Best Career Opportunity for Defence Aspirants through NEET

2 Best Way to Join Indian Army in Medical Field - MNS & AFMC MBBS

The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) provide one of the best options for a medical aspirant in our nation as it integrates an outstanding professional environment with the adventurous life of the armed forces. The Indian Armed Forces offer the best career opportunity for defence aspirants through NEET. If you are a medical aspirant and wish to serve the nation by joining the armed forces, then this article is for you. Here, we will discuss the ways through which you can join the defence forces through NEET. The Military Nursing Service (MNS) and the MBBS Program offered by the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) are the two most lucrative career options for medical aspirants in the Indian Armed Forces. Read on to know more about how you can become a medical officer in the prestigious defence forces of our nation. 

As we all know, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is an all-India pre-medical entrance exam that is administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA). NEET serves as a mandatory qualification for defence aspirants whether they opt for MNS or AFMC MBBS. Let us have a closer look at both career opportunities along with eligibility criteria and other details.

Career Opportunity in Defence through MNS

The Military Nursing Services - MNS exam is conducted annually by the Directorate General of Medical Services (DGMS) to select female applicants for admission to the 4-year B.Sc. (Nursing) course at the Armed Forces Medical Services Colleges of Nursing. Female aspirants who have passed or are appearing in 10+2 or equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology (Botany & Zoology) and English with not less than 50% aggregate marks are eligible to apply for the Military Nursing Service (MNS) Exam. 

The entry requirements for the MNS exam have changed, and candidates must now pass the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in order to be eligible to take the MNS exam. Under the new syllabus for the Military Nursing Service, candidates will now need to tackle five testing rounds, with NEET being a prerequisite for moving on. 

• National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)

• An 80-mark Test of General Intelligence and General English (ToGIGE) 

• An objective-type Psychological Assessment Test (PAT)

• The Interview Round 

• The Medical Examination

Overview of MNS Exam through NEET

MNS Participating Colleges

• AFMC Pune

• College of Nursing, CH, Kolkata

• College of Nursing, INHS Asvini

• College of Nursing, (R&R), New Delhi

• College of Nursing, CH, Lucknow

• College of Nursing, CH, Bangalore

MNS Exam Selection Process:

(a) Short listing through NEET (UGl Score): The registration numbers of the candidates who are shortlisted for screening at a designated venue based on NEET (UG) merit will be displayed at the website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in. The shortlisted candidates will be called for ToGlGE, PAT, Interview and Medical examination at a designated venue. The admit card for the same can be downloaded from www.ioinindianarmy.nic.in. 

(b) Verification of Documents: All shortlisted candidates will be required to produce all original documents as listed on the admit card at the time of the interview for verification. It is the responsibility of the candidate to be in possession of all original documents at the time of the Interview. The shortlisted candidates, if not in possession of documents as per eligibility criteria or at any stage of the selection process, will lead to disqualification from the selection process.

(c) Test of General Intelligence & General English (ToGlGE): The Test of General Intelligence & General English (ToGlGE) will be in the form of a Computer Based Test (CBT) consisting of 40 MCQs of two marks each for a maximum mark of 80. There will be negative marks of 0.5 for every incorrect answer. These 40 questions will be required to be answered in 30 mins.

(d) Psychological Assessment Test (PAT): The PAT is a qualifying examination and the score will not be considered for preparing the final merit list.

(e) Interview: The candidates will be interviewed by a Board of Officers at a designated venue.

(f) Medical Examination: All shortlisted candidates will undergo Special Medical Board (SMB) at a designated venue. Candidates who are declared FIT/UNFIT in the medical examination will be informed about their medical status, including the procedure of requesting for Appeal Medical Board by the President Special Medical Board.

Career Opportunity in Defence through AFMC MBBS

Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) Pune is a premier medical institute in India that serves as a Center of Excellence for medical education and research with assured career prospects in the defence services. AFMC Pune is affiliated with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik and is recognized by the National Medical Commission (NMC). Unlike the MNS exam, the AFMC MBBS course provides admission opportunities for both male and female aspirants. The College offers a golden career opportunity for defence aspirants to become medical officers in the armed forces through its MBBS course which lasts for 4 ½ years followed by compulsory rotating internship training of one year. 

• Candidates seeking admission for the MBBS course at AFMC Pune will have to mandatorily qualify for the NEET UG Examination.

• All unmarried Indian citizens between the age group of 17 to 24 years are eligible to apply for the MBBS course at AFMC Pune. 

• Both male and female aspirants should have passed the 10+2 exam with English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology with 60% aggregate marks in science subjects and 50% marks in English.

• All these three science subjects (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) should have been taken together with 50% marks in each of the science subjects.

Number of Seats in AFMC MBBS Course

A total of 145 medical cadets (115 boys & 30 girls) are admitted to the course. Moreover, 10 seats out of 145 are reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) subject to the provisions concerned. 

AFMC MBBS Selection Process

• Approximately 1600 candidates (1150 boys and 450 girls) are called for the screening as per the merit list prepared based on the NEET (UG) Score.

• The NEET roll numbers of the candidates who are shortlisted for the screening at AFMC, Pune based on merit will be displayed on the website. 

• The shortlisted candidates will be called for the Test of English Language, Comprehension, Logic and Reasoning (ToELR), Psychological Assessment Test (PAT), Interview and Medical Examination at AFMC, Pune.

• The marks obtained in ToELR will be added to the NEET UG  score. The final merit will be based on the final score thus obtained (Written examination score + Interview marks). PAT is a qualifying examination and PAT score will not be considered for preparing the final merit list.