With the dates of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) for the year 2025 missing from the list of upcoming exams issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Education (NBEMS) yesterday, November 28, aspirants of the exam across India are left in a lurch.
This is because the NBEMS announcement contained dates for the NEET- Masters of Dental Surgery (MDS) and NEET- Super Speciality (SS) exams. In 2025, the date for NEET-PG was listed “to be announced in due course,” the notice read.
Aspirants are worried that the already-delayed examination and admission cycle for the NEET-PG and postgraduate medical admissions will be further delayed.
Delay affects preparation, aspirants say
For aspirants preparing to appear for NEET-PG in 2025, knowing the date of the examination is important, as it helps them prepare for it in a structured, organised manner.
“Knowing the date helps us plan our preparation better. We will get to know how many days we have to prepare, by when we should complete our syllabus, and by when we should start revising and giving mock tests,” says Dr Bhargava Reddy, a NEET-PG aspirant from Andhra Pradesh.
He also adds that an exam date in sight would give aspirants a sense of motivation and urgency to finish their preparation effectively within the timeframe.
Recalling feeling “disappointed” after seeing the 2025 examination calendar released by NBEMS, a medical student from the 2019 batch at the Goa Medical College (GMC), on the condition of anonymity, says, “It was strange seeing the dates of all other exams by the NBE announced, but not NEET-PG. Some clarity would help.”
A feeling of aimlessness?
Dr Reddy says that with the date not yet announced, candidates are left with a feeling of uncertainty and confusion about when the exam will be conducted. “Personally, even though I have started my preparation, I feel stuck as I don’t feel motivated enough without a fixed date, and by extension, a fixed goal,” he narrates.
Having cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) in December 2022, and finished his Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) this year, he says that he tried to find work in a hospital until the dates for NEET-PG are announced, but no hospital would take him.
“I tried to ask for a six to seven-hour shift, which hospitals took issue with, as they require resident doctors to work for 12 hours. I wanted a shorter shift to prepare for NEET-PG. However, these attempts were unsuccessful despite being a registered doctor with the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council,” he laments, adding that the situation has left him aimless.
However, the aspirant from GMC says that this issue is more prominent among aspirants who completed their MBBS or undergraduate medical education before 2019, as the current batch of MBBS students (2019 batch) are currently preoccupied with their internships and final exams.
“Right now, we have our hands full. Our biggest priority is the completion of our internships, and we would only be able to start preparing for our MBBS final examinations and NEET-PG after that,” he says.
Shadow of NEET-PG 2024 looming over NEET-PG 2025?
It is understood that the NBEMS has not yet announced the date for NEET-PG 2025, as the admissions process for NEET-PG 2-24 is still underway.
“We have only just completed the Phase-I of the NEET-PG 2024 counselling. We anticipate that all rounds of counselling will be completed by February, and the dates will be announced only then,” says Dr Reddy.
Speaking about how the delays in NEET-PG 2024 have affected PG medical admissions, the aspirant from GMC says, “Because of multiple postponements in NEET-PG and the counselling process this year, the new batch of PG medical students has not been admitted yet. The second-year PG medical students are facing the brunt of this, as they are overworked in their internships.”
He adds that it is ideal if the date for NEET-PG is announced by January 2025, as aspirants would be able to plan how to balance their internship, preparation for their final exams and NEET-PG preparation effectively during the final days of their MBBS.
