According to officials, except for two clinical seats ,MD Radiation Oncology (government quota) at Sree Moongambikai Medical College and one diploma seat in Clinical Pathology at Christian Medical College Vellore — the remaining vacancies were largely in pre-clinical and para-clinical disciplines. These include subjects such as anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, forensic medicine, and community medicine.
Stray Round Counselling Outcome
The state selection committee had opened the stray round of counselling with 380 vacant PG medical seats. However, by the end of the process, only 236 seats were allotted due to a shortage of applicants.
“All seats in government colleges were filled,” said selection committee secretary Dr V Lokanayaki. She clarified that government quota and management seats in self-financing colleges and state private universities — mostly in non-clinical courses — continue to remain vacant.
Officials indicated that these seats are likely to remain unfilled unless the National Medical Commission permits an additional round of counselling.
NEET-PG and Revised Qualifying Cut-Off
Admissions to PG medical courses are based on merit in the NEET-PG examination. The three-and-a-half-hour computer-based test consists of 200 multiple-choice questions, each carrying four marks, with a negative marking of one mark for every incorrect response.
For the 2025–26 academic session, the National Board of Examinations lowered the qualifying cut-off scores in an effort to fill vacant seats nationwide. The revised qualifying marks were reduced to 103 out of 800 for candidates in the general category and 40 out of 800 for candidates belonging to SC, ST, and OBC categories.
The objective was to fill over 9,000 vacant PG seats across India, including clinical branches in central and state-run institutions.
Low Scores, Fee Cuts, Yet Seats Unfilled
In Tamil Nadu, candidates with scores as low as 9 out of 800 were reportedly allotted seats after the third round of counselling. Despite such relaxed cut-offs, some candidates chose not to join the courses they had selected.
In addition to lowered qualifying marks, several colleges reduced tuition fees, with some institutions even offering courses at zero tuition cost. However, these incentives failed to significantly improve seat occupancy in non-clinical streams.
Senior doctors and academic experts attribute the lack of interest to limited career prospects in certain disciplines. “Job opportunities for non-clinical courses such as anatomy are largely restricted to teaching roles,” said Dr Edwin Joe, former Director of Medical Education.
Career Prospects Drive Preferences
The current trend suggests that most aspirants prefer clinical specialisations that offer direct patient care roles and comparatively better income prospects. Non-clinical and para-clinical branches, though academically significant, are often perceived as having limited employment avenues outside academic institutions.
Unless regulatory authorities allow an additional counselling round, the 144 vacant seats may remain unfilled this academic year — a situation that raises broader questions about workforce planning, medical education demand, and the alignment between seat allocation and student preferences.