Updated August 21, 2022
Do you know why MCh Degree is being considered after MS or MBBS? MCh, also known as Master of Chirurgiae, is the highest post-doctoral degree in the surgical field, offering numerous specializations such as Neuro Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Urology, etc., over which applicants get a super speciality.
On pursuing any specialized discipline will equip you with the ability to work in a high-pressure environment and a technical understanding of complex surgical procedures in the respective area. If you have a curiosity to learn and delve deeper into the MCh degree, go through this article, as it covers all aspects of the course.
What is the Full Form of MCh Degree?
The Full Form of the MCh Degree is Master of Chirurgiae (General Surgery). It is the highest post-doctoral degree in the surgical field. To pursue MCh Degree, students will clear the qualifying entrance exams (NEET-SS).
What MCh Degree is All About?
The Master of Chirurgiae is a post-doctoral degree and the pinnacle of surgical science. MCh being at the top of the surgical degree, offers numerous specializations, including Neuro Surgery, Cardio-Thoracic Vascular Surgery, Plastic Surgery, ENT, Urology, and others. Pursuing a degree in any specialized area will allow the students to become proficient in their respective areas of the surgical field. Therefore to make competent surgical doctors in the chosen field, the universities provide theoretical learning, employ thesis/projects, seminars, and even hands-on exposure under the Master of Chirurgiae degree.
With this qualification, you will gain a strong technical knowledge and understanding of different aspects of surgical procedures. In addition, it embodies the ability to work in a challenging and highly pressurized environment, which leads you to get employed in prominent employment settings such as ICUs, operation theatres, emergency and trauma, and others.
Such a highest postgraduate degree in surgical science demands a huge effort from candidates, from getting a seat in the colleges to clearing the exams of the MCh Degree. As every work has two facets, so do with students pursuing an MCh degree. On the one hand, it demands arduous effort and sleepless nights from the candidates; on the other, it will offer you a promising and exciting career opportunity.
Ways of Pursuing an MCh Degree
While Master of Chirurgiae is a type of customized degree course, it can be pursued in two different ways. The students having an MBBS degree will obtain the MCh Degree in 5 years, and on the other hand, if you also have an MD degree, it will take a short duration than the former one. Precisely, you could pursue the course in just 3 years.
Why to Study MCh Degree
A Master of Chirurgiae is the highest master of surgical degree, and having such a degree will give an upper hand to the individuals in a cut-throat competition. Being a specialized and highly advanced degree has its own advantage; it will train you perfectly as the industry demands. The below-mentioned pointers could let you understand the “why to study MCh Degree”?-
(a) The MCH Degree being at the top of Surgical sciences, will allow you to learn every technical and complicated procedure used in the Surgical field. Therefore, it is right to say that a Master of Chirurgiae will make you (applicants) more proficient in their works and even let you involved in research and innovations in the field of Surgery.
(b) Talking about the promising job roles for fresh pass out graduates, including assistant professor, clinical associate, junior consultant, etc., under the domain. The doctors having an MCh degree can also train their juniors and students in a variety of medical science fields.
(c) If you see the other side of the MCh Degree, you can get that students can earn a considerable amount of monthly salaries as per their positions in the area. The average salary of the pass-out candidates having an MCh degree is 1.3 to 2 lakhs per month
(d) The degree opens doors to challenging & exciting medical fields like Urology, Cardiovascular, Paediatrics, Endocrine, etc.
What Makes MCh Different From MS- MCh Vs MS?
It is really important to figure out the difference between MS and MCh as they explicitly show quite a similarity. Elucidated pointers will show a clear picture of the differences between MS and MCh Degree.
(a) If students are interested in getting specialized in any discipline of the surgical field after Bachelor of Surgery, they will pursue an MS course. On the other hand, if students wish to further specialize in any discipline would take up MCh Degree.
(b) Also MS degree can be obtained as a post-graduate only after pursuing MBBS Degree. While an MCh can be pursued as a doctoral or postdoctoral program either after completing an MBBS or MS Degree.
(c) In India, the duration of MS courses is 1.5 to 4 years, while in the case of an MCh degree, it takes only 3 years. However, international universities generally have a varying duration in terms of postdoctoral degree programs in Surgery.
Difference Between MCh and MD
Tabulated points show the difference between MCH and MD Course:
| Master of Chirurgiae is the highest and super Speciality course that offers proper training, skills and other aspect of Surgical science to build a proficient professional. | It is a course of advanced study in medicine that concentrates on the development of junior doctors. It assists them in enhancing their expertise and obtaining medical credentials that will aid them in leading the team or operation. |
| Urology, Cardiac Surgery, General Surgery, Neuro Surgery, Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery, Surgical Oncology, etc. | Cardiology, Clinical Hematology, Endocrinology, Immunology, Medical Gastroenterology, Medical Genetics, Nephrology |
| Expected Salary: INR 35-45 Lakhs | Expected Salary: INR 10-15 Lakhs |
Who can Pursue the MCh Degree- Eligibility?
Master of Chirurgiae is a highly advanced general surgery course that trains medical aspirants to enhance competencies in specialized surgical fields. As it is one of the highest and most advanced levels of a doctoral degree, so it will definitely request you fulfill the standard qualifications. It is a must for the candidates to crack the NEET-SS entrance exam to get admission into the course. Apart from this, it also requires other qualifications to obtain the MCh Degree, which includes the following:
(a) The aspiring students must have an MS degree or equivalent degree within the stipulated date.
