Anatomy Abandoned The Hidden Crisis Threatening India's Medical Future

Posted by Dr. Ankit Sharma | Senior Resident, Anatomy | King George's Medical University, Lucknow.

Something deeply concerning is happening at the very heart of India’s top medical

institutions—and we’re not talking about rural colleges or private setups. This is AIIMS, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, long considered the apex of postgraduate medical education.

An RTI response confirmed that in the INI-CET January 2025 session, 48 postgraduate seats across various AIIMS institutes remained vacant even after the open round of counselling—an alarming statistic. Most shockingly, out of these:

🔹 29 seats were from MD Anatomy — making it the most unfilled specialty.

Let that sink in: even when offered openly, students are actively choosing not to take MD Anatomy. These are top-ranked students, eligible for the best institutes, and yet they are opting out of this core discipline. And this is only from INI-CET—we haven’t even started talking about NEET PG, where the numbers are likely worse.

This isn't just a number—it's a warning. A warning that preclinical subjects, especially Anatomy, are in a freefall, and the National Medical Commission (NMC) is doing little to nothing to address it. As a passionate anatomist, I feel compelled to speak up: we’re witnessing a collapse in the academic value and viability of one of medicine’s most foundational branches.

A Systemic LAP and LAG

The failure of MD Anatomy seat filling reflects two deep-rooted issues:

• LAP—Lack of Academic Planning

• LAG—Lack of Action for Growth

Despite expanding institutions and increasing seats, no incentives or progressive career pathways have been designed for students in Anatomy. The subject, once considered the gateway to medical knowledge, is now perceived as a dead end. Why? Because there’s no visible future beyond teaching, and even that is undercut by temporary fixes.

The Patchwork Fix: PhD + MSc

The National Medical Commission’s strategy to counter vacant MD seats? Hire MSc and PhD holders to fill faculty posts. This is a band-aid solution for a gaping wound.

While PhDs have academic value, they cannot replace the holistic medical perspective that an MD brings to anatomy education. Dissection halls and surgical relevance need clinicians. Replacing clinicians with pure academics may work in theory, but in practice, it is slowly diluting the clinical relevance of anatomy.

Why Are Students Avoiding MD Anatomy?

Let’s be brutally honest. Students are not opting for MD Anatomy because:

• There’s no clear clinical career path.

• There are no sub-specialty diplomas or fellowships.

• Financial growth is minimal compared to clinical branches.

• Curriculum remains theoretical, non-integrated, and outdated.

It’s not the subject that lacks charm—it’s the system that lacks vision.

What Happens If This Continues?

If we don’t act now:

• Anatomy departments will shrink.

• Non-clinical faculty will dominate UG teaching.

• The subject will lose its prestige, passion, and purpose.

• Medical graduates will enter clinics without deep anatomical grounding.

We’ll end up with institutions—but not with doctors who want to teach in them. That’s a systemic defect, and we’re already halfway there.