DM Course

Doctorate of Medicine (DM) course is a 3-year super-specialty programme that is pursued by doctors who wish to continue their studies and also create a future in the research field. Aspirants must hold a postgraduate degree to pursue this doctorate of medicine course. This DM course enables candidates to gain theoretical knowledge along with clinical and practical skills. Aspirants develop the correct approach and attitude for communicating correct medicinal information while being trained for research methodology. Aspirants who want to secure admission in the Doctorate of Medicine course have to appear for entrance exams such as AIIMS SS, PGIMER, NEET SS, JIPMER, etc. Interested candidates are advised to take a quick glance at the DM syllabus to understand the gist of the course structure. 

The course cannot be pursued online or via distance learning, therefore, spirants have to study in a classroom setup to complete the programme successfully. Top colleges such as CMC Vellore, Bangalore, St Johns Medical College, AIIMS New Delhi, MS Ramaiah Medical College, KMC Manipal, Bangalore, AFMC Pune, New Delhi, IMS BHU, Maulana Azad Medical College, Grant Medical College, Mumbai, etc. grant admission to the DM course. The course fee ranges between INR 20,000 to INR 15,00,000. All the candidates completing the Doctorate of Medicine can create a bright career as a Clinical pharmacologist. Immunologist, Endocrinologist, Cardiologist, Gastroenterologist, Clinical Haematologist, Neuro-radiologist, Oncologist, Physician, Neonatologist, Nephrologist, Geneticist, etc.

A Doctorate of Medicine course is one of the most competitive courses in terms of the eligibility criteria required to be fulfilled by candidates. Here is a quick look at the highlights of the Doctorate of Medicine program:

Students who wish to specialize in practical training along with advanced Diagnostic, Therapeutic, and laboratory methods should pursue a Doctorate in Medicine. The specialization requires knowledge pertaining to it, however, while in some cases specificity is not required for MD/MS in a specific subject (DM in Medical Genetics), prerequisite DM in the related subject is required in some specializations. It is usually advised for students who are diligent about their specific choice of branch to specialize in, to pursue a career in Doctorate in Medicine to ensure a brighter future ahead.

There are various popular Doctorate of Medicine courses depending on the DM subjects. Take a look here:

The DM degree is one of the most ambitious degrees and is only awarded to the most deserving and meritorious candidates. Here are the eligibility criteria for a Doctorate of Medicine:

• Doctors who are MDs are eligible to apply for the course and the academic merit of students is considered to be the most important criteria for Doctorate of Medicine admission.
• Marks scored by candidates in the competitive exams (general candidates a minimum of 50% and SC/ST/OBC a minimum of 40%) conducted by the state government or similar conducting bodies appointed by the state government. Universities also appoint a body for conducting exams.
•  Centralised competitive tests at the National level
• Candidates who have completed from the same university can be allowed Doctorate of Medicine  admission on the basis of the first two along with the MBBS exam performance
•  Non-government institutes have the option of filling half of their seats and the other half is filled by the management. But this is also done on the basis of merit.

Here is a comprehensive view of the various types of DM degrees available based on the specialisation:

The Doctorate of Medicine and Doctor of Medicine degrees are often confused with each other but there are some major differences between them.

Doctorate of Medicine is a course that is only ideal for highly meritorious students. The candidate needs to have an MD degree and pass entrance exams. The process of admission is strictly based on academic merit and various entrance exams like NEET SS, AIIMS SS, JIPMER exam, and PGIMER exam.

Several entrance exams are conducted for gaining admission in DM courses like NEET SS, AIIMS SS, JIPMER exam, and PGIMER. NEET SS or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Super Speciality Course) is conducted by the NBE or National Board of Education. The NEET SS is conducted annually and is a computer-based mode of exam.

Here is the list of the top Doctorate of Medicine colleges in India course:

• CMC Vellore
• St Johns Medical College, Bangalore
• AIIMS New Delhi
• KMC Manipal
• MS Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore
• AFMC Pune
• IMS BHU
• Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
• Grant Medical College, Mumbai
• VIMS Bangalore
• DYPMC Pune
• BMCRI Bangalore
• JIPMER Puducherry
• SMT NHL Municipal Medical College Ahmedabad
• SRMCRI Chennai
• IPGMER Kolkata

The duration of a Doctorate of Medicine is three years and below is the list of Doctorate of Medicine fees for various specialisations:

In order to gain a Doctorate in Medicine degree, candidates need some particular skill sets. Take a look at the skills required to successfully earn a DM degree and have an amazing career:

The doctorate of medicine syllabus depends completely on the course specialisation opted for by the candidate. Take a look at the patterns of exam:

Theory paper

There are four papers including Basic Medical Science and Recent Advances. There is also a gap between Clinical exams that ensures that the answer books have been checked and evaluated. After that is the clinical and oral exam.

Practice and oral paper

During the practical exam, candidates are required to perform diagnosis with the help of various special investigative methods for diagnosis and therapy. The oral exam tests the candidate’s knowledge of subjects. Students need to score at least 50% marks in their theory papers as well as practical, clinical and viva.

After successfully completing the Doctorate of Medicine candidates can work in these areas:

• Hospitals
• Laboratories
• Medical colleges
• Biomedical companies
• Polyclinics
• Non-profit organisations
• Health centres
• Private practice
• Nursing homes
• Research institutes
• Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological companies

The average salary for a Doctorate of Medicine specialisation depends on some important factors like experience and specialisation. The choice of career path in terms of a government and private hospital and a government hospital along with a private clinic also dictates the salary of doctors with a DM degree. But on average, the salary range lies between INR 1.5 LPA to 30 LPA.

Candidates after the completion of the Doctorate of Medicine degree have a lot of prospects and opportunities to choose from: