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PCB streamEntrance: NEET UGMedicine (MBBS & specialisations)

Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who treat mental illness — depression, anxiety, addiction, schizophrenia and more — with therapy and medicines.

Class 11–12 subjectsPhysics, Chemistry, Biology

Entrance / admissionNEET UG / NEET PG

DegreeMBBS + MD Psychiatry

DurationAbout 8.5 years after Class 12MBBS + MD / MS

Your route, step by step

1Class 11–12: take PCBThe neural control chapters in Biology are the start; reading about psychology helps too. Prepare for boards and NEET UG together.
2NEET UG → MBBS · 5.5 years4.5 years of study plus a 1-year internship. Seats through MCC (all-India quota) and Tamil Nadu medical counselling.
3NEET PG → MD Psychiatry · 3 yearsThree years of training in wards, clinics and community mental health.
4Practise or sub-specialiseChild psychiatry, addiction, geriatric or forensic psychiatry.

What a psychiatrist does

Assess mood, thinking and behaviour
Diagnose mental illnesses
Prescribe medicines and provide therapy
Work with psychologists, counsellors and families

Entrance exams & admission

NEET UGFor the MBBS seat (conducted by NTA)
NEET PGMD / MS / DNB seats (conducted by NBEMS); 50% of government seats are all-India quota, 50% Tamil Nadu quota
INI-CETPG seats at AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER and NIMHANS

Where you may work

Psychiatry departments, mental health hospitals, de-addiction centres, medical colleges and your own practice.

Well-known colleges in and near Tamil Nadu

Institute of Mental Health, Chennai
Christian Medical College, Vellore
NIMHANS, Bengaluru

Official links

Exam / admissionNEET UG (National Testing Agency) (opens in a new tab)neet.nta.nic.in
Exam / admissionNEET PG, NEET SS & NEET MDS (NBEMS) (opens in a new tab)natboard.edu.in
Exam / admissionINI-CET — AIIMS, JIPMER and other national institutes (opens in a new tab)aiimsexams.ac.in
Exam / admissionMedical Counselling Committee (MCC) — all-India counselling (opens in a new tab)mcc.nic.in
Exam / admissionTamil Nadu Medical Selection Committee (DME) (opens in a new tab)tnmedicalselection.net
Official bodyNational Medical Commission (opens in a new tab)nmc.org.in
CollegeNIMHANS, Bengaluru (opens in a new tab)nimhans.ac.in

Links checked: Oct 2026. Always confirm dates and rules on the official site.

Outlook

Mental health awareness is rising fast and India has far too few psychiatrists, so demand is strong.

Specialise later

Child & adolescent psychiatry
Addiction psychiatry
Geriatric psychiatry
Consultation-liaison
Forensic psychiatry