‘Low pay, low confidence, poor food, harassment’: Doctor exposes harsh reality of med school life

Aspiring doctors might want to brace themselves. In a widely-shared post on X, Dr Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist at Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad, issued a candid warning to future medical professionals: “Those dreaming of being future doctors should be aware of the harsh reality too.”

Dr Kumar pulled no punches as he laid out the gruelling path to a medical degree in India—from getting a seat to surviving the years that followed.

“Getting a seat for MBBS and PG is tough — it is a well-known fact. Years of preparation (studies) and lot of luck is needed to get a seat,” he wrote. Once in, the battle only intensifies.

“Medical studies are tough. There are many subjects, and all are vast. Most of what is taught during MBBS is theory and very little of practical,” he said, adding, “So, when you get your MBBS degree, you are very low in the confidence of managing real patients.”

Then comes residency. “You are required to work 24–36 hours at a stretch, and clocking 100 hours in a week is not unusual,” Dr. Kumar wrote. “Night duties are common, and you are needed to work on Sundays and during festivals.”

That’s not all. He pointed out that “living conditions in hostels may not be ideal,” while also highlighting the cost of private medical education and the weight of student loans. “Stipends during internship and residency are low,” he added. “Even after completing residency, starting salaries are low. So, you should prepare to live a frugal life at least for a decade after passing MBBS.”

“Stress and burnout are common among doctors,” he noted.

Calling for urgent reforms, Dr Kumar said, “Just because these adverse conditions have been there for the past several decades, one can not justify them today.” He urged transparency in MBBS fees, better hostel conditions, optimized work hours, higher stipends, and laws against harassment.

The post quickly struck a chord. One user responded, “The old feudal practices of making Residents do 36-hour shifts are archaic… The oppressed become oppressors.” Another added, “Everything is possible if they take doctors like you as inspiration.”