(b) It is mandatory for Indian students to have an SMC/MCI Registration document.
(c) The foreign applicants are exempted from SMC/MCI early registration. They will get temporary MCI registration after paying the prescribed registration fee.
(d) Candidates must obtain their qualifying examination results before the cut-off date, or else their candidacy will be canceled.
Top Entrance Exams for the MCh Course
Innumerable colleges are available in India and abroad that offer admission to the program but on certain conditions. One of the standard requirements is to clear the entrance exam specified by the institute. Here is the list of some entrance exams through which a student can obtain a degree from India as well as abroad:
(a) NEET- SS
(b) MCAT
(c) UCAT
What are the Documents Needed for the MCh Course?
You must provide specific documents before taking the entrance exam:
(a) Photocopy of SMC/MCI Registration (permanent / provisional)
(b) You require to have admit card with your photo attached
(c) It is a must to have a valid ID like Pan Card, Aadhar Card, Voter ID, Driver’s License
How to Apply for MCh Course- Admission Process?
MCh being a specialized course, can only be applied through the entrance exam. The students can get admission to the program on the basis of the merit list prepared by the entrance exam. Though most of the colleges in India provide access to the degree with the NEET-SS test, AIMS and JIPMER conduct their own entrance test to let the students study for the MCh Course. The NEET-SS is conducted every year by the National Board of Examinations and allotted seats to the candidates depending on the rank they obtain.
General Approaches of the applicants to obtain the degree
(a) The foremost step of the applicants is to check the documents demanded by the institute they possess or not.
(b) Then, they take the National-cum-Entrance-Test (Super Speciality Courses) to get entry to the program. The NEET-SS entrance test conducted by the National Board of Examination [NBE] determines the seats of the candidates for the program.
(c) After making a good rank in the test, they are then required to submit the essential documents requested by the institute.
(d) You, as an Indian citizen, will need to be registered with the Medical Council of India, while students outside the country are exempted from it.
What are the Subjects and Syllabus for MCh Degree?
This course is primarily focused on providing hands-on exposure, seminars, conceptualized learning, and practical knowledge along with Traditional Classroom-Based Teaching of the respective area of study. It covers numerous significant subjects under the program. The following is the list of certain subjects taught under the MCh degree:
(a) Liver
(b) Spleen
(c) Pancreas
(d) Oesophagus
(e) General Topics
(f) Biliary System
(g) Stomach & Duodenum
(h) Intestine, and other studies
What are the Specializations Offered Under MCh Degree?
The MCh degree is a diverse field covering numerous specializations among which the participants will select. And, they are given course work like thesis/projects, seminars, clinical placements, etc., on the basis of their chosen area of study. Therefore, students studying the Master of Chirugiae are required to choose any specialized field through which they can enhance their competencies, skills, and expertise. To give a broader picture of the specializations, I have mentioned below the popular concentrations offered under the MCh Degree:
(I) Surgery
(II) Neurology
(III) Cardiology
(IV) Nephrology
(V) Neonatology
(VI) Neurosurgery
(VII) Neuroradiology
(VIII) Medical Oncology
(IX) Paediatric Surgery
(X) Hematology (Clinical
(XI) Pediatric Neurology
(XII) Cardiothoracic Vascular
(XIII) Neuro Anaesthesiology
(XIV) Cardiac Anaesthesiology
(XV) Hematology (Memato-path)
(XVI) Endocrinology & Gastroenterology
(XVII) MCh Plastic Surgery
What are the Jobs After Master of Chirugiae Degree?
It is a very common question among the students “what they would do after pursuing this advanced MCh Degree”? Well, the students have many promising career opportunities after completing this Master of Chirugiae degree course. The field does not offer only challenging and exciting career options but also lucrative packages. They could be surgeons, surgical consultants, researchers, and several others. Some of the prominent and decent job profiles include the following:
(a) Oncologist
(b) Neurosurgeon
(c) Urology Surgeon
(d) General Surgeon
(e) Orthopedic Surgeon
Top Colleges for MCh Degree in India
Enlisted below are some of the popular colleges that offer MCh Degree:
(a) AIIMS
(b) PGIMER, Chandigarh
(c) Guntur Medical College
(d) Lady Hardinge Medical College
(e) Institute of Medical Sciences[BHU]
(f) Armed Force Medical College, Pune
(g) Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi
(h) Sher E Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences
(i) King’s George Medical University, Lucknow
(j) National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences, Bangalore
Questions Mostly Asked About MCh Degree
Ans- No, MCh is not the same as an MS degree, although both offer understanding and complex technical knowledge of surgical science. MCh is a super speciality degree pursued after MS or MBBS degree, and MS is a post-graduate degree studied after a Bachelor of Surgery.
Ans- MCh is the highest degree and pinnacle in surgical science, so it is obvious that MCh will offer more expertise and technical knowledge than an MS degree.
Ans- MCh is a Super-Speciality and the highest degree in the surgery field, whereas MD is a post-graduate course that concentrates detailed understanding of medicine.
Ans- The simple difference between DM and MCh is “DM is a post-doctoral degree in medicine that is studied after MD, whereas MCh is a post-doctoral degree in Surgery that is pursued after MS (Master of Surgery).