AIIMS PG is conducted independently by AIIMS for admission to MD/MS/MDS/DM/MCh programs at all AIIMS institutes, whereas NEET PG is the national entrance for all other PG medical admissions in India. AIIMS PG uses a CBT format with random subject allocation, where candidates receive a unique set of questions from randomized subjects, making each paper different. AIIMS PG is considered extremely competitive given the limited AIIMS seats and the prestigious nature of an AIIMS PG degree. NEET PG has now been merged with other exams for most government medical colleges, but AIIMS continues to conduct its own entrance.

AIIMS offers MD/MS programs in a wide range of specializations including General Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Anesthesia, Orthopedics, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, ENT, Radiodiagnosis, Radiotherapy, Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Anatomy, Pharmacology, and Community Medicine. AIIMS New Delhi has the most seats and widest range of specializations. Seats in clinical specializations like Radiodiagnosis, Dermatology, and Ophthalmology are extremely competitive, while basic science specializations have relatively lower cutoffs.

AIIMS PG students receive a monthly stipend that is among the highest for government medical PG programs in India. As of recent revisions, Junior Residents (1st year) receive approximately Rs. 95,000-1,00,000 per month, with increments in subsequent years. Senior Residents after MD/MS can earn Rs. 1,20,000 or more per month at AIIMS. In addition to stipend, PG students receive accommodation in AIIMS hostels, free or subsidized meals in the mess, and access to all AIIMS facilities. The AIIMS stipend is significantly higher than most state government and private medical college PG stipends.

AIIMS PG preparation requires comprehensive revision of all 19 subjects (Pre-clinical, Para-clinical, and Clinical) from MBBS, as the CBT randomly allocates subject combinations. High-yield topics across all subjects must be covered. Use standard references like Harrison's for Medicine, Nelson's for Pediatrics, Bailey & Love for Surgery, and subject-specific books. Solve 10+ years of AIIMS PG previous papers and comprehensive PG question banks. Take regular subject-wise and full-length mock tests. The key differentiator is understanding concepts deeply rather than superficial memorization.

The number of PG seats across all AIIMS institutes varies by session but typically ranges from 500 to 700 seats across all specializations in both January and July sessions combined. AIIMS New Delhi has the highest number of seats, with other AIIMS institutes (Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, Rishikesh, Nagpur, Gorakhpur, Bathinda, Bibinagar, Deoghar, Kalyani, Mangalagiri, Rajkot) contributing additional seats. Competition is extremely fierce, with thousands of MBBS graduates competing for these highly prestigious positions.