What To Do If I Can’t Crack NEET Entrance Exam?

While NEET is important for medical studies, there are various other career options that can be accessed without NEET

For students who want to pursue undergraduate medical courses like MBBS, NEET is the primary gateway. Short for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, NEET is the national level entrance test for medical studies, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Getting an MBBS seat in government and private colleges can be challenging due to limited availability. Only up to 5% of students who take the NEET test actually secure an MBBS seat.

Of course, one can try multiple times, since NEET does not have a limit on the number of attempts. But if you want your career to move faster, there are alternative options available. Let us take a look at what you can do if you are not able to crack the NEET entrance exam.

Consider MBBS abroad

With India’s huge population, it can be challenging to secure an MBBS seat in the country. However, you always have the option to complete your MBBS at an overseas location. But for this, you will need to have the required budget. You will have to manage the college fees and charges and also your living expenses.

If you do not have funds, you can probably apply for an education loan. Doing an MBBS in countries like Russia, Ukraine, China, Philippines or Georgia will not require you to qualify for NEET. When studying MBBS abroad, it is highly recommended that you learn the local language.

Options with lower NEET cutoff

If you are unable to secure an MBBS seat in any government or private college, you can try options that have lower NEET cutoff. These options include BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), BAMS (Ayurveda), BHMS (Homeopathy), BUMS (Unani), Veterinary Science (BVSc) and Nursing (B.Sc. Nursing). With an increasing number of patients looking at alternative medicine, there is significant demand for Ayurveda doctors. This also comes under the AYUSH ministry, which means your degree is backed by the government.

Medical careers that do not require NEET

If you are not eligible for even a low NEET cutoff score, there are still plenty of options. For example, you can take up B.Sc. in Allied Health Sciences. This will allow access to career opportunities such as B.Sc. radiology, anesthesia technology, optometry, medical lab technology, etc. Other career options include Physiotherapy (BPT), Pharmacy (B.Pharm), Occupational Therapy, Biotechnology/Biomedical Science and Public Health (BPH).

Other options

There are various other career options you can pursue in the medical field. For example, you can do certification courses in paramedical fields such as ECG technician, dialysis technician, etc. IF you are ready for it, you can also explore entrepreneurial opportunities across healthcare, edtech and biotech domains.