MD Vs MS - Which is Better?

Completing MBBS is a puff-out of the cheeks moment after five years of hard work and effort. But at the end of the day, students go back to the square zero question, "What's next after MBBS?". While some graduates have a clear idea about their plans, yet some get stuck on whether to opt for an MD or MS course.

The discussion intensifies when it comes to MD vs MS. Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a postgraduate program that deals with medication and virology. While Master of Surgery (MS) is a straight contradictory course to MD, it offers specialized surgical study.

Throughout this article, let's understand the difference between MD and MS and find out better.

Table of Contents:

• Key Highlights
• Overview
• Eligibility
• Specializations
• Course Prospects
• Scopes and Career Opportunities
• Salary
• Abroad Jobs
• Which One to Choose?

MD Vs MS - Key Highlights

One of the basic needs for comparing MD and MS is to understand what exactly the course offers. Some of the significant differences between the courses are given below:

Criteria	MD	MS
Duration	3 Years	3 Years
Fees	INR 4 - 20 LPA	INR 8 - 20  LPA
Eligibility	50% in MBBS undergraduate degree and candidates should’ve cleared NEET-PG with good ranks.	50% in MBBS undergraduates degree and required to clear common entrance exams with good aggregate
Domain of Study	Physiology, Anatomy, Pharmacology, Radiology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine, etc.	Cardiology, Neurology, Orthopaedics, General Surgery, Otorhinolaryngology
Entrance Examinations	NEET-PG	NEET- PG, JIPMER-PG
Career Options	Pediatrician, Obstetrician, Physician, Radiologist, Pathologist, etc.	Cardiologist, Oncologist, Plastic Surgeon, Home Surgeon, Emergency Surgeon
Who can pursue this?	Students who are inclined towards para-clinical studies of medicine can opt for this course	Students who are interested in surgical procedures and specialized clinical studies can pt for this course.
Higher Studies Scopes	Ph.D. in Medicine	M.Ch in any specialization

MD Vs MS - Overview

MD or Doctor of Medicine is one of the most popular postgraduate choices, mainly focusing on para-clinical specializations. Para-clinical specializations are those that don't involve surgical procedures. It is a three-year course focussed on several nonsurgical aspects such as Physiology, Pharmacology, Virology, and several other domains.

Read More about MD

On the other hand, MS is a technical post-graduation specialization course that's majorly pursued by MBBS students interested in specialized surgical practice. However, unlike the MD course, the MS course involves practical coursework to make students involved in crucial surgical procedures.

Read More about MS

Compared to MD, MS has a higher scope, and it is easy for graduates to get placed in any top medical organization. However, MD and MS have many differences to be weighed before opting for the particular course. Let us discuss some of the basic differences between the two.

MD vs MS - Eligibility

The admission process for MD and MS are quite similar to each other. There are some eligibility criteria set by IMA and respective medical universities for the admission process. Some of the eligibility criteria set for both the courses are given below :

• For MD admissions, students need to appear for national-level entrance exams such as NEET-PG or any other university-level exams. The ranks secured in these examinations determine a candidate's understanding of specialized medicine study.
• The cutoffs may differ for MS, but graduates must appear for NEET-PG. Some Universities also conduct university-level entrance exams for the further filtration process. MCI majorly governs MS admissions.
• The basic eligibility criteria for admissions is that students should have passed their MBBS with a 50% aggregate. Backlogs aren't encouraged when it comes to the admission process. The aggregate scores differ for various caste sections during the time of admission.

MD vs MS - Specializations

Medical study is a very vast field and has numerous specialization streams one can venture into. During MBBS studies, graduates are given minor insights on several domains that can give them a basic understanding of what the specialization is about. Some of the common lists of specializations include:

MD Specialization Streams	MS Specialization Streams
MD in Obstetrics & Gynecology	MS in Orthopedics
MD in Radiodiagnosis	MS in Ophthalmology
MD in General Medicine	MS in Anatomy
MD in Anatomy	MS in Obstetrics & Gynecology
MD in Pediatrics	MS in General Surgery
MD in Pathology	MS in ENT

MD vs MS - Course Prospects  

"Which is better than the latter?" is one of the most asked questions by MBBS graduates to weigh their options. When it comes to MD vs MS, students can answer the question only by understanding the benefits of pursuing the course. Both MD and MS have equal importance in today's job market and are entitled to receive several job opportunities. Before understanding its scopes and opportunities, let us understand the prospects and benefits of the course.

 Prospects of pursuing MD

MD is a specialized course in nonsurgical studies. Some of the prospects of pursuing MD include:

• Post the completion of MD, graduates interested in pursuing further can opt for Ph.D. in Medicine under any specialized domain.
• The coursework offers extensive theoretical and research-based studies that allow graduates to even venture into medical research upon completion of the course.
• MD degree also fetches job scopes in physiology and radiology domains with a decent pay grade.
• Several medical research organizations such as IMA and other healthcare management organizations require specialized candidates. The ever-growing demand for nonsurgical doctors has opened a plethora of opportunities for MD graduates.
• MD graduates can also start their clinic centers and diagnostic centers that will help them to bring out their services to a wider range of people.

