IIT Madras to Launch Medical School, Offer MBBS and MD Degrees: Director V. Kamakoti Reveals Major Healthcare Education Plans
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is planning a major expansion into medical education, including the establishment of a medical school and the introduction of MBBS and MD degree programmes, according to IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti.
The development would mark a significant expansion of IIT Madras beyond its traditional strengths in engineering, technology and research. The institute has already established its Department of Medical Sciences and Technology (DMST), which combines medicine with engineering and emerging technologies. IIT Madras officially launched the department in May 2023 with programmes and research focused on areas including medical technology, artificial intelligence in healthcare, medical devices and drug discovery.
However, students should note an important distinction: the proposed MBBS and MD programmes are part of IIT Madras' future medical-school plans; they are not currently open for admission on the institute's existing DMST admissions portal.
IIT Madras Official Website:
https://www.iitm.ac.in/
Department of Medical Sciences and Technology:
https://mst.iitm.ac.in/
IIT Madras Medical School: Key Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Institute | Indian Institute of Technology Madras |
| Short Name | IIT Madras |
| Location | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Director | Prof. V. Kamakoti |
| Development | Medical School Planned |
| Proposed UG Medical Degree | MBBS |
| Proposed PG Medical Degree | MD |
| Existing Medical-Focused Department | Department of Medical Sciences and Technology |
| Existing Department Launched | May 11, 2023 |
| Current Medical-Technology Focus | Medicine, Engineering, Healthcare Technology and Research |
| MBBS Admission | Not currently open |
| MBBS Admission Dates | Not announced |
| Official Website | iitm.ac.in |
IIT Madras' current official administration page confirms that Prof. V. Kamakoti continues to serve as Director.
IIT Madras Plans Medical School
IIT Madras' move toward a full-fledged medical school represents the next phase of its growing involvement in healthcare education and research.
The institute is already building an interdisciplinary ecosystem that brings together:
Medicine + Engineering + Artificial Intelligence + Biomedical Technology + Research
The proposed medical school would extend this approach into conventional medical education through degrees such as MBBS and MD.
If implemented, the initiative could create an unusual academic environment in which future doctors work alongside engineers, scientists, AI researchers and technology developers.
Will IIT Madras Offer MBBS?
According to the announced plans attributed to Director V. Kamakoti, IIT Madras intends to offer an MBBS programme as part of its proposed medical school.
This is particularly significant because IIT Madras has historically been identified primarily with engineering, science and technology education.
However, prospective students need to distinguish between an announced plan and an active admission programme.
At present, candidates should not assume that:
IIT Madras MBBS Application 2026 = Open
or that an MBBS seat can currently be selected through counselling.
Until the programme receives all necessary approvals and IIT Madras formally announces admissions, students should treat it as a future programme.
Will IIT Madras Offer MD Degrees?
The proposed medical-school expansion also includes plans for MD-level medical education.
An MD programme would bring postgraduate clinical education into IIT Madras' interdisciplinary healthcare ecosystem.
The exact MD specialisations, intake, eligibility criteria, affiliated clinical infrastructure and admission mechanism will need to be confirmed when the institute formally announces the programmes.
Students should therefore avoid relying on unofficial lists claiming that particular MD specialisations have already been finalised.
IIT Madras MBBS Admission 2026
There is currently no announced IIT Madras MBBS admission process for 2026 on the institute's existing Department of Medical Sciences and Technology programme pages.
The current DMST portal instead highlights programmes such as:
- BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering
- PhD Programme for Doctors
- MS by Research for Doctors
- MS in Medical Sciences and Engineering
IIT Madras' official information confirms that the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology was established with these interdisciplinary programmes and research objectives.
Therefore, candidates searching for "IIT Madras MBBS admission 2026" should not confuse these programmes with an MBBS degree.
IIT Madras Medical School Admission Date
No official admission date for the proposed IIT Madras MBBS or MD programmes should be assumed until the institute releases a formal notification.
Important details still requiring official confirmation include:
| Admission Detail | Current Position |
|---|---|
| MBBS Application Start Date | Not announced |
| MBBS Application Last Date | Not announced |
| First MBBS Batch | Awaiting official confirmation |
| MBBS Intake | Not announced |
| MD Intake | Not announced |
| MD Specialisations | Not announced |
| Fee Structure | Not announced |
| Medical School Admission Portal | Not announced |
| Counselling Procedure | Awaiting official notification |
Candidates should wait for IIT Madras and the relevant regulatory/admission authorities to publish definitive information.
