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The Difference Between MD And MS
Clarifying the difference between MS and MD, Dr Santosh Shinde, Dermatologist states, “MS is for those fields where surgical expertise and skills are required. MD is mostly non-surgical, however, there are some branches where surgery can be a part of MD. There are various branches in which an MBBS graduate can pursue MS or MD. The choice should be made depending on one’s choice of subject. But, because of growing competition, this may not be possible. After MD or MS, one can join a medical college as a teaching faculty, start his/her own practice or apply for a job in the healthcare sector.”
MD Vs MS: What Are The Future Prospects?
According to Dr KP Haridas (MS), Chairman and Managing Director, Lords Hospital, Trivandrum, Kerala, both MD and MS courses generally have the same prospects. He added “A person who completes MS becomes a surgeon while the one who takes up MD is a physician. A physician cannot be a surgeon, while a surgeon can work in the place of a physician with more study of medicine.” However, he does feel that a Surgeon, if skilled, may do better financially when compared to a physician.
MD Vs MS: Can a person who has done MD also pursue MS?
There is no need because each is a separate field; the choice should be between surgery and medicine. However, not everyone should take up the field of surgery as it is art blended with science. It is a creative discipline, and requires lots of skill, talent and passion to excel,” says Dr Haridas.
“Theoretically speaking, a person who has done MD can do MS too. But practically, no one does it. Nowadays, people take up super-specialty like Cardiology, Urology & Neurology because medical science is very advanced and treatment of each organ is very complicated,” informs Dr Puranik.
According to Dr Roy, “One can if one wishes to, but there is no point as MD and MS are different approaches and time to cover both of them will be too long to gain any relevant experience in one field.
Popular specialisations in MD & MS
The following table brings the list of popular specialisations taught at MD and MS courses.
MD | MS |
|---|---|
Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Neurology and Anaesthesiology, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gynaecology, Internal medicine, Paediatric, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Radio-Diagnosis, Pathology | Paediatric surgery, Plastic surgery, Cardio-thoracic surgery, Urology, Cardiac surgery, Cosmetic surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology, Gynaecology, Obstetrics, Orthopaedics |
MD Vs MS: Course Duration
Generally, it takes three years to complete an MD or MS depending on the calibre and dedication of the student. However, owing to the ever-increasing competition, you may find the need to pursue super-specialisation (DM/MCh) in your field of interest. This may take another two years, informs Dr Puranik.
MD Vs MS: Comparison Of The Initial Salaries
Dr Puranik explains, “After pursuing post-graduation and super-speciality, there are two choices. Either work in a hospital as a lecturer to gain more experience or start your own private practice attaching yourself to a private hospital. In the teaching profession, one can earn up to INR 30,000-50,000 per month, whereas in private, it completely depends on the amount of practice done.”
“The salary that a surgeon can get depends a lot on the skill and talent of the person. On average, a surgeon can expect to get a salary of INR 75,000 to one lakh per month after MS. Skilled surgeons can earn more,” says Dr Haridas.
The kind of city, clinic or hospital set-up and medical specialisation of the doctor, too, make a difference in the earning potential. Dr Roy adds, “The initial salary after MD or MS may vary from city to city; in Delhi, it is around INR 50,000 – 60,000 per month.” Dr Shinde observes, “Initial salary after PG can be up to INR 1 to 1.5 lakh per month. But then it depends on set-up and specialisation”.
Exams to prepare for after MBBS to Pursue MD or MS
Aspirants need to take the Common Entrance Test, NEET PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Medical Postgraduate Courses – MD/MS/Diploma) or INI CET conducted by AIIMS after completing their MBBS. Dr Puranik says, “NEET PG question paper includes questions from all the subjects covered during the MBBS course. The branch is chosen during counselling.”
“Before making the choice, a student has to know his/her interest. This will simplify the process of choosing the stream for them,” adds Dr Shinde.
MD Vs MS: What’s a more popular choice in India?
The choice between MS and MD should be made carefully by a student as per individual aptitude. We asked Dr Haridas why he chose to do MS, to which he said “The choice between surgery and medicine is entirely up to the candidate. For a candidate who gets uncomfortable at the sight of blood, surgery is not an option. Surgery is best recommended for those who are passionate about it. In my case, I chose surgery because I was curious about it and if given the choice, I would still choose surgery over medicine. I feel that surgery requires the right mix of knowledge, art, hard work, commitment and above all, passion.”
For those who do not want to choose from amongst these options, Dr Puranik’s observation can prove to be quite useful. She says “Students in India are opting for MD & MS more or less in equal ratio. Moreover, now people have come up with different types of employment under medical science. Sometimes after MBBS, people take up an MBA in hospital administration, HR, etc for placements in pharma companies, corporate hospitals, etc. Some do IAS and then get into health & medical services governance.”
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