The MBBS course was designed to transform learners into efficient medical professionals. Since medicine can never be learned in isolation, the course begins with the basic sciences and proceeds to clinical subjects.

Therefore, having a clear understanding of the MBBS syllabus and subject distribution is essential from the start. It helps students gain some knowledge of what they are facing and reduces confusion and stress associated with academics.

Keep reading to learn more about the comprehensive list of MBBS subjects and the syllabus and textbooks associated with them.

What is the MBBS Syllabus and Subjects Structure?

The MBBS course is of 5.5 years, including semesters and three phases, and hence, students cannot directly enter into practicals and must develop robust basics first. It comprises 19 subjects, categorised into core and elective streams, which ensures a well-rounded development of a medical professional.

The course structure for the MBBS programs includes the establishment of a sound foundation in medical science and the subsequent exposure to clinical practice. The course consists of a total of 5.5 years; this refers to the study period of 4.5 years and also includes a mandatory single-year internship at a hospital.

The MBBS course structure follows a semester pattern with each semester lasting 6 months. The MBBS curriculum is divided into 3 phases: the Pre-Clinical phase, the Para-Clinical phase, and the Clinical phase, which together deliver education in 19 disciplines. The curriculum also divides study topics into core and elective courses.

What are the 19 Subjects of MBBS?

The MBBS course structure also contains a list of 19 subjects that need to be covered during the entire duration of the course. The subjects are divided into several phases and semesters.

The 19 subjects for MBBS are:

1. Anatomy
2. Biochemistry
3. Physiology
4. Pathology
5. Pharmacology
6. Microbiology
7. Community Medicine
8. Forensic Medicine and Toxicology
9. ENT (Otorhinolaryngology)
10. Ophthalmology
11. Psychiatry
12. Dermatology and Venereology
13. Pediatrics
14. Orthopaedics
15. Obstetrics and Gynaecology
16. Anesthesiology
17. Medicine
18. Surgery
19. Clinical postings in Wards and OPDs

What are the Elective Subjects in MBBS?

Elective subjects taught in MBBS programs orient a student to a particular area of medicine, in addition to his/her core training. The elective subjects that are considered in the MBBS syllabus are:

• Psychiatry
• Anaesthesia
• Radio-diagnosis
• Blood Bank & Transfusion
• Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

What is the Phase-Wise MBBS Subject List?

The MBBS curriculum is structured in 3 phases: Pre-Clinical, Para-Clinical, and Clinical.  This allows students to move seamlessly from learning the basics to studying diseases and disorders, helping them acquire practical clinical knowledge rather than mere classroom learning.

The list of MBBS subjects is segregated into three distinct phases. This ensures that the students are able to lay a strong foundation first and only then move on to disease-oriented subjects, and finally develop hands-on clinical skills.

As all phases are connected, students cannot skip or rush any phase. The phases in the MBBS syllabus include:

• Pre-Clinical Phase: 1 year
• Para-Clinical Phase: 1 year
• Clinical Phase: 2.5 years

The phase-wise subject list for MBBS is given in the table below:

Phase	Core Subjects
Pre-Clinical Phase	Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry
Para-Clinical Phase	Pathology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Forensic Medicine, Community Medicine
Clinical Phase	Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology (ENT), Orthopaedics, Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Psychiatry, Anaesthesiology, Radiology

These are the 19 MBBS subjects studied by students during this course. Every stage is based on a certain aspect of MBBS education; thus, students are not burdened with everything right from the initial stages.

What is the Phase-Wise Exam Pattern for MBBS?

The MBBS course has a structured system of exams that test not only theoretical concepts but also practical skills.

• Each semester typically takes about 6 months, with 120 teaching days
• Mid-semester, end-semester, and clinical posting assessments
• Internal evaluations are allotted 50% weightage in both theory and practical/clinical exams
• After successful completion of all academic stages, there is a 1-year compulsory rotatory internship that students must participate in

This phase-wise system ensures a smooth transition from textbooks to patients. It also enables students to apply the knowledge they have gained in practical settings, and therefore, they can face the realities of medical practice.

Since the process is gradual, students don’t base their knowledge solely on memorisation, as they also need to develop clinical acumen.

What is the Semester or Year-Wise MBBS Subject List?

