How to Become a Doctor: A Step-by-Step Guide with Expert Tips
Want to know how to become a doctor? Take PCM in school, clear the NEET-UG, get an MBBS degree from a recognised university, and get a valid license to practice. There are a lot of students from India who want to become a doctor in the future, and want to learn the detail that entails for becoming a medical professional. To be a doctor, Indian students have to be prepared early on from their higher secondary education. It takes a lot of time to become a successful doctor and require a lot of hard work and dedication. Keep reading further to learn more about the steps in becoming a doctor.Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Doctor for Indian Students
To know more about how to become a doctor, read carefully and follow the steps below:
Choosing PCB in High School
The journey to becoming a doctor begins from high school by choosing the PCB stream. Physics, chemistry, and biology must be the core subjects and maths is optional.
Prepare for the Entrace Exam
The next step is to successfully do the medical entrance exam preparation for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test: a mandatory exam for all medical aspirants.
Appear For and Clear the Exam
Visit the allotted examinaton center conducting NEET 2026 and clear the exam, at least with qualifying marks. The NEET exam is a part of how to become a doctor.
Apply to an University for MBBS
After NEET-UG 2026, the next step is to select the university for an MBBS. Either studying within India or abroad, look for affordable MBBS universities if there are financial constraints.
Completed the MBBS Graduation
If Indian students are pursuing an MBBS within India or choose to study medicine in Russia, complete the graduation requirements by following the designed curriculum for a particular duration that is applicable to the country. For example, an MBBS in Egypt is of 7 years in Egypt.
Get a Valid License to Practice
The final step in how to become a doctor involves getting a valid state to practice your medicine within India on a legal level. Whatever career options after MBBS, a student must register with the State Medical Council or the National Medical Commission (NMC) of India, and clear the licensing exam in India, FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduate Examination) or NeXT (National Exit Test, which is yet to be implemented in India).
Study MBBS Abroad: A Popular Option for Indian Students
Over 24 lakh students prepare for the NEET exam to get admission in the public universities of India as a part of how to become a doctor. In NEET 2025, the tough competition led to a slump of cut-off score from 720 in 2024 to 686 in 2025. On the other hand, private universities charge higher fees and often have complicated procedures to get admission that makes it difficult for Indian students to pursue an MBBS degree without challenges. As a result, about 25 to 30 thousand students from India choose to study MBBS abroad.
Summary
Becoming a doctoral student first begins with choosing the right educational stream in your high school during the higher secondary education with PCB, followed by clearing the NEET 2025 exam, getting an MBBS degree from a well-recognized university, and validating your legal status within India to practice medicine. In know how to become a doctor for Indian students is a trial that they have to go through and it is tough. One of the biggest challenges in pursuing the MBBS for Indian medical aspirtants is finding the admission in an university.
Education Vibes is helping students to find admission by guiding them with the entire process, from beginning to end: selecting the university till you are in the university! Register now to begin your journey of MBBS abroad with EducationVibes.