Which Medical Super-Specialties Were Most Competitive in NEET-SS 2025?
A closing rank alone cannot fully describe how competitive a super-specialty course was during counselling. A course may attract candidates with very strong ranks but also have allotments much farther down the rank list. Looking at opening rank, 25th-percentile rank, median rank, closing rank and allotment count together gives a more complete picture.
The supplied analysis covers 2,331 NEET-SS 2025 Medical Group Round 1 allotment records across 19 course labels. The full table below includes every label and metric in the attached PDF. Course labels follow the supplied analysis, including its distinctions between D.M. and DNBSS entries.
All 19 course labels, ranked by the comparative index
The index is a comparative heuristic, not an official NBEMS metric. Read it alongside the underlying rank distribution and number of allotments.
| S.No. | Course | Allotments | Opening rank | 25th-percentile rank | Median rank | Closing rank | Index / 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DNBSS Rheumatology | 34 | 8 | 191 | 338 | 1,214 | 97.8 |
| 2 | D.M. Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology | 52 | 10 | 88.8 | 232.5 | 2,514 | 94.7 |
| 3 | DNBSS Endocrinology | 52 | 86 | 466 | 641 | 2,616 | 85.8 |
| 4 | D.M. Endocrinology | 119 | 5 | 268.5 | 556 | 4,317 | 81.6 |
| 5 | D.M. Medical Gastroenterology | 225 | 11 | 214 | 461 | 4,801 | 81.3 |
| 6 | D.M. Nephrology | 191 | 12 | 688 | 1,148 | 4,761 | 68.9 |
| 7 | DNBSS Gastroenterology | 266 | 60 | 830.2 | 1,329.5 | 4,380 | 66.8 |
| 8 | D.M. Cardiology | 423 | 2 | 652.5 | 1,298 | 4,836 | 66.8 |
| 9 | D.M. Neurology | 286 | 66 | 871.2 | 1,675 | 4,810 | 60.1 |
| 10 | DNBSS Hematology | 47 | 7 | 1,155.5 | 1,801 | 4,771 | 56.8 |
| 11 | D.M. Hepatology | 30 | 605 | 1,412.8 | 2,281 | 4,401 | 48.2 |
| 12 | DNBSS Specialty Infectious Diseases | 10 | 1,019 | 1,983 | 2,534.5 | 3,487 | 43.3 |
| 13 | D.M. Clinical Haematology | 31 | 141 | 1,504 | 2,598 | 4,844 | 42.8 |
| 14 | DNBSS Neurology | 142 | 892 | 1,838 | 2,479 | 4,764 | 40.2 |
| 15 | D.M. Infectious Disease | 14 | 238 | 969 | 3,149 | 4,851 | 38.7 |
| 16 | DNBSS Nephrology | 174 | 326 | 1,853.2 | 2,764.5 | 4,866 | 37.5 |
| 17 | DNBSS Cardiology | 228 | 220 | 2,164.2 | 2,990 | 4,876 | 32.6 |
| 18 | D.M. Medical Genetics | 3 | 2,671 | 3,076 | 3,481 | 4,750 | 12.7 |
| 19 | DNBSS Medical Genetics | 4 | 3,314 | 3,693.5 | 3,920.5 | 4,507 | 1.5 |
Rank interpretation: smaller numerical ranks are better. The 25th-percentile rank reflects the stronger-ranked quarter of allotments; the median is the midpoint of the course’s allotted-rank distribution. Allotment counts are reported separately and do not directly add points to the index.
What stands out in the data?
Rheumatology and Endocrinology lead the index
DNBSS Rheumatology ranks first, with an index of 97.8 across 34 allotments. Its opening rank is 8, median rank 338 and closing rank 1,214. D.M. Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology ranks second with an index of 94.7, 52 allotments and median rank 232.5. These are distinct course labels in the source.
