NEET UG 2023 results analysis: Expert Jayaprakash Gandhi on cut-offs, top medical colleges

The National Entrance cum Eligibility Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2023 results have surprised students and experts alike. The phenomenal performance of the students was not only a good indication of the budding bright minds the country is producing but again, with the increase in competition, students are worried about their future and what are the seemingly available options for them if they cannot pursue their desired medical course.

Jayaprakash Gandhi, a career consultant and analyst, lauds the students’ performance this year and predicts that students can aim for the best colleges in the country if they have scored higher than 640 marks (for General category), 630 (for OBC-NCL) and 520 (for SC/ST). He adds that the students must give as many choices as they can while counselling, even if they have scored well.

Points to ensure before counselling
Gandhi states that this is one of the most crucial processes of admission and even a minor negligence can be disastrous. He says, “Make sure that you first visit the portal where the admission-related processes are being conducted and you read all the rules and regulations in depth. Make sure you have all the documents and certificates, your income certificate and caste certificate, and have a checklist of all the documents that are needed.”

His friendly advice to students is to not hurry while filling up the forms and before submission, rechecking applications twice or thrice is advisable.

He also emphasises the need for research. He says, “Make sure you know about the cut-off for the all-India quota and have a fair knowledge of all the universities and what were their cut-offs for the previous years.” 

He adds, “If you are reappearing, make sure you know the last ranks that were accepted into different colleges last year which might help you with your planning.”

Private medical colleges?
According to Gandhi, “Students who cannot get into the government colleges can definitely consider the colleges like Ramachandra Medical College, Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, Kasturba Medical College (Manipal), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, SRM Chennai. You can also go through the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) rankings.”

But he adds that before one chooses the college, one must find out about the fee structure or any other additional fees that the institution might charge so that it becomes easier for the students to plan for the college they desire.

He says, “If anyone bagged the rank but not the sufficient marks to get into a good government medical college, don’t give up. If you are comfortable, then you can also choose from the best private medical colleges but join the right college by looking at infrastructure and other facilities. In case you are not able to do that, there is nothing wrong with repeating the exam, most of the students do that these days.” 

Other viable options
Gandhi adds that if someone chose Math as their subject, they can also opt for Engineering courses and choose subjects like Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology.

Apart from this, he adds that one can achieve their medical-oriented dream and for that students can also go for Veterinary Sciences, Fishery Sciences, Paramedics, Optometry or pursue a Bachelor of Pharmacy or alternative medicine studies like Homoeopathy, Ayurveda, even Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences (BNYS), which does not need NEET score.