Central Government Medical Officer (UPSC CMS)

Treating patients in government hospitals, dispensaries and health centres. Depending on the post, this means railway hospitals, Central Health Service (CHS) dispensaries and hospitals, or New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) health facilities. Also covers fitness checks, health camps and public health work.

A day in the work
You reach the hospital or dispensary in the morning and start with the OPD, seeing patients with fever, diabetes, blood pressure, injuries and stomach problems. In a railway hospital you may also do fitness checks for staff and respond to emergencies. Later you review admitted patients, write records, sign certificates and refer serious cases to a specialist. Some days include a health camp, a vaccination drive or an inspection, and some days you are on call.

1. Step 1 · Class 11–12Take Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English. Build strong Biology habits early, because NEET UG and MBBS both depend on them.
2. Step 2 · Class 12Write NEET UG and get an MBBS seat through counselling. A government medical college costs far less than a private one, so many families aim for that.
3. Step 3 · About 5.5 yearsComplete MBBS and the 1-year compulsory rotating internship. UPSC lets you apply once you have passed the final MBBS exam. You can be appointed only after the internship is done.
4. Step 4 · Final MBBS / internship yearApply for UPSC CMSE and write the paper. In 2026 the notice came out on 11 March, the last date to apply was 31 March and the written exam was on 2 August. The two papers (MBBS standard) carry 250 marks each. Check the new notice every year, because dates change.
5. Step 5 · A few weeks to months laterPersonality test (interview) of 100 marks, for those who qualify in the written exam. In 2026 the written result came on 1 September and the interview schedule on 25 September. For 2025, the interviews ran from October to December. The final merit list adds written and interview marks.
6. Step 6 · After the final resultMedical fitness and document checks. UPSC says candidates must be in good mental and bodily health, and appointment depends on character and antecedents. You are then allotted a service or post by your rank and your preferences.
7. Step 7 · ProbationJoin as a Group A junior-scale officer on probation. The notice says 1 year for Railways ADMO and 2 years for CHS, NDMC and MCD posts. You are confirmed after satisfactory probation. CHS officers can be posted anywhere in India.

Fees from: UPSC Examination Notice 9/2026-CMS, CMSE 2026 (fee clause, copy hosted at prepp CDN). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Pay starts at a fixed government scale and rises with years of service and promotions, and it does not change much by city, but allowances and the cost of living do, and you cannot add private practice on the side.

The 2026 notice encouraged women to apply. It reserved posts for persons with benchmark disabilities: 34 CHS posts for specified categories (including locomotor disability and specific learning disability) and 18 Railways ADMO posts. All candidates must still be medically fit to do the duties of the post. Age relaxations exist for reserved categories, so read the notice for the exact figures.

• Class 7–9This month, pick one health chapter in your Class 8 or 9 Science book and explain to a family member how that disease spreads and how to prevent it. DIKSHA has free lessons on it.Open link ↗
• Class 10–12Read the NCERT Class 11 and 12 Biology chapters on human health and disease, and write a one-page summary of how one disease (for example TB or dengue) is prevented.Open link ↗
• College or afterIn your final MBBS or internship year, read the latest CMSE notice on upsc.gov.in. Note the posts, age limit, syllabus and dates, and check each year because they change.Open link ↗

• Private practice of any kind, including lab and consultant practice, is prohibited for CHS General Duty Medical Officers (UPSC CMSE 2026 notice).
• The 2026 notice listed four services: CHS, Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in Railways, NDMC and MCD. ESIC was not on that list, so read each year's notice to see which services are included.
• CHS officers can be posted in any dispensary or hospital in India under the Central Health Service. MCD posts are within Delhi. Be ready to move.
• This exam needs only MBBS. If you want a specialist career (MD/MS), that is a separate path and a separate entrance exam.