Will IIT Madras MBBS Admission Be Through NEET UG?
MBBS admissions in India are governed by the applicable national medical-education and admission framework.
However, because IIT Madras has not yet opened the proposed MBBS programme for admissions, candidates should wait for the official programme notification before assuming the precise counselling mechanism, seat distribution or admission timeline.
Students interested in a future IIT Madras MBBS seat should continue preparing according to the prevailing national medical admission requirements unless the competent authorities announce otherwise.
IIT Madras Department of Medical Sciences and Technology
The proposed medical school does not represent IIT Madras' first move into healthcare.
The institute formally launched the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology on May 11, 2023.
Its objective was to connect engineering and medicine and build expertise capable of solving healthcare problems through technology.
The department's academic and research ecosystem focuses on emerging areas such as:
- Artificial intelligence in healthcare
- Medical device development
- Drug discovery
- Medical image analysis
- Digital twins
- Biomedical research
- Physician-scientist training
The department's official website specifically identifies AI in healthcare, new medical-device development, drug discovery, medical-image analysis and digital twins among its emerging areas.
Existing Courses at IIT Madras DMST
IIT Madras announced four major programme categories when establishing the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology:
- BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering
- PhD Programme for Doctors
- MS by Research for Doctors
- MS in Medical Sciences and Engineering
The institute described the BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering as a four-year interdisciplinary programme.
These programmes should not be confused with the proposed MBBS and MD degrees.
IIT Madras BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering vs MBBS
This distinction will be particularly important for students.
| BS Medical Sciences & Engineering | Proposed MBBS |
|---|---|
| Existing IIT Madras academic initiative | Future proposed medical degree |
| Combines medical science and engineering | Professional medical education |
| Technology and healthcare focused | Clinical medical education |
| Offered through DMST | Expected through proposed medical-school framework |
| Not an MBBS degree | Would be an MBBS degree |
| Existing programme information available | Admission details yet to be formally announced |
A student completing the BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering should therefore not be described as completing an MBBS degree.
Why Is IIT Madras Moving Into Medical Education?
IIT Madras has been developing its medicine-and-technology strategy for several years.
When launching DMST in 2023, Prof. Kamakoti said that the COVID-19 experience demonstrated the importance of integrating technology with medicine and highlighted the institute's objective of bringing medical and technology professionals together to solve healthcare problems.
The strategy is particularly relevant to areas where technology is transforming healthcare, including:
AI → Diagnostics → Medical Imaging → Robotics → Medical Devices → Digital Health → Drug Discovery
A medical school could deepen this integration by bringing clinical education directly into IIT Madras' technology ecosystem.
IIT Madras' Physician-Scientist Model
One particularly distinctive element of IIT Madras' healthcare strategy is the development of physician-scientists.
The institute's existing PhD programme for doctors is designed to enable clinicians to undertake deeper scientific research, including projects conducted alongside engineers.
This approach differs from keeping engineering and clinical medicine in separate academic environments.
Instead, a doctor identifying a clinical problem could potentially collaborate directly with specialists in:
- Artificial intelligence
- Electrical engineering
- Computer science
- Biomedical engineering
- Data science
- Robotics
- Materials science
- Biotechnology
Such collaboration could accelerate the translation of research into healthcare applications.
AI Could Be Central to IIT Madras Medical Education
Artificial intelligence is already one of the areas highlighted by IIT Madras' Department of Medical Sciences and Technology.
A medical-school ecosystem at an IIT could therefore create opportunities for research in areas such as:
- AI-assisted diagnosis
- Medical imaging
- Clinical decision-support systems
- Predictive healthcare
- Personalised medicine
- Healthcare data analytics
- Digital twins
- Medical robotics
The precise MBBS curriculum, however, should not be predicted until IIT Madras and the competent authorities publish it.
IIT Madras Medical School Campus
Details concerning the final infrastructure and clinical arrangements for the proposed medical school should be taken from future official announcements.
A full medical-education ecosystem requires substantially different infrastructure from a conventional engineering department, particularly for clinical training.
Students should therefore wait for official information concerning:
Medical School → Teaching Facilities → Hospital/Clinical Infrastructure → Faculty → Intake → Regulatory Approval → Admissions
These details will be critical before an MBBS programme can become operational.
