AYUSH Admissions Guide: BAMS, BHMS and BUMS Explained

AYUSH covers several distinct systems of traditional and alternative medicine, each with its own degree, regulator, and admission process - and each admitted primarily through NEET-UG scores, the same exam MBBS and BDS candidates take.

The Three Main AYUSH Degrees

BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) - Ayurveda, India's oldest documented system of medicine, focused on diagnosis and treatment through herbal formulations, diet, and lifestyle-based therapy alongside surgical and clinical training.

BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery) - Homeopathy, based on the principle of treating with highly diluted substances intended to trigger the body's own healing response.

BUMS (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery) - Unani medicine, a system with roots in Greco-Arabic medical tradition, using natural remedies and a humoral theory of health.

All three are 5.5-year programs (4.5 years coursework plus a compulsory 1-year internship), leading to registration as a licensed practitioner of that specific system - not a general "AYUSH doctor" credential interchangeable between systems.

Who Regulates What

The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) oversees BAMS and BUMS education and licensing. The National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) oversees BHMS separately. This matters practically: BHMS colleges and BAMS/BUMS colleges are regulated, inspected, and recognized through different bodies, even though admission to all of them runs through NEET-UG.

How Admission Actually Works

Unlike MBBS/BDS (where the Medical Counselling Committee, MCC, runs All India Quota counselling), AYUSH All India Quota seats - at central/deemed institutions and a portion of seats nationally - are counselled through the Ayush Admissions Central Counselling Committee (AACCC). Most state government AYUSH college seats are counselled separately by each state's own AYUSH/medical education authority, similar in structure to how state quota works for MBBS/BDS. If you're targeting AYUSH options, you generally need to register for AACCC counselling and your state's counselling separately - registering for MCC's MBBS/BDS counselling does not cover AYUSH seats at all.

Choosing Between BAMS, BHMS and BUMS

These are genuinely different systems of medicine, not interchangeable tiers of the same thing - a candidate should have real interest in the specific system's approach, not just treat whichever has a lower cutoff as the default choice. Talking to practicing graduates of each system, where possible, is far more useful here than rank alone.

Not sure how AACCC counselling and your state's AYUSH counselling interact, or which of these three systems fits your interests? A CollegeKampus mentor can walk through the AYUSH admission process for your specific rank and state - reach out through this site or call our counselling team.