 Prospects of pursuing MS

 Just like MD, MS is also one of the most reputed coursework in medical sciences. Some of the key benefits and prospects of this course are:

• Master of surgery provides insights on basic theory and practical surgical studies, making graduates venture into more practical domains.
• Unlike MD graduates, MS graduates won't be involved in research-based studies as the depth of theoretical knowledge offered in coursework is limited.
• Graduates of this course are entitled to receive heft pay in the job market due to their timid line of work and the risk associated with their role.
• A surgical license is valuable as it qualifies you to work under any recognized medical jurisdiction anywhere worldwide.

MD vs MS - Scopes and Career Opportunities

Pursuing MD or MS in India offers numerous scopes in frontline healthcare and other medical-based research centers. India boasts of its medical resources amongst the utopian countries, thanks to the quality of doctors that are readily available to save the lives of countless Indians.

India's research in applied medicine and medical science has recently helped develop indigenous vaccines to battle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccine is in demand for most parts of the world and has opened the further scope of research to develop more superior vaccines. MD graduates who are purely interested in the research-based study have numerous opportunities in the research field off late.

Apart from research sciences, graduates also venture into clinical medical consultation in several healthcare centers and private clinics. MD graduates are often regarded as specialists due to their in-depth theoretical knowledge of the specialized area, which puts them as the first contact before any surgical procedure. MD graduates also have scopes in several fields such as sports medicine, defense, pathology, and much more.

MS graduates have similar job opportunities as MD courses with more openings across the country. There's an ongoing demand for specialized surgeons in several fields, which has opened up openings for MS graduates. Graduates can work in public or private healthcare centers as house surgeons.

MD Vs MS - Salary

When it comes to basic pay, MS graduates have a slight edge over MD graduates due to their work field. MS graduates work in a high-risk environment, and their job role demands equal pay for their effort in saving lives. Listed below are some of the average salaries of MS graduates:

Job Role	Average Payscale
Orthopedic Surgeon	INR 10 LPA
Cardiovascular Surgeon	INR 20  LPA
NeuroSurgeon	INR 30  LPA
Cardiothoracic Surgeon	INR 40  LPA
General House Surgeon	INR 10 LPA
Invasive Cardiologist	INR 11.4 LPA

Read More on MS Salary

The average pay for  MD graduates is quite lesser when compared to MS graduates. Salary packages vary according to the sector they work in and the job role. Some of the popular job roles and the average pay are mentioned below:

Job Role	Average Payscale
Physician	INR 10 LPA
Pathologist	INR 12 LPA
Radiation Oncologist	INR 30 LPA
General Pediatrician	INR 9 LPA
Psychiatrist	INR 12.8 LPA
Healthcare Consultant	INR 20  LPA

Read More on MD Salary

MS Vs MD - Jobs Abroad

Students have numerous job scopes and opportunities abroad in both MS and MD degrees. For MS opportunities abroad, graduates must carry a surgical practice license of the respective country and can be obtained via specified examination. The pattern differs from one country to another. The same applies to MD graduates for medical practice, which should have approval from the respective medical board. Some of the popular employment roles and job designation for graduates abroad are given below:

	MS	MD
Employment Areas	Surgical practice, Plastic Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery, Orthopaedics Surgery, Neurosurgery, Oncology, Gynaecology, Obstetrics, Urology and much more	Pediatrics, Veterinary, Cardiology, ENT, General Medicine, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Physiology, Sports Medicine and much more
Job Designations	Senior Surgeon, Cardiovascular Surgeon, Urology specialist, Plastic Surgeon, Obstetrics Surgeon, House Surgeon and much more	Sports Doctor, Pediatrician, ENT specialist, Pathology Research Scientist, General Doctor, Pharma Specialist, Ortho specialist, Cardiologist

MS or MD - Which One to Choose?

Both MS and MD are pioneer courses in medical sciences. Each has its pros and cons concerning the scope and the job market. While MD graduates can venture into entrepreneurship and self-start their own business, MS graduates can't opt for small-scale surgical clinics. However, with the pay grade, MS graduates can get into the job market, they often choose to start their healthcare complex. MS v MD is often largely discussed, and graduates should weigh up equally to opt for their desired coursework.

Growth in Medical Research: Recent events have shown us the importance of medical research. There are several scopes for research in India, as we have contributed several resources to control the pandemic scenarios. MD with a specialization in pathology virology, physiology, and other scopes also offers them opportunities to venture into research fields with decent pay.

A Spectrum of Career Scopes: Both MS and MD graduates have plenty of scopes in the healthcare domain. Apart from traditional hospital and clinical jobs, graduates can get into specified fields such as Sports Medicine. Though the applied concepts are similar, their application scope narrows down to one domain, often helping them excel with ease.

The choice between opting for MS or MD rests on the shoulders of students. Students who have uneasiness regarding cuts and surgery can opt for MD, whereas the latter can opt for MS. It all depends on individual interests.