Medtech degrees after MBBS: Roadmap for medical professionals

If you are a MBBS student and thinking of making a career in the exciting and upcoming field of health tech and AI, adding a professional degree to your resume makes it appealing for the industry leaders looking to hire the best talents in healthcare AI. Your skills, experience and degrees determine your market value in Healthcare AI sector

Program	Institutes	Duration	Exam scores required	Stipend	Brochure Link
MMST	IIT-KGP	3 years	None	Rs 25,000/ month	IIT-Kgp
MTech Biomedical Engineering	IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Jodhpur	2 years	GATE Score/ NEET-PG or INICET qualifying marks	Rs 12,500/ month	IITD, IITB, IITH, IITJ
MS (Research)	IIT Delhi	2–3 years	NEET-PG or INICET qualifying marks	Honorarium from project funds (amount unclear)	MS(R)

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1. MMST (Master in Medical Science and Technology) – IIT Kharagpur

Overview:

• Offered by: School of Medical Science and Technology (SMST), IIT Kharagpur
• Duration: 3 years (full-time)
• Eligibility: Only for MBBS graduates (recognized by MCI/NMC)
• Unique Edge: The only program in India designed to transform MBBS graduates into interdisciplinary innovators by integrating engineering and medical sciences.

Curriculum Highlights:

• Biomedical instrumentation
• Medical imaging
• Data science and AI in medicine
• Tissue engineering & nanotechnology
• Clinical exposure + Engineering labs + Research thesis

Career/Research Path:

• Health-tech R&D
• Digital health startups
• PhD abroad (biomedical/AI in medicine)
• Medical device innovation
• Public health technology policymaking (NITI Aayog, WHO, etc.)

Entrance Exam:

• GATE is not required.
• Admission is through an institute-specific test and interview conducted by IIT-KGP.

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2. M.Tech in Biomedical Engineering

Overview:

• Duration: 2 years
• Eligibility: Varies by institute. Some IITs/NITs allow MBBS graduates if they clear GATE in Life Sciences (XL) or qualify NEET-PG/INICET
• Institutes offering it: IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, NITs, BITS Pilani, Manipal, etc.

Curriculum Highlights:

• AI/ML for medical diagnosis
• Biomedical instrumentation
• Signal and image processing
• Biomechanics
• Medical sensors and wearable devices

Career Path:

• Medical device R&D
• AI-based diagnostics
• Pharma R&D
• Academia/PhD

Notes for MBBS Grads:

• Either of GATE score/ NEET-PG/ INICET scorecards are mandatory for applying to this
• Some institutes (e.g., IIT Madras through HTRA) may consider MBBS with sufficient background in life sciences/maths.

Admission:

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3. MS (Research) in Biomedical/Medical Engineering

Overview:

• Duration: 2–3 years
• Mode: Research-intensive, like a mini-PhD
• Institutes: IIT Madras, IISc, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, etc.
• Eligibility: MBBS holders are eligible at some institutes (subject to research proposal/interview).

Focus Areas:

• Precision medicine
• AI in radiology/pathology
• Implant design
• Computational biology
• Rehab and assistive devices

Advantages:

• Strong research experience
• Pathway to a PhD (India or abroad)
• Eligible for high-end R&D roles in med-tech firms or research labs

• GATE may be waived off if you have MBBS + a good SOP/research proposal.
• Interview-based selection.

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Which to Choose?

If you are…	Consider
More clinically trained but want a soft pivot into medical technology and innovation	MMST
Want a professional engineering degree	M.Tech in Biomedical Engineering
Want to do deep research in a specific niche, possibly a stepping stone to PhD	MS (Research)