The doctor is one of the most prestigious jobs. They help many people by treating different kinds of health issues. Some of the health issues are mild and can be treated easily by even a person who has just completed MBBS. But some health issues can be treated only by the experts in such a field. They are very critical health issues and can be life-threatening, and hence the expert help is always important. One of such life-threatening health issues then Cancer. A doctor who is specialized in treating Cancer is called Oncologists.
So, if you are someone who aims to become a specialist in treating Cancer and related health issues, then you will have to complete your MBBS degree and then complete your M.D. in Oncology. This is the specialization course for Oncologists. Here we have provided you some useful information about how to become an Oncologist in India. If you wish to know more about it, then continue reading.
Who is an Oncologist?
An Oncologist is a person who is specialized in Oncology. Oncology is the study of Cancer and different types of treatment. They will be able to both diagnose it and also treat the Cancer. There are many different methods of treating Cancer like Hormonal therapy, Chemotherapy, Targeted therapy and Biological therapy. They are mainly into treating only cancer patients. There are different types of cancers, and an oncologist will be able to treat them. There will also be a specialization course for treating each kind of Cancer as well.
You should first complete your MBBS course and then complete your master’s in Oncology for becoming an Oncologist in India. There are various post-graduation level courses that are offered in India so that you will be able to get the best education. It is not going to be an easy journey as you will have to study really hard to become an Oncologist. You should clear the entrance exam to get into the course. So, here are some more details that can help you know more about this course.
Eligibility Criteria:
Whenever you wish to get admission to any course, there will be certain eligibility criteria that you have to meet. You need to make sure that you meet that criteria. So, here are the requirements for becoming an Oncologist in India:
- The candidate should have completed their high secondary education from a good institute.
- The candidate must have completed the 12th standard or equivalent from any recognized college in India. Along with that, you will also have to make sure that you have at least 60 percent marks in the last exam.
- Biology, Chemistry and Physics should be the main subjects in your 12th standard.
- You should have cleared your NEET UG level exam or another entrance exam to get admission into the MBBS course. MBBS is going to be a five and a half years course, and out of which one year is an internship program for all the medical students.
Once you complete the MBBS course, you will be allowed to take the entrance exam for getting admission into the P.G. course or the D.M. in Oncology course. Only after your clear the entrance exam can you take up the post-graduation level course and become an oncologist.
Some of the entrance tests you can take:
Admission on the master’s program or Ph. D in Oncology can be done only on the basis of entrance test. One of the most common entrance tests is NEET-PG which is accepted nationwide. Apart from that, some states have their own entrance tests and here are some of the most common tests that you can take up. It is very important to get a good rank if you wish to get admission to one of the best colleges in India.
- University of Delhi Entrance Exam.
- Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University Medical Entrance Exam
- Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute Entrance Exam
- Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology Entrance Exam
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) Entrance Exam
- National Brain Research Centre Entrance Exam
- Maharashtra Super-specialty Entrance Test – MH SSET
- Madras Medical College – Institute of Neurology Entrance Exam
- Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Entrance Exam
- Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences (IHBAS)
- Delhi University Super Specialty Entrance Test – DUMET
- Banaras Hindu University Entrance Exam
- All India Institute of Medical Science Entrance Exam (AIIMS)
- All India D.M. / M.Ch. Entrance Examination
How to become an Oncologist in India?
Here is a step-by-step guide for becoming an Oncologist in India:
- You should first complete your 10th standard with at least 60 percent marks.
- Now get your admission done in 11th standard with Biology, Chemistry and physics as main subjects. Once you pass the 12th standard, you will be able to get admission to the MBBS program.
- You should now clear the entrance exam for getting admission to the MBBS course. There are different entrance exams in India.
- Once you clear the exam, you can get admission into MBBS, and it is a course of five and a half years. You will have a mandatory internship for one year, which is included in this five and a half years course.
- Once you are done with the internship program, you can take your test for the post-graduation programs, which is NEET-PG.
- If you clear the NEET-PG exam, then you can get admission in D.M. and choose Oncology as a specialization. It is a course of three years, and only after completing this course will you become an Oncologist.
Some of the course that you can take up:
You have different kinds of courses that you can take up after you complete your MBBS course of five and a half years. Here are the courses that you can opt for. This is basically a course of three years. You will also have to complete an internship after you are done with the three years course. You will be able to understand the right methods of treatment during this internship program.
- D.M. Medical Oncology – 3 years
- D.M. Oncology – 3 years
- M.ch Oncology – 3 years
- M.ch Surgical Oncology – 3 years
- PhD Oncology – 3 years
Job opportunities:
After the completion of this course, you can work as a radiation oncologist, surgical Oncologist and Medical Oncologist. As there are many cases of cancer patients, almost every hospital will have at least one Oncologist, and the cancer specialist hospitals will just have the best Oncologists in the country. So, there will be a number of opportunities for an oncologist the complete the course.
Surgical Oncologist: As a Surgical Oncologist, you will have to take care of all normal surgeries and also those surgeries that are complicated. You will be dealing with both tumor patients and Cancer patients as well.
Radiation Oncologist: Some kind of cancers need Radiation treatment, and the Radiation Oncologist will help in providing that kind of treatment. They are responsible for the adjustment of the equipment and treating them.
Along with that, you will also get offers like Senior medical advisor, Research associate, and Oncologist. An Oncologist will be dealing with the cancer patients, right from diagnosis to treatment, and to refer to other specialists if required. Apart from all this, you can also become a professor, who can help the medical student in completing their practical work and gain more knowledge on the subject.
Areas of Employment:
Once you complete the course of an Oncologist, you will be able to get job opportunities in India and also in other parts of the world. Among so many specializations, Oncologists are one of those highly paid doctors in India and in other countries as well. You will receive job opportunities from many different areas like:
- Cancer Hospitals
- Government Hospitals
- Medical Colleges
- Private Hospitals
- Private practice
- Specialist Hospitals
Some of the top recruiters in India:
There are many hospitals in India that recruit Oncologists. You will receive offers from both private and government hospitals, NGOs and other healthcare institutions as well. But some of the top recruiters in India are listed below:
- AIIMS
- Artemis
- Apollo Hospitals
- Fortis
- Max Hospital
- Indian Armed Forces Medical Services
Apart from these, you can choose to apply to any hospital of your choice. Also, after a few years, you can even start a clinic of your own.
Salary Structure:
The salary structure of any doctor is good and high. They will be able to earn well from their internship program itself, and once they complete the course, they will be able to earn much better than this. As you will get a chance to work in both the private and public sectors, your salary is going to depend on where you are going to work. If you are working in a government hospital, then your salary will start from Rs 30,000 per month to Rs 50,000. But for a private hospital, it is going to be between Rs 50,000 to Rs 80,000 per month. In the medical field, your salary starts increasing slow, but as you gain experience, you will be able to earn quite well. For Surgical Oncologists, the salary range is between Rs 4,00,000 and Rs 15,00,000. A radiation Oncologist will earn between Rs 10,00,000 and Rs 15,00,000. An Oncologist can earn up to Rs 25,00,000 per annum, depending upon the experience and skills you have. The salary also depends on the hospital in which you are working and how many years of experience you are having as an Oncologist.
Some of the best colleges for Oncologist course
Medical education is not going to be a simple task for anyone. You need to work really hard to complete your five and a half years of MBBS course. But after that, if you wish to get a specialization like D.M. or M.S., then you will have to make sure that you have the best college or university. Only the best ones will be able to offer you quality education, and also you will be able to gain more knowledge about the subject. So, if you are looking for any good college or universities that can help you become an Oncologist, here is the list of some of the best colleges and universities:
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
- Amrita School of Medicine (ASM), Kochi
- BJ Medical College (BJMC), Ahmedabad
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai
- Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research Center (JIPMER), Pudducherry
- Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO), Bangalore
- Madras Medical College (MMC), Chennai
- Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nasik
- Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad
- Regional Cancer Center (RCC), Thiruvananthapuram
- Sapthagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Bangalore
- Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS), Indore
- Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati
- The Tamilnadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai
So, these are some of the best colleges in India for becoming an Oncologist. For more details on each college, you can check out the official website of each college or university. That will be very helpful to know more about the course, fee details, syllabus and other activities that you will be able to enjoy when you get admission to that college.
We have provided you enough information about the Oncology course and how to become an Oncologist in India. Any education related to the medical field is not going to be an easy job. You will have to spend a lot of time even to crack the entrance exams. So, it is very important to start your preparation well in advance so that you will be able to get the best rank, and that helps you get admission to one of the best colleges in India. Most of the students spend their MBBS internship program preparing for the P.G. entrance test. You should make use of any free time available to crack NEET-PG. All the best to all the students who wish to become Oncologists!!!
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
