M.D. in Preventive and Social Medicine: Course Details, Admission, Eligibility, Top Institutes

Doctorate of Medicine in Preventive and Social Medicine is a two year doctorate degree program, designed for aspirants to study about the precautions and measures that can be taken in order to prevent diseases more than finding a cure for it and promote health in the society.

The basic eligibility for the pursuance of the course is to have an M.B.B.S. degree or any other equivalent degree from a university, recognized by Medical Council of India (MCI). Admission to eligible candidates is provided based on the accomplishment in the qualifying exam (M.B.B.S.) and a relevant entrance exam such as:

NEET PG
AIIMS PG
PGIMER
COMEDK PG
JIPMER PG

In India, average tuition fee charged for the course ranges between INR 1 and 6 Lakhs, varying across institutes.

Top Institutes offering M.D. in Preventive and Social Medicine

After successful completion of the course, one can find a job in various Government and Private Hospitals, and in areas like Research Institutes, Medical Colleges, Community Healthcare Centers, Railways and Military Services, Govt. Social Welfare Programs, Medical Labs, etc. where they can earn a monthly salary ranging between INR 40K and 90K, at an initial level, depending upon his/her expertise in the field.

Top Colleges for Doctorate of Medicine [MD] (Preventive and Social Medicine)

M.D. in Preventive and Social Medicine: Course Highlights

Some of the major highlights about the course are tabulated below.

Course Level	Doctorate Degree
Duration	Two Years
Minimum Qualification Required	A graduation degree in M.B.B.S. or equivalent.
Examination Type	Semester System
Admission Procedure	Counseling after taking Entrance Exam
Total Course Fee	INR 1 Lakhs to 6 Lakhs
Top Recruiting Areas/Fields	Research Institutes, Medical Colleges, Government Hospitals, Military Health care Services, Medical Labs, Private Hospitals, Healthcare Institutions, Private Clinic, etc.
Job Positions	Epidemiologist, Health Specialist, National Consultant, Technical Assistant, Specialist Physician, Research Associate, Junior Research Scientist, Lecturer, Professor, Associate Lecturer, etc.
Average Initial Annual Salary	INR 3 Lakhs to 12 Lakhs
Major Entrance Examinations	NEET PG, AIIMS PG, PGIMER Entrance Exam, CMC Vellore PG, JIPMER PG, UPSEE, etc.

M.D. in Preventive and Social Medicine: What is it about?

Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM) is a newly introduced division of medical science, which focuses on the measures taken to prevent various communicable and non-communicable diseases, more than finding a cure for them, and promoting health in the society.

Postgraduates interested in pursuing further higher studies and going for research and development (R&D) in the field can also opt for higher degree courses (D.M. and Ph. D).

The program is designed to equip candidates with an in-depth knowledge about various epidemiological principles and measures taken to promote health, outbreaks, investigation & prevention of diseases. The course offers education in medical services ranging from curative to rehabilitative health services, involving statistics, psychology, sociology, law, engineering and economics as well as clinical sciences and biological sciences.

One of the major objectives of the course is to provide patient-centered comprehensive primary health care including follow-up and referral. The course provides highly efficient doctors who can successfully operate in and contribute largely to the society by promoting healthy lifestyles. The course’s curriculum integrates theoretical and practical components of the study.

M.D. in Preventive and Social Medicine: Top Institutes

In India, more than 100 medical colleges and institutes offer a Doctorate degree in Preventive and Social Medicine, but not all of them are considered to be good for the pursuance of the course. Listed below are the names of some of the best colleges, offering the course in the country along with their corresponding location and annual fee charged by each.

COLLEGE NAME	CITY	ANNUAL FEE
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)	New Delhi	INR 1,944
Christian Medical College (CMC)	Vellore	INR 1,17,000
Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC)	Pune	INR 64,400
Maulana Azad Medical College	New Delhi	INR 10,000
Madras Medical College (MMC)	Chennai	INR 13,667
Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER)	Pondicherry	INR 6,200
Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC)	New Delhi	INR 10,000
Grant Medical College (GMC)	Mumbai	INR 82,400
King George’s Medical University (KGMU)	Lucknow	INR 39,047
Sri Ramachandra University	Chennai	INR 14,00,000
Seth GS Medical College (GSMC)	Mumbai	INR 29,600
Government Medical College (GMC)	Amritsar	INR 11,000
Institute of Medical Sciences (IMC)	Varanasi	Not Mentioned
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS)	Wardha	INR 60,167
LokmanyaTilak Municipal Medical College (LTMMC)	Mumbai	INR 86,865
Christian Medical College (CMC)	Ludhiana	INR 1,33,000
Osmania Medical College (OMC)	Hyderabad	INR 66,666
ByramJee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College	Pune	INR 72,650
Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (IPGMER)	Kolkata	INR 10,000
Bangalore Medical College and Research institute (BMCRI)	Bangalore	INR 95,000
B.J. Medical College (BJMC)	Ahmedabad	INR 3,000
Government Medical College (GMC)	Patiala	INR 43,333

Eligibility for M.D. in Preventive & Social Medicine

Mentioned below are the minimum qualifications than any candidate aspiring to pursue the course is required to fulfill, in order to be eligible to apply for the course.