Both Endocrinology entries also appear near the top: DNBSS Endocrinology has an index of 85.8 and median rank 641, while D.M. Endocrinology has an index of 81.6 and median rank 556. Their closing ranks differ substantially, illustrating why a single cutoff does not summarise the full distribution.
Medical Gastroenterology, Nephrology and Cardiology
D.M. Medical Gastroenterology ranks fifth, with 225 allotments, median rank 461 and index 81.3. Keep it distinct from DNBSS Gastroenterology, which has 266 allotments, median rank 1,329.5 and index 66.8.
D.M. Nephrology ranks sixth with a median rank of 1,148 and index 68.9. D.M. Cardiology ranks eighth with 423 allotments, opening rank 2, median rank 1,298 and index 66.8. DNBSS Cardiology has a median rank of 2,990 and index 32.6. These numbers describe the rank patterns in this round; they do not establish that one route or specialty is universally better or more preferred.
Neurology and haematology
D.M. Neurology has 286 allotments, median rank 1,675 and index 60.1, while DNBSS Neurology has 142 allotments, median rank 2,479 and index 40.2. DNBSS Hematology has an index of 56.8 and median rank 1,801; D.M. Clinical Haematology has an index of 42.8 and median rank 2,598. The course labels are preserved as shown in the supplied analysis.
Hepatology and infectious diseases
D.M. Hepatology has 30 allotments, median rank 2,281 and index 48.2. DNBSS Specialty Infectious Diseases has only 10 allotments and an index of 43.3, while D.M. Infectious Disease has 14 allotments and an index of 38.7. Because both infectious-disease labels have fewer than 20 allotments, their exact index positions should be treated as low-confidence comparisons.
Medical Genetics: small samples limit conclusions
D.M. Medical Genetics has three allotments and DNBSS Medical Genetics has four. They rank 18th and 19th by this index, respectively, but such small samples can be shifted substantially by a few candidates. Their positions should not be interpreted as definitive evidence of low preference or low specialty value.
How the comparative index was calculated
The index combines four rank measures with the following weights:
- 50% median-rank score
- 25% 25th-percentile-rank score
- 15% closing-rank score
- 10% opening-rank score
Each rank metric is min–max normalised across the 19 course labels, so the best (lowest) rank value scores 100 and the worst (highest) scores 0. The weighted scores are then combined. The source analysis uses NumPy’s linear interpolation convention for percentile values. Allotment count is reported separately and does not directly add points to the index.
This measures observed rank-based competitiveness in Round 1, not pure candidate preference. Seat availability, institution choices, eligibility and counselling strategy influence the results. The index does not measure specialty quality, future income, lifestyle or later-round cutoffs.
The supplied analysis treats courses with fewer than 20 allotments as low-confidence for precise ranking. When scores are close, compare the median rank, 25th percentile and sample size rather than relying on index order alone.
What should candidates take away?
- Look beyond the closing rank. Median rank and the 25th percentile provide more context.
- Check sample size. Results based on three or four allotments are less stable than results based on hundreds.
- Compare course labels carefully. D.M. and DNBSS entries may show different rank distributions even in related areas.
- Do not choose a specialty by index alone. Training quality, case exposure, institute, career plans, lifestyle and personal fit are not measured here.
- Treat this as one-round evidence. Round 1 allotments are not a permanent ranking or a prediction of future cutoffs.
The bottom line
In the supplied NEET-SS 2025 Medical Group Round 1 analysis, DNBSS Rheumatology and D.M. Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology lead the composite index, followed by DNBSS and D.M. Endocrinology and D.M. Medical Gastroenterology. The complete table includes all 19 course labels, with the rank statistics and allotment counts needed to interpret the index cautiously.
Source: user-provided “NEET-SS 2025 — Medical Group, Round 1 allotments • Course competitiveness analysis” PDF, pages 1–2. Course labels and statistics follow that supplied analysis. The composite index is a comparative heuristic, not an official NBEMS metric.