IIT Madras MBBS Fees
The IIT Madras MBBS fee structure has not been officially announced for an active programme.
Any website currently displaying a definitive IIT Madras MBBS annual tuition fee should therefore be treated cautiously unless the figure is subsequently confirmed by IIT Madras.
Fees can ultimately depend on factors including:
- Approved programme structure
- Tuition
- Hostel charges
- Institutional charges
- Applicable candidate category
- Scholarship or financial-assistance rules
Candidates should wait for the official admission brochure.
IIT Madras MBBS Seats
Similarly, an official MBBS seat intake has not yet been announced for an active IIT Madras MBBS admission cycle.
Seat numbers should not be estimated from other medical colleges.
The final intake would need to reflect the approved medical-school infrastructure and applicable regulatory requirements.
IIT Madras MD Specialisations
The specific MD programmes that could eventually be offered have also not been officially established through a current admissions announcement.
Candidates should avoid treating speculative lists such as Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics or Radiology as confirmed IIT Madras offerings.
The institute will need to announce the actual postgraduate medical programmes and specialisations when they become available.
Could Other IITs Enter Medical Education?
IIT Madras' plans reflect a broader evolution in the role of technology institutions, where engineering increasingly intersects with healthcare, biotechnology and life sciences.
The IIT Madras model is particularly notable because its existing medical-sciences department was explicitly designed to connect medicine and engineering rather than treating healthcare as an isolated discipline.
The success of such interdisciplinary models could influence how technology-focused institutions approach healthcare education in the future.
What Prospective MBBS Students Should Do Now
Students interested specifically in an IIT Madras MBBS programme should not submit money or personal information to any unofficial website claiming to offer IIT Madras MBBS admission.
For now, candidates should:
- Follow IIT Madras' official announcements.
- Monitor the proposed medical-school development.
- Continue preparing for applicable medical entrance requirements.
- Do not confuse the existing BS programme with MBBS.
- Do not rely on unofficial MBBS fee information.
- Do not rely on unofficial seat-intake claims.
- Wait for confirmation of regulatory approvals.
- Check the eventual admission notification carefully.
- Verify counselling rules when announced.
- Use only official portals for applications.
IIT Madras Medical School: Key Points
- IIT Madras plans to establish a medical school and offer MBBS and MD degrees.
- The development has been disclosed by IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti.
- IIT Madras already has a Department of Medical Sciences and Technology.
- DMST was formally launched on May 11, 2023.
- The existing department integrates engineering, medicine and healthcare research.
- Its focus includes AI in healthcare, medical devices and drug discovery.
- IIT Madras already offers medical-science-and-engineering-focused academic and research programmes.
- The existing BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering is not an MBBS degree.
- MBBS admissions are not currently open through the existing DMST programme portal.
- An MBBS application date has not been announced.
- An official MBBS intake has not yet been announced.
- An MBBS fee structure has not yet been announced.
- Specific proposed MD specialisations should await official confirmation.
- Candidates should wait for regulatory and admission details before treating the programme as operational.
- The proposed initiative could create a distinctive integration of clinical medicine, engineering and advanced technology.
FAQs
Is IIT Madras launching a medical school?
IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti has outlined plans for the institute to expand into medical education through a medical school, including MBBS and MD degrees. IIT Madras already operates its Department of Medical Sciences and Technology.
Will IIT Madras offer MBBS?
The announced plans include an MBBS degree. However, the programme is not currently shown as open for admission through IIT Madras' existing DMST programme portal.
Is IIT Madras MBBS admission 2026 open?
No active IIT Madras MBBS admission process is currently listed on the institute's existing medical-sciences programme portal. Candidates should wait for a formal admission announcement.
Will IIT Madras offer MD courses?
The medical-school plans include postgraduate medical education through MD degrees, but candidates should wait for official confirmation of individual specialisations and admission requirements.
Does IIT Madras already have a medical department?
Yes. IIT Madras formally launched the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology in May 2023.
Does IIT Madras currently offer a medical sciences degree?
Yes. Its existing DMST academic ecosystem includes the BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering, along with research programmes for doctors and other postgraduate/research offerings.
Is IIT Madras BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering the same as MBBS?
No. The BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering and MBBS are different degrees. Students should not treat the existing BS programme as an MBBS programme.
What is the IIT Madras medical school official website?
Students should monitor the institute's official website:
The existing medical-sciences department can be accessed at:
