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Oncologist

Oncologists are medical doctors who diagnose, treat and manage patients with cancer through medicines, surgery or radiation and supportive care. In India this requires an MBBS followed by specialist postgraduate degrees (MD/DM/MS/MCh/DNB) or a research pathway (MSc/PhD) for non-clinical roles. Work spans hospitals, cancer centres and research institutes with growing demand nationwide.

Salary range
₹7–40 LPA
Job growth
very high
Work type
Hospital
Paths to entry
3 routes

Actions for your grade

  • Continue solidifying PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) concepts and practise problem-solving.
  • Attend career talks or hospital open days to see clinical environments.
  • Develop study discipline and time management for competitive exam preparation later.

Your complete path from Grade 10 to Oncologist

Every step you need — from now to your first job.

MBBS → Medical Oncology (clinical)
Science

After MBBS, postgraduate entrance (NEET-PG/DM/DNB entrance) is required to specialise in oncology.

  1. Now
    Science Stream
  2. Exams
    NEET UG
  3. Degree
    MBBS (5.5 years including internship) → MD/DM in Medical Oncology or DNB (3+ years)
  4. Colleges
    AIIMS Delhi · Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai · Christian Medical College Vellore
  5. Career
    Oncologist
MBBS → Surgical Oncology
Science

Surgical oncologists focus on operative management; additional fellowship experience is common.

  1. Now
    Science Stream
  2. Exams
    NEET UG
  3. Degree
    MBBS → MS (General Surgery) → MCh in Surgical Oncology or DNB (total ~8–12 years)
  4. Colleges
    AIIMS Delhi · Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai · Christian Medical College Vellore
  5. Career
    Oncologist
BSc/MSc → Cancer Research (non-clinical)
Science

Research oncologists do lab or translational research and do not provide direct clinical care unless holding medical qualifications.

  1. Now
    Science Stream
  2. Exams
    CUET UG
  3. Degree
    BSc (3 years) → MSc/Integrated M.Sc (2 years) → PhD in Cancer Biology or Molecular Oncology (3–5 years)
  4. Colleges
    Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru · Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Mumbai · Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai
  5. Career
    Oncologist

Entrance exams

ExamEligibilityDifficultyWindow
NEET UG
NTA
Class 12 PCB, 50%+Very HardMay
CUET UG
NTA
Class 12 (any stream)MediumMay-Jun

Where to Study

Institutes known to offer this career pathway in India.

AIIMS Delhi
AIIMS New Delhi
Central GovtNew Delhi, Delhi
AIIMS Allied Health ExamAIIMS CBT
Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai
Christian Medical College Vellore
Maulana Azad Medical College Delhi
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh
Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Mumbai
National Centre For Cell Science Pune
Recommendations only — verify eligibility, seat availability, and admission rules from official portals before applying.