The 2.5-Year Senior Residency Crossroads: A Tale of Three Top Institutes, Loneliness, and the Reality of Money
- Ankit Sharma
- Jul 19
- 4 min read
It has been exactly two years and six months of my Senior Residency (SR-ship). If you are in medical academia, you know that this is the home stretch—the final phase before you transition into a permanent faculty role. But as I stand here with just six months left, I find myself at a massive crossroads, completely torn between institutional prestige and financial reality.
Looking back, this journey has been a whirlwind across three of the most prominent medical ecosystems in India. I always harbored a deep professional dream to work within the central institute ecosystem. Having now checked that box at two top-tier national powerhouses, I've realized that even at the apex of Indian medicine, the working styles and institutional cultures can be worlds apart.
The Journey: KGMU to PGI to AIIMS
My SR-ship started with two years at KGMU, Lucknow. It was my bond period, so staying there wasn't a choice, but it gave me a solid foundation.
Once that wrapped up, I wanted to push my boundaries and step into the big leagues. I moved north to PGIMER, Chandigarh, where I spent two and a half months. PGI is a legendary institution, consistently holding the prestigious Top 2 slot in the All India rankings right after AIIMS Delhi. Because there are no MBBS students there, it is an entirely unique environment for an anatomist. I found myself as the only Senior Resident in the department, surrounded by tutors and highly experienced faculty.
The operational style at PGI is heavily, intensely focused on research. The academic ecosystem there is elite, particularly regarding postgraduate teaching for MS General Surgery and MDS students. Instead of just standing by a table and pointing at a pre-dissected structure, it was true skill teaching. The department had masterfully preserved multiple specimens (like 4 to 5 unique mandible specimens for a single class) that allowed students to understand structural variations deeply. We were either guiding PGs through live, active dissections or approaching complex structures right then and there. Combine that with a high-functioning molecular lab buzzing with 15 to 16 PhD scholars and sharp journal clubs, and PGI proved to be an unmatched environment for pure academic and research growth.
But academia isn't everything. Culturally, I struggled. There was no toxicity or negativity—the faculty was incredibly supportive—but after college hours, the lack of a resident peer group left me intensely lonely. I tried to make close friends, and while people were friendly enough to talk to during work, everyone scattered once the clock struck evening. No one was available after hours. If you aren't local or don't have a family setup there, the isolation hits hard. I realized I was doing absolutely nothing with my life outside the hospital walls. It simply wasn't for me, so I found my way out.
That brought me to AIIMS Jodhpur, where I have been since April 10. As an autonomous central institute, AIIMS operates on an entirely different functionality. While PGI eats and breathes research, AIIMS Jodhpur is heavily focused on the core art of teaching, driven by an excellent, highly experienced faculty. Research happens here too, of course, but if I'm being transparent, it isn't at par with the massive research machine at PGI.
Professionally, it has been an eventful, meaningful look into how a top-tier national institute runs its day-to-day operations—balancing Dissection Hall (DH) management, histology labs, table demonstrations, and case discussions with a very bright batch of MBBS students.
The Jodhpur Saving Grace: Community & Cricket
More importantly, AIIMS Jodhpur gave me the human connection I desperately lacked in Chandigarh. With a tight-knit team of around 10 JRs, SRs, and tutors, the environment here is collaborative and warm.
But beyond the department walls, something else completely transformed my experience here, and I don't care if people don't count this as "professional experience"—it mattered immensely to my well-being. I got deeply plugged into the cricket culture.
The cricket scene among the medicos here in Jodhpur is absolutely phenomenal. It gave me an immediate, active outlet after working hours and helped me bond with people on a level that went way deeper than just talking shop in the corridors. It truly added to my love for this place and saved me from the after-hours burnout. It reminded me that who you work with, and what you do after the white coat comes off, matters just as much as where you work.
The Big Dilemma: The Leap of Faith vs. The Last 6 Months
Now, the 2.5-year mark has brought me to a massive question: Do I finish my remaining six months of SR-ship (either here at AIIMS if selected, or elsewhere), or do I take a leap of faith and join a private medical college as an Assistant Professor (AP)?
If I am being completely transparent—yes, money is the major factor here.
I have given years of intense, grueling effort to these premier institutions, and the amount of money I have saved up to this point is next to nothing. There is a common narrative in medicine that "money shouldn't matter in the early stages," but I want to correct that mindset. Money does matter. Financial stability and feeling rewarded for your years of labor matter.
Adding to the confusion is the wording in various AIIMS selection criteria. Many advertisements explicitly state a requirement for "three years of teaching experience"—not strictly defining it as SR-ship or AP-ship, just teaching and research experience. If they only need post-MD teaching experience, technically, with my background, I might already cross that threshold if counted broadly.
Yet, the anxiety remains:
Should I grind out the final 6 months as a resident to ensure my bureaucratic timeline is 100% airtight for central government institutions in the future?
Or do I prioritize my financial health right now, leave the residency ecosystem, and step into a paid Assistant Professor role in the private sector?
I’ve spoken to numerous colleagues, and every single person operates on a different ideology and perception, leaving me even more stuck in my own head.
To my fellow medics, residents, and seniors reading this: I need your raw insight. Have you faced a similar choice between institutional backing and immediate financial growth? How strictly do central institutes evaluate the "3-year experience" rule if it's split between roles?
Drop your suggestions, experiences, and advice in the comments below. I could really use the perspective right now.
Tags- Senior Residency, AIIMS, PGIMER, KGMU, GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE, DOCTOR, ANATOMY, MEDICAL COLLEGE
Comments