The MBBS program follows a clear year- and semester-wise structure, so students move gradually from basic sciences to advanced clinical subjects without being overwhelmed. Since clinical postings run alongside academics from early years, students can’t skip any stage and can strengthen their understanding of patient care.

The MBBS program is designed on a yearly and semester basis to provide a seamless transition from basic sciences to clinical work. Concepts are introduced incrementally to allow students to gather knowledge layer by layer without burdening them at a very early stage of their academic journey.

 In this way, since a particular academic year defines a particular phase of learning, things cannot be skipped in a particular stage by students. During the MBBS course, clinical postings also take place simultaneously, thus ensuring early practical exposure to hospitals.

This enables them to apply what they have learnt and thus enhances their understanding of clinical subjects.

What are the MBBS Subjects in the 1st Year?

The first year of MBBS is based on pre-clinical courses. These courses are considered basics in MBBS. Pre-clinical subjects provide adequate information on how the human body is structured and functions.

MBBS Subject	Description
Anatomy	Microanatomy, Embryology, and Genetics
Biochemistry	Molecular Biology, Biological Cells, Hormones, Metabolic Pathways, Enzymes
Physiology	General Physiology, Gastrointestinal System, Cardiovascular System, Respiratory System

What are the MBBS Subjects in the 2nd Year?

The second year encompasses para-clinical subjects, marking the onset of exposure to clinics. The students are also permitted to visit the posting and OPDs, making the learning process more practical.

MBBS Subject	Description
Community Medicine	Community infections, endemic and pandemic diseases, statistical analysis, and disease prevalence
Pharmacology	General pharmacology, drug dosages, drug formulations, and drug calculations
Pathology	General pathology, systemic pathology, practical pathology
Microbiology	Bacteriology, virology, sterilisation, vaccines, and host-parasite relationships
Forensic Medicine and Toxicology	Forensic medicine, toxicology
Clinical Postings (Inwards)	12 weeks of clinical postings focused on community medicine
OPD	Exposure to outpatient care for patients not admitted as inpatients

What are the MBBS Subjects in the 3rd Year?

The third year involves key clinical topics and community-based learning in healthcare. At this point, students are confident with patient interaction.

MBBS Subject	Description
Community Medicine	Population health and services provided at primary healthcare centres
ENT (Otorhinolaryngology)	Disorders of the ear, nose, throat, head, and neck
Ophthalmology	Diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders

What are the MBBS Subjects in the Final Year?

The last year has been more clinically focused and has concentrated on the important specialities. The learning now incorporates the knowledge from the previous years because it is now centred on patient care.

MBBS Subjects	Description
Psychiatry	Psychiatric disorders, behavioural sciences, cognitive processes, OCD
Dermatology and Venereology	Skin diseases and venereal diseases
Paediatrics	Diseases of infants and children
Anesthesiology	Cannulation, airway insertion techniques
Orthopaedics	Orthopaedic neurology, paediatric orthopaedics, spine disorders, fractures
Obstetrics and Gynaecology	Obstetrics, gynaecology, neonatology, contraception

What are the Popular MBBS Books and Authors?

MBBS students have access to a wide range of textbooks that cover both theoretical concepts and clinical applications. These books are widely recommended because they explain concepts clearly and align well with the syllabus.

The selection of textbooks is important because students cannot read all textbooks simultaneously; rather, they have to rely on credible sources.

Thus, the books and authors mentioned below have been regarded as common textbooks of most Indian medical universities.

Popular MBBS Books (General Recommendations)

The general recommendations for MBBS books are given below:

Book Name	Author
Grey’s Anatomy	Richard L. Drake, Wayne Vogl, Adam W.M. Mitchell
Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology	Arthur C. Guyton, John E. Hall
Harper’s Illustrated Biochemistry	Robert K. Murray et al.

