Key differences
Jump to the supporting row.
Comparison
General Medicine
General Surgery
Training & seats
NMC broad-specialty seatsOfficial data
NBEMS DNB post-MBBS seatsOfficial data
NBEMS post-diploma seatsOfficial data
Demand & work
Healthcare / service needEvidence summary
ICMR-INDIAB documents a large cardiometabolic burden alongside acute and multisystem adult medicine demand.Supporting evidence ↗
National analyses document substantial unmet surgical need; operative demand is strongly tied to hospital infrastructure.Supporting evidence ↗
Typical work settingsEditorial synthesis
Hospitals, outpatient clinics, academic medicine, research and industry.
Government and private hospitals, surgical units, academia and procedure-driven practice.
Practice economics
Capital to enter independent practiceEditorial synthesis
Low to moderate for consulting practice; hospital access matters for inpatient care.
Usually hospital/infrastructure dependent; independent surgical practice requires access to operating facilities.
After MD / MS / DNB
NEET-SS courses this degree qualifies you for2026 eligibilityCourses can be shared across feeder specialties. The number is an eligibility count, not a count of courses exclusive to that specialty. NEET-SS only; INI-SS pathways are separate. Duplicate course entries in the bulletin are counted once.
12
- Clinical Haematology
- Nephrology
- Medical Oncology
- Endocrinology
- Cardiology
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Neurology
- Medical Gastroenterology
- Hepatology
- Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
13
- Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
- Surgical Gastroenterology
- Hepato-Pancreato Biliary Surgery
- Urology
- Vascular Surgery
- Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
- Paediatric Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery
- Neuro Surgery
- Paediatric Surgery
- Surgical Oncology
- Head and Neck Surgery
- Endocrine Surgery
NEET-SS route open to broad specialties2026 eligibility
Medical Genetics is available through the bulletin’s broad-specialty eligibility route.NEET-SS 2026 bulletin · Annexure A ↗
Medical Genetics is available through the same broad-specialty eligibility route.NEET-SS 2026 bulletin · Annexure A ↗
Other further trainingEditorial synthesis
Clinical fellowships, academic research, geriatrics, infectious-disease practice, point-of-care ultrasound and other focused training outside formal NEET-SS routes. Recognition varies.
Fellowships and focused training in minimally invasive surgery, robotics, trauma, endoscopy and other procedure-based areas. Recognition varies by institution and program.
Technology & industry
AI & technology exposureEditorial synthesis
Documentation, risk prediction, guideline retrieval and longitudinal review are increasingly assisted.
Risk prediction, video analysis, preoperative planning, intraoperative guidance and robotics.
Research & industry pathwaysEditorial synthesis
Pharma medical affairs, clinical development, CROs, chronic-care healthtech and research.
Surgical devices, robotics, medtech, clinical research and hospital systems.
NMC and NBEMS figures are regulatory snapshots and may be revised. NEET-SS eligibility reflects the 2026 Information Bulletin; counts show courses a feeder degree qualifies for, including courses shared with other feeder specialties. INI-SS pathways are outside these counts. Reviewed 1 Nov 2026. How we source data.