Osmania Medical College

Famous for his aphorisms, Sir William Osler unforgettably etched in the minds of medicine men all over the world, these words, "To study the phenomena of disease without books is to sail an uncharted sea, while to study books without patients is not to go to sea at all." This is where Osmania Medical College scores over all other institutions in the state. The sheer volume of patients here has made many a medical student rue the shambles that his life can be reduced to.

This college takes in 200 of the most intelligent, hardest-working students every year, and makes them work even harder for four-and-a-half gruelling years before they can be let loose on the population. But more often than not they negotiate any workload with savvy. Come on, after negotiating the Koti traffic for that long, everything is a piece of cake!

The campus is set in 14.7 acres of greenery, and has large playgrounds that are surprisingly well-utilised by the "frustrated by books, books and more books (28,000 in the library, to be exact)" medicos who find it an excellent way to keep boredom away. The hostels are as adequate or inadequate as most hostels around, but the camaraderie and companionship breeds more lifelong friendships than any 5-star hotel could.

Osmania Medical College is supported by 10 of the best teaching hospitals in the city, with a total bed strength of nearly 4,700. It also offers post graduate education to 180 students every year in 31 disciplines, including super-specialties. The studies might seem never-ending but the money that rolls in after that and the personal satisfaction make the suffering worthwhile.

Overall, Osmania Medical College is incredibly, back-breakingly hard to get into, and just as hard to pass out of. Recommended for those who are strong of heart and just a little bit loony in the head.