Why are MP Medical Science University MBBS graduates not being included in NEET-PG 2025?

With the NEET-PG 2025 date nearing, MBBS graduates of this very same university were eagerly anticipating they would be eligible to sit for the exam despite graduating a year ago.

Impacted college is Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University (MPMSU) Jabalpur. MBBS fourth-year students, who graduated in 2024 from MSU, claim that they were not in a position to provide NEET-PG 2025, as they have not completed their mandatory one-year internship, which will be done only in August.

According to National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) regulations holding NEET-PG, the candidates must have completed their internship on or before 31st July 2025 in order to be considered for appearing for NEET-PG 2025.

With regard to MP MSU students, the reason why their internship was not completed is that the university delayed publishing their final year MBBS results.

"We have completed all our end-term tests and other exams till June. But results were declared till August 16. So, we began our internships a bit late than we should have," Dr Lucky* (name withheld at request), a passout from college, said.

Normally, the university students would complete exams, receive final marks and disperse for internships by March 31, and the deadline would be July 31. But not one year. "The college somehow left our results pending, which never used to happen," says Dr Anshuman*, a postgraduate of the university's MBBS course.

Dr Lucky also lamented that since the COVID-19 pandemic, results of exams after taking the exams took months before the university released them. "First-year exam results at some point in time were out five months after sitting for exams," he said.

"Even final year results were impacted by those delays last year," he groused.

Hence, MBBS students who had given their final exams received their result after months when the exams were over and so there were delayed internship notices. In this so-called bureaucratic error, these students are unable to provide NEET-PG 2025.

"We can provide only NEET-PG 2026. One year has lapsed without our fault," fumed Dr Lucky*.

Both the interns also make sure that after internship, it is not possible to become a junior resident doctor. "Madhya Pradesh state government hospitals and health centres have a two-year bond. If we start practicing after internship, we will not be able to deliver NEET-PG till 2028," said Dr Anshuman*.

The only ray of hope for the graduates is that the NBEMS extends its deadline by one month, to August 31.

Medical professional associations such as the United Doctors' Front (UDF) also conveyed sympathies to the graduates.

In a letter to Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda, the UDF states, "This partial extension would provide all such aggrieved candidates an equitable and fair opportunity to compete in NEET PG 2025, as per the canons of justice and academic parity."

But notwithstanding the amount of help there is, the graduates have no chance of the deadline being extended on their behalf. "The university administration does not assist, and to be frank with you, they are also helpless in extending the deadline," Dr Lucky said.

Dr Anshuman also suggested that he "has accepted" the fact that they would have no option but to proceed and conduct NEET-PG 2026 alone. "Sale of NEET-PG application forms is closed and last opportunity to apply late is closed. The test will go as planned and nothing could be done in this regard," he admitted nostalgically.