NEET-PG 2025: Why India’s best and brightest medical graduates are choosing medicine and radiology over surgery

India’s top-performing medical graduates are increasingly choosing stable, predictable careers such as general medicine over high-pressure fields like general surgery, according to a report in the Times of India. As per the report, if the trend continues India may see shortages in vital surgical specialties over the next decade.

As per the report, the first round of NEET-PG 2025 counselling shows a clear shift with general medicine and radiology emerging as the preferred choices for high-rankers, while general surgery has seen one of its steepest declines in recent years.

Among the first 1,500 candidates, 632 (42%) opted for MD general medicine and 447 (30%) chose MD radiodiagnosis. Only 99 students (6.6%) selected MS general surgery — underscoring a growing move away from high-risk procedural specialities, the report added.


The report suggests students are turning away from surgical careers due to long training pathways, burnout, and rising medico-legal pressures.

Dr Neeraj Nischal from AIIMS’ Department of Medicine said medicine’s popularity is unsurprising. “MD Medicine leads to nearly all superspecialities, so demand has always been strong. Many students believe diagnostic fields offer better work-life balance, though that’s not always true. Seniors’ experiences often shape decisions.”

Senior clinicians say the declining interest in surgery stems from deeper anxieties.

“Surgical branches are extremely demanding — you need genuine passion, or burnout is inevitable,” Dr Nischal said.

Surgeons echo the concern. “This trend isn’t new,” said Dr Piyush Ranjan from the AIIMS surgery department. “A decade ago, surgery was seen as highly rewarding. But now it takes much longer to establish yourself because general surgery is just the starting point — most go on to super-specialise in neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, urology or paediatric surgery.”

He added that the risks also deter aspirants. “There’s a razor-thin line between success and complications. Even a small mistake can lead to major bleeding. With rising litigation and more aware patients, convincing someone to undergo surgery is difficult. The stakes are high — not everyone wants that pressure.”

“Every operation brings an adrenaline rush, and functioning in that environment isn’t easy. Surgery isn’t just a postgraduate option; it has to be a calling,” Dr Ranjan said.

Another senior clinician noted that while diagnostic branches require significant investment, surgical departments face greater litigation risks, adding to students’ hesitation.