A minimum aggregate score of 55% or equivalent CGPA is required at the level of graduation, which should be completed from a university recognized by Medical Council of India (MCI). All SC/ST candidates are given a relaxation of 5% in the minimum aggregate criteria.

Graduation should be completed in M.B.B.S or any other equivalent degree in a relevant discipline.

Candidates waiting for their final year examination’s result are welcomed too, but admission to such candidates will be given on provisional basis.

Also, candidates should have completed a 1- year compulsory rotating internship after passing the final professional examination which is MBBS.

M.D. in Preventive & Social Medicine: Admission Process

Most of the medical colleges and institutes offering the course admit candidates on the basis of their performance in a relevant entrance test, conducted either at National level (NEET PG) or at institutional level. Students who have secured the qualifying percentile for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) or any other equivalent exam are eligible for the counseling process.

As a part of counseling, candidates have to go through two additional rounds of group discussion and personal interview, wherein candidate’s general aptitude and knowledge for the course is examined by highly qualifies and experienced faculties. A merit list is then issued by each university allocating available seats to the most deserving candidates.

Students in their final year of graduation (M.B.B.S.) waiting for exam results, are eligible to apply, but admission to such candidates will be given on a provisional basis, until they satisfy all the above mentioned eligibility criteria.

Listed below are some of the major entrance examinations conducted in the country for admission to the respective course.

Entrance Exam	Registration Period	Exam Date
NEET PG	January 07, 2023 - February 12, 2023	March 05, 2023
INI CET	To be Announced	To be Announced

M.D. in Preventive & Social Medicine: Syllabus and Course Description

A semester-wise breakup of the course’s curriculum is tabulated below.

FIRST SEMESTER	SECOND SEMESTER
Social Science	Health Education
Genetics	Occupational Health
General Medicine applied to the field of Public Health	Public Health Chemistry
Maternal and Child Health Rehabilitation	Communicable and Non- Communicable Diseases
Public Health Administration	Vital Statistics
Seminar 1	Seminar 2
THIRD SEMESTER	FOURTH SEMESTER
Industrial Toxicology and Occupational Physiology	Biostatistics
Entomology	Nutrition
Parasitological Study	Epidemiological Techniques
Public Health Laboratory Practices	Research Methodology
Environmental Health	Demographic Techniques

M.D. in Preventive & Social Medicine: Career Prospects

Preventive & Social Medicine specialists are in great demand all over the world, due to the rising population and increasing diseases. So such postgraduates can put a step forward and do a lot for the society and suffering people.

After successfully completing the course, one can work in various Government and Private Hospitals, Military Healthcare Services, Medical Labs, Research Institutes, Medical Colleges, Community Healthcare Centers, etc. where they can expect a monthly pay of INR 50K to 70k in government sectors, and INR 50K to 1 Lakhs in private sectors, which like most other careers is expected to increase with experience and expertise in the field.

Other than seeking for a job one can also opt for a teaching career and become a lecturer or professor in leading universities and medical colleges, and they can be self-employed by starting their own medical clinic or hospital.

Interested postgraduates may later pursue higher degree courses like DM (Doctorate of Medicine), Ph. D. (Doctorate of Philosophy) and other research related studies, for more knowledge in the field, better career options & salary packages.

Some of the popular professional avenues open to such postgraduates are mentioned below with basic job responsibilities and salary associated to each.

M.D. in Preventive and Social Medicine Annual Salary

JOB PROFILES	JOB DESCRIPTION	SALARY (Tentative)
Epidemiologist	An Epidemiologist investigates diseases and applies their knowledge of how and why communicable diseases spread to make recommendations on containment and treatment.	INR 4 Lakhs to 15 Lakhs
National Consultant	A National Consultant coordinates and promotes quality related activities and advocacy and estimates requirements for improvement of quality of health care services.	INR 4 Lakhs to 10 Lakhs
Technical Assistant	A Technical Assistant observes and records patients' conditions, assists with clinical duties and personal care including infection prevention and control, personal hygiene, comfort and safety.	INR 3 Lakhs to 9 Lakhs
Professor	A professor teaches and motivates students and keeps up with current research activities in their areas of expertise.	INR 4 Lakhs to 8 Lakhs
Health Specialist	A Health Specialist works to improve the health of individuals and communities and works with organizations, such as neighborhoods, schools and hospitals, to make them aware of their roles in promoting health.	INR 3 Lakhs to 6.5 Lakhs
Junior Research Scientist	A Junior Research Scientist prepares articles, reports, and presentations, performs routine clerical duties as directed and assists in administrative duties such as completing reports.	INR 3 Lakhs to 7 Lakhs