET PG counselling process is essential for filling medical seats in government and private colleges. However, repeated legal battles, policy changes, and administrative delays have slowed it down. This has led to:
Severe staff shortages in government hospitals 💉
Overworked resident doctors, a to exhaustion 😴
Delays in patient treatment and surgeries 🩸
A second-year resident doctor in Delhi shared, "We are already short-staffed, and without new junior doctors, we are drowning in work. It's exhausting."
NEET PG Aspirants Stuck in Uncertainty 🤦
For the aspirants, the situation is equally frustrating. Many have spent months preparing, quit their jobs, and made life plans based on expected admission timelines. Now, they are left waiting without clarity on when their PG courses will start. A NEET PG aspirant from Dibrugarh, Assam said, "I left my job to focus on exams. Now, I have no idea when I can start my PG course."Another student from Jaipur shared, "I had planned my wedding thinking I’d be in college by now. But with all these delays, my family is asking me to reconsider everything."
Private Colleges Profiting 💸
While government hospitals struggle, private medical colleges are cashing in. Many have started filling seats through management quotas and NRI admissions, charging between ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore for PG seats.
A doctor from Kerala said, "Private colleges are benefiting from the delay. They are filling up seats with students who can afford high fees, not necessarily the most qualified ones."
Falling Cut-offs & Quality Concerns 💡
NEET PG cut-off marks have been lowered repeatedly in recent years. In 2023, the cut-off percentile for all categories was dropped to zero! In 2022, the general category cut-off dropped from 50th percentile to 35th percentile, while reserved category cut-offs dropped from 40th to 20th percentile. Many doctors and students believe this compromises the quality of future medical specialists.
Academic Calendar in Chaos 🕒
The repeated delays have thrown the entire academic calendar off track. Normally, PG courses start in May or June, but with late admissions, clinical training and research schedules are disrupted. This affects students, hospitals, and ultimately, patient care.
A third-year surgical resident in Mumbai said, "The real sufferers are the patients. If junior doctors don’t join on time, who will train future specialists?"
What’s the Solution? ✅
Doctors and students are demanding a permanent fix to this broken system. Possible solutions include:
Strict timelines for counselling to avoid unnecessary delays
Better planning to ensure government institutions don’t suffer
Policy reforms to prevent disruptions in medical education
For now, resident doctors continue working long shifts, patients deal with staff shortages, and thousands of aspirants remain uncertain about their future. Meanwhile, private medical colleges keep making profits from this chaos.
The system is at a breaking point, and urgent action is needed to fix it.
What do you think? 💬 Should the government take stronger steps to ensure timely NEET PG counselling? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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