As medical aspirants gear up for two crucial postgraduate entrance examinations, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduation (NEET PG) 2025 and All India Institute of Medical Sciences Institute of National Importance - Combined Entrance Test (AIIMS INI-CET) 2025, medical aspirants across the country are grappling with intense preparation schedules.
With the INI-CET exam tentatively scheduled for May 3, 2025, and the NEET PG set to follow afterwards, on June 15, 2025, candidates are facing considerable pressure to balance preparation, alongside ongoing internships, with the time ticking away as the dates approach closer.
The application process for NEET PG 2025 was expected to begin in early January, but delays have left candidates awaiting official confirmation. Admit cards are anticipated in June. Meanwhile, INI-CET registration is likely to commence in the third week of March.
Can these timelines be overwhelming for the students? Or it is a task easily fulfilled?
EdexLive spoke to three NEET PG aspirants: Ravi*, Asmita*, and Neetu*, completing their internships at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, and Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), New Delhi, respectively, to get a clearer view of the situation and whether now is the time to do some meticulous planning or opt for another route altogether.
Tightening timelines, an issue?
For students like Ravi, the overlapping timelines may pose significant challenges, but since he is wrapping up his internship in March, it might just give him roughly three months to prepare for both exams.
Despite the limited timeframe of three months, he feels confident. "I guess three to four months, apart from an internship period, is ample time to prepare for both the examinations, and it might be enough for me as I only need to revise," he told EdexLive. Ravi also acknowledged the advantage of completing his internship earlier than a few of his peers.
However, he pointed out that many students from institutions like Delhi University will finish their internships as late as April, drastically reducing their preparation window.
“They might have less time, two months or less may be insufficient for starting last minute preparation,” highlighting how preparation strategies vary significantly between institutions and between regions at times.
"Internship at AIIMS (All India Institute Of Medical Science) Delhi ends in December tentatively, while in medical colleges under the University of Delhi, it might extend to April. Things are quite different in Southern medical colleges as well, there is no uniformity in internship completion dates," he mentioned.
Another set of struggles (or not?)
Asmita, a student from Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), shared her concerns about the tight timeline. With her compulsory medical internship ending in late April, she acknowledged that preparation time might not be enough. "I might take a drop year," she said, as she deemed that this might be the only feasible way to ensure that her preparation leaves no room for errors.
When asked if she would benefit from the postponement, she shared, "Even if the exams were postponed, it wouldn't necessarily benefit those who have already decided to take a drop year to prepare," referring to peers who have already taken a drop.
For Asmita, a year’s delay is a necessity, which she reluctantly admits to, although she acknowledges that it might have a setback, but she has no choice, “I might get delayed by a year, but what are the options?”
While taking a drop year is often frowned upon, for Ravi dropping a year remains a viable fallback, "When choosing a branch, the decision you make...you carry it lifelong. Hence it is important, and there is no harm," he said, further suggesting options like junior residency (JR) or pursuing individual practice during the gap year, alongside preparing for the exam.
Strategy a must?
Meanwhile, Neetu, another LHMC student, shared with EdexLive that she has adopted a more disciplined strategy to manage her preparation while continuing her internship duties. "During duty hours, I use breaks to attempt practice questions," she said.
She further shared that she relies on additional help from digital platforms like Marrow for quick, yet detailed revisions. "It's not just about reading entire chapters," she shared and added, "When you keep attempting questions and review them, you understand crucial concepts needed for preparation."
Neetu is of the opinion that students who maintain a steady routine involving work and studies throughout their internship year can still perform well. "If you have been consistently preparing, the final month will help you refine your weak points," she emphasised. Not only this, she further lays emphasis on attempting grand tests which helped her ease her preparation.
Although manoeuvring through diverse circumstances is also a task, Ravi highlighted that internships at government hospitals are particularly demanding, leaving little time for structured study. "In a few postings, we get time, but mostly we don't," he said. He noted that students in private colleges often have less demanding internships, giving them more flexibility to prepare during working hours.
Ravi further mentioned that later on, a few students opt to pursue Junior Residency (JR) in Delhi government or Central government hospitals to simultaneously gain practical experience and prepare for entrance exams. He remarked that it varies from person to person, and said, "Some prefer to focus entirely on preparation, while others combine JRship with their studies." This allows them to balance their time to appear for multiple examinations in a short span.
(*names changed due to privacy concerns)
