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Which college is better for an MCh Neurosurgery: AIIMS Delhi or NIMHANS?
Both AIIMS and NIMHANS have been excellent institutes for neurosurgery. Both the institutes have their unique strengths and weaknesses. It’s better to weigh the pros and cons before coming to a final decision.
AIIMS Delhi
- AIIMS has given birth to elite neurosurgeons and enjoys a great level of credibility and global recognition.
- The neurosurgery department has top-notch infrastructure and all the modern facilities you could ask for.
- There is a dedicated trauma center, in addition to cadaveric training and research facility, neurosurgical education and training school, and an animal dissection lab.
NIMHANS
- NIMHANS is a dedicated mental health and neurosciences institute.
- It has an NBRC - neurobiology research center which provides necessary resources for research and technology advancement.
Both AIIMS Delhi and NIMHANS are equally good in terms of the amount of work, patient management protocol, and infrastructure. The only issue at AIIMS Delhi is the increasing staff as a result of which the surgical work gets divided and residents get less work. NIMHANS on the other hand has a lesser faculty count which does not necessarily mean more work.
Ultimately, it’s your performance that determines your success and not your institute. Institute just lays down the stepping stones for your future.
Which is better: An integrated five years course into DM neurology (NIMHANS) or completing my MD in general medicine and then specializing in DM neurology?
In my opinion, it’s best to complete an MD in medicine first rather than pursuing DM Neuro directly after MBBS.
It is so because M.B.B.S. students receive minimal clinical exposure and therefore their interest in a particular field might not be genuine. They might later regret their choice.
An integrated program is a 5-year program that requires a lot of commitment. So, if you go for a field you are not interested in, you will be wasting 5 years of your life. Even if you are sure of your interest in neurology, you may not actually like it when you start working. That being said, it's better that you do MD in medicine, have first-hand exposure to all the specialties, and then choose one for you.
People often choose integrated courses so as to save one year of education. However, they fail to recognize the risks involved.
Ultimately, unless you love neurology passionately and have enough exposure in the same, go for direct DM, else completing MD would be the safest bet.
I am studying an MBBS in my third year. I want to study my postgraduation at NIMHANS. How should I prepare for the entrance exam? How different is NIMHANS exam compared to the other PG entrance exam?
After doing some research online, I gathered some information regarding your question. Let me mention these which you can later analyze and check if it is useful or not.
- It is an online MCQ-based Post Graduate entrance exam for direct MCh Neurosurgery, DM neurology, and MD Psychiatry courses.
- The exams are usually held in the last week of March.
- It is a 2-hour long exam and comprises 150 MCQ-based questions.
- 1 mark is given for every correct answer and ¼ mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.
- 90-100 questions generally come from the routine subjects studied during MBBS. These are similar to the ones asked in other entrance exams like AIIMS and JIPMER.
- 50-60 MCQs are related to Neurology sections of all other subjects like anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, pathology, ophthalmology, medicine, surgery, psychiatry, radiology, and anesthesia.
For preparing Neurology you can take help from the following books:
- Harrison for Neurology
- Ganong for Neuro-Physiology
- Snell's Neuro-Anatomy
- Neuro-Biochemistry from Harper
- Neuro-Microbiology from Paniker
- Neuro-Pharmacology from KDT
- Neuro-Pathology from Robbins
Try solving the previous 4 to 5 years of any NIMHANS MCQ guide. Also, try to score 120-130, this will secure your place among the top rankers.
What is the difference in doing a six year MCh neurology course in NIMHANS and in other colleges in India?
It won't be right to talk about other institutions that offer Neurosurgery, but as one of my friends studied at NIMHANS, I will be able to share some details about it, analyzing which you can make your choice.
- Being a referral centre, NIMHANS receives lots of patients.
- The OPD’s will run up to modest hours in the evening and with cases ranging from PIVD to brainstem gliomas.
- The casualty will have a dedicated trauma team that receives 100–150 trauma cases per day, ranging from mild concussions to SAH.
- OT will run on all working days or all days in case of emergencies.
- The surgeries include aneurysmal clipping to functional surgeries such as DBS or functional hemispherectomy.
- There will be academic programs throughout the week including general classes to journal clubs.
- The main focus falls on clinical work, so you will get a lot of raw material to work with to gain clinical knowledge.
- If your interest lies in research, there are competing people there also, to encourage and guide you.
Ultimately, it is your duty to gather information from the cases, and what you learn from each of them after completing the clinical work. Always be ready to face any situation and work a hectic schedule.
What is the difference in doing a six-year MCh neurology course in NIMHANS and in other colleges in India?
I am not aware of other colleges but since my cousin is currently pursuing a six-year MCh neurology course in NIMHANS, I have better knowledge in that regard.
- NIMHANS has a huge patient load and the OPDs are open till late hours in the evening. The cases entertained are very diverse ranging from PIVD to brainstem gliomas.
- There is a dedicated trauma team that receives around 100–150 trauma cases every day from mild concussions to SAH. The OT runs on all working days and every day in case of emergency.
