Best MBBS Colleges in Kolkata - 2024 Fees, Admissions, NEET Cutoffs

The eligibility criteria may vary from college to college for admission to MBBS courses in medical colleges in Kolkata. However, the basic eligibility criteria remain the same. Candidates can refer to the basic eligibility criteria given below:

• Candidates must have passed Class 12 with Science subjects i.e. Physics, Chemistry, and Zoology/Botany. They also must have studied English as the main subject for their qualifying examination
• They should have scored 50% marks in core subjects (PCB)
• Moreover, candidates also need to fulfill the age criteria. i. e. they must have completed 17 years of age at the time of admission
• They must qualify for NEET

According to NTA a candidate can appear for NEET any number of times. There is no restriction on the number of attempts permitted. Moreover, ever since the upper age limit of NEET has been removed, there is even more flexibility in terms of the number of NEET attempts.

The exam is conducted once a year, hence candidates can appear only once in an academic year. But unless candidates fulfil the eligibility criteria, they would not be able to get admission even if they score the qualifying cutoff marks for NEET.

It can be quite challenging to get into a medical college in India for the following reasons:

• Millions of students want to become doctors, thus there is a fierce competition for the few available spots in medical schools.
• Top percentile marks on the NEET are required to gain admission to esteemed colleges, and the exam is very competitive.
• India has a much smaller supply of medical college seats than there is demand for them. This leads to a backlog and makes admission more challenging, particularly in highly sought-after universities. 
• The reservation system is designed to promote diversity in the medical industry by designating certain seats for specific categories (SC, ST, OBC, PwD). This may have an effect on the quantity of general category seats available and further increase competition.
• Cut-offs are far higher for elite colleges in well-known states like Delhi or Maharashtra than for lesser-known colleges in other areas.

Although difficult, admission to a medical college can be attained with commitment, diligence, and a calculated strategy. To improve your odds, consider the following advice:

• Prioritise understanding of concepts, regularly practice mock tests, and review your mistakes.
• Make good use of online resources, reference books, and NCERT textbooks.
• Create a personalised schedule, stick to it, and give the healthiest sleep and balanced lifestyle the highest priority.
• Seek guidance and assistance from mentors, educators, or career counsellors for personalised advice.

The answer to the complicated question of whether government medical schools in India are "really as good as people claim" is not as easy as yes or no. It depends on students priorities and aspirations as well as the particular college they are thinking about. Here's a summary of the advantages and disadvantages to help in forming an opinion:

Advantages

• Numerous government-run medical schools are well-known for their excellent academic programmes and highly qualified faculty. Some constantly rank among the top in India and the world, such as AIIMS Delhi.
• Government universities have much lower tuition fees than private universities, which makes medical education more affordable for students from various backgrounds.
• Government colleges provide essential clinical experience by exposing students to a wide spectrum of medical issues because they are housed in public hospitals. 
• Prominent government college graduates frequently gain from having an established alumni network that can offer support and professional help.

Disadvantages

• Top government college admissions are extremely tough and demand very good NEET scores. It's possible that less prestigious universities have fewer remarkable facilities and resources. 
• A high student-teacher ratio at some government colleges may make it more difficult for students to receive individualised attention and assistance.
• While some of the best universities have modern facilities, others may have less resources and older infrastructure than private universities.
• Compared to private colleges in urban regions, some government colleges could be situated in less appealing neighbourhoods with restricted access to amenities.

To sum up, there is no universally applicable solution to the question of whether government medical schools are "really as good as people claim." There are several drawbacks, such as inadequate infrastructure, competition, and administrative obstacles, even if they provide indisputable benefits including affordability, academic standing, and a variety of patient exposure. The secret is to evaluate your prospects of admission by comparing individual institutions according to your priorities, research facilities, programme strengths, location, and NEET score. You should know that the college that most closely matches your unique needs and goals is the "best" option.

About 13 medical colleges accept NEET for admissions in Kolkata. NEET is the ticket to popular medical colleges and the colleges are Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Medical College, KPC Medical College and Research, ESI-PGISMR , and many more.  Refer to the table below showing exams accepted by the number of colleges:

Institute or Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS full form), is a five-year undergraduate medical degree programme that teaches students how to conduct diagnoses, find treatment and medicines, and perform surgeries. The table below shows the salary package offered to MBBS graduates from Kolkata:

The registration process for NEET UG counselling is completely online. The step by step process to register for NEET UG counselling is as follows:

• Visit the official website of MCC – mcc.nic.in 
• Click on the ‘New Registration’ tab under the Candidate Activity Board section
• Click on the New Candidate Registration tab
• Read the instructions and click on 'I Agree' check box
• Enter the mandatory details such as NEET UG roll number, NEET UG application number, mother’s name, date of birth and security pin
• Click on 'Submit'
• The credentials will be generated and sent to the registered email address
• Complete the registration form by entering personal, educational, NEET result and other details and uploading of scanned photograph and signature
• Pay the registration fee and take a printout of the registration confirmation page

Candidates must ensure that they have completed the registration process. Otherwise, they would not be able to proceed towards choice filling, which will ultimately result in the non allotment of seats. 

Last year, the NEET syllabus underwent major changes as per the recommendation by the National Medical Commission (NMC).  A number of chapters and topics were removed from Physics, Chemistry and Biology subjects. On the other hand, certain topics and chapters were added and some of the topics were modified. Since such major changes were brought in to last year's NEET syllabus, chances are low that the NEET 2025 syllabus will be changed. 

NEET syllabus 2025 will be released officially by NTA along with the information bulletin for the exam, tentatively in the second week of February 2025. Hence, students preparing for NEET 2025 should start preparing, or continue their preparation based on last year's NEET syllabus. Even if some changes are introduced to the NEET 2025 syllabus, those would not be something major.