Subject-Wise Popular MBBS Books and Authors

The subject-wise popular MBBS Books that most students read are given below:

Subject	Book Name	Author
Anatomy	Cunningham’s Manual of Practical Anatomy (Vol I–III)	G.L. Romanes
	Textbook of Human Histology	Inderbir Singh
	Medical Embryology	Jan Langman
	The Human Nervous System: An Anatomical View Point	Murray L. Barr & Kiernan
	Surface and Radiological Anatomy	A. Halim
	Thomson and Thomson Genetics in Medicine	Robert L. Nussbaum et al.
Biochemistry	Principles of Biochemistry	Lehninger, Nelson & Cox
	Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry	Burtis & Ashwood
Physiology	Understanding Medical Physiology	R.L. Bijlani
	Review of Medical Physiology	W.F. Ganong
Forensic Medicine	Essentials of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology	K.S.N. Reddy
	Principles of Forensic Medicine	Apurba Nandy
Microbiology	Medical Microbiology	Greenwood, Slack & Peutherer
	Jawetz, Melnick & Adelberg’s Medical Microbiology	Geo F. Brooks et al.
Pathology	Textbook of Pathology	Harsh Mohan
	Pathological Basis of Disease	Robbins
Pharmacology	Goodman & Gilman’s Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics	Goodman & Gilman
	Basic & Clinical Pharmacology	Bertram G. Katzung
Community Medicine	Textbook of Preventive Medicine	Park
	Methods in Biostatistics	B.K. Mahajan
Medicine	Principles of Internal Medicine	Harrison
	Principles and Practice of Medicine	Davidson
Surgery	Short Practice of Surgery	Bailey & Love
Pediatrics	Essentials of Pediatrics	O.P. Ghai et al.
Obstetrics & Gynaecology	Textbook of Obstetrics for Undergraduates	V.L. Bhargava
Orthopaedics	Outlines of Orthopaedics	Crawford Adams
ENT	Textbook of ENT	Logan Turner
Ophthalmology	Clinical Ophthalmology	Kanski
Psychiatry	Textbook on Psychiatry	Neeraj Ahuja

Popular MBBS Books in AIIMS

At AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), the learning atmosphere is quite tough and competitive. The students are expected to use text guides with very comprehensive and clinical conceptual knowledge.

The following are the recommended text guides used by AIIMS students for preparation of MBBS entrance exams:

Book Name	Author
Understanding Medical Physiology	R.L. Bijlani
Essentials of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology (21st Edition)	K.S.N. Reddy
Textbook of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology	Krishan Vij
Medical Microbiology	Greenwood, Slack & Peutherer

FAQs about the MBBS Subject List

1. What is the pattern of the 5.5-year MBBS course?

The duration of the MBBS program is 5.5 years, with the last year as an internship, which is compulsory. The next 4.5 years involve classroom sessions and practical training. During this time, the student undergoes several sets of written tests, practical evaluations, and clinical evaluations.

2. Which books should be followed in the 2nd year of MBBS?

The second year of MBBS deals with para-clinical and early clinical subjects. It is relevant to pay attention to proper textbook selection for these subjects. Students cannot merely depend on class notes and have to stick to standard reference books.

Below are some of the top MBBS books for 2nd year students:

• Robbins Basic Pathology by Vinay Kumar
• Guyton & Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology by John E. Hall
• Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine by Dennis L. Kasper
• Clinical Medicine Parveen Kumar & Michael L. Clark
• Pharmacology by K.D. Tripath

3. What is the importance of research in the MBBS syllabus?

Research is an integral part of the MBBS syllabus, as it enhances critical thinking skills in students. It also increases clinical knowledge and helps in practising evidence-based medicine.

As new advancements are taking place in modern medicine on a constant basis, students cannot be dependent on conventional learning patterns alone.

4. What is the internship period for MBBS students?

The MBBS course is spread over 5.5 years, out of which the final year is dedicated to internship, which is compulsory. Qualified doctors supervise students during their internship.

They are involved in diagnosing, treating, and taking care of the patients, hence acquiring direct practical knowledge. The internship acts as a link between academics and independent practice.

5. How many subjects are there in the entire MBBS course?

The student is required to study a total of 19 basic subjects. The subjects encompass a broad curriculum of different areas in the medical field, from basic sciences to specialities.

Attending classes for each subject is essential, as each one of them contributes to a different area of expertise in providing medical care.

Conclusion

Understanding the entire MBBS syllabus and subject pattern is crucial for every medical student, as it is the blueprint of their entire medical journey. Therefore, knowing the subjects and books for each year helps plan accordingly and avoid unnecessary academics.
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