- Some of the most common surgeries conducted here are aneurysmal clipping to functional surgeries such as DBS or functional hemispherectomy.
- The academics aren’t compromised and general classes are conducted throughout the week. Here, primary importance is given to clinical exposure so students get a lot of raw material to work with to gain clinical knowledge.
- You will also have enough research facilities to satiate your research thirst.
Overall, you will have a lot of opportunities and your schedule will be extremely busy while pursuing the 6-year MCh neurology course.
What are the courses available in NIMHANS for an MBBS doctor?
One of my cousins graduated from NIMHANS and according to him, here are the courses available for an MBBS doctor in NIMHANS.
- MCh in Neurosurgery
- DM in Neurology
- MD in Psychiatry
- Fellowship in Psychiatric Rehabilitation
- Ph.D. in Clinical Neurosciences
- M.Phil in Neurosciences
- Ph.D. in Neurophysiology
- M.Phil in Neurophysiology
- M.Phil in Biophysics
If you are interested in research you can choose Ph.D. in Clinical Neurosciences or Ph.D. in Psychiatry. There is a direct entry after MBBS for MCh in Neurosurgery apart from DM in Neurology and MD in Psychiatry.
What's it like to be a postgraduate student in NIMHANS?
One of my friends was a student from an electronics engineering background who took Neuroscience for M.Phil. A lot of people have questioned his choice, but he said that it was a good decision and enjoyed learning about the course. Let me share his experience.
- He, including all other students, was posted in a new department every month. His first posting was in Human Genetics.
- They used to have a lecture series, starting with the History of Genetics, Basic Readings, Hot Research Topics, etc. This was followed by practicals with hands-on training.
- They attended all the seminars, journal club, viva, or thesis defenses happening in the department.
- Towards the end of their one-month posting; they have to present a seminar, submit an assignment, and take an internal exam.
- They also interact with the Ph.D. students to get an overview of research carried out in each department.
- The course was designed in such a way that full freedom is given to learning.
If you do not study and follow properly, it becomes difficult. He was content with his choice, stating that it is hard work that only matters. Except for the MD courses and nursing specialties all the courses here at NIMHANS are super specialties and research degrees (Ph.D./MPhil).
Which one is better for doing PG in neurology; NIMHANS or AIIMS?
Both AIIMS and NIMHANS are excellent options for pursuing a PG in neurology. While choosing one between the two, you might want to consider the following simple differences
- Courses: DM Neurology is offered at both AIIMS and NIMHANS. Both the colleges offer this course after PG in General Medicine for which you will have to pass the exams conducted by respective institutes.
- Courses after MBBS : NIMHANS offers a direct 5 years of DM neurology course after MBBS while AIIMS does not offer any direct DM neurology course after MBBS. So If you choose NIMHANS, you will not have to take an entrance exam for admission to DM after PG in general medicine. NIMHANS certainly gives a huge edge in this aspect.
- Practice: AIIMS has a huge patient load most of which is dealt with by senior citizens. So, you will not get much clinical exposure and will be entrusted with trivial tasks only. NIMHANS on the other hand is a national-level neuro institute where you will get to deal with all types of patients right from the first year.
- Location: AIIMS Delhi has a clear advantage over NIKHANS in terms of location.
So choose wisely!
How is direct DM neurology in NIMHANS?
You need to secure a very good rank in the NIMHANS entrance exam, this could be among the top 4 or 5. Here are some things about the course you should know about beforehand.
- It is a 5-year course post MBBS and the course won't entirely be in NIMHANS.
- The residents will be posted for ½ years to other hospitals like Victoria for experience in general medicine. 3 ½ years however will be in NIMHANS.
- As a resident, you will be expected to participate in OPD's, handle in-patients, and also can be posted for emergency duties.
- Working hours will vary, but expect 12-hour duties on any day and 24 hours during emergency postings.
- The students will be posted in departments of Neurology predominantly and also Psychiatry, Neuro-surgery, Pathology, and Electrophysiology for short periods.
- The DM course is a great opportunity to learn about Neurology in detail.
- You will be exposed to a wide variety of cases to standard modalities of treatment.
- The caseload can get a bit hectic. Try to stay calm in these situations.
As it is an institute of national importance, there are plenty of research opportunities for interested students. At the end of the course, you are expected to have a thorough knowledge of clinical aspects of Neurology, investigational modalities not limited to EEG, EMG, MRI, CT, etc. Thus it opens a huge scope of learning.
Can somebody provide information regarding accommodation facility in and around NIMHANS Bangalore?
Let us assume that the question is framed for the accommodation for the patient's relatives, as it is not specified.
NIMHANS provides accommodation at subsidized tariff at 2 places within its hospital campus:
Infosys Foundation Dharmashala -
- Room Tariff: INR 400 per day.
- Deposit: INR 4000.
Lakshmi Mittal Rest Home -
- Room Tariff: INR 200 per day.
- Deposit: INR 2000 for ‘A’ Category.
- Room Tariff: INR 125 per day.
- Deposit: INR 1250 for ‘B’ Category.
Both the places take in people on a First-Come-First-Served basis.
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