Stanley Medical College (SMC), Chennai: Latest Fees, Courses, Admissions, 2025 Cutoffs, Reviews

Stanley Hospital is one of the oldest Medical centers in India for medical treatment and education, the seeds for it having been sown as early as 1797 by the East India Company. Stanley Medical College is rated one among the top medical colleges in the country.

In 1781, Madras experienced one of the worst famines in its history, affecting one-third of the population. Black Town, the most densely populated and poorest quarter of the Northern End of the city, was most badly hit. In 1782, the Government of Madras Presidency and St Mary's Church in the Fort jointly launched what was perhaps the first-ever organized charity in India in a small building rented by the Famine Relief Committee just outside the walls of Black Town.

As part of relief operations, kanji (rice gruel) was served to people in a thotti (vessel) – and so the name 'kanji thotti' choultry or rest house. This rented house later became the Monegar Choultry, believed to be named after a village headman, a manugakkaran ('monegar'), who ran a gruel centre there for the destitute. Many years later, when Stanley Hospital came into being in the same campus, locals called it the 'kanji thotti hospital'!

An early record notes that in 1797, an Hospital and dispensary in the premises of the Monegar Choultry called the ' Native Infirmary ' was established by Asst. Surgeon John Holen Underwood . When he offered to construct the buildings himself on government-provided land and "pay rental not exceeding 100 pagodas a month", the Government agreed and the operational cost was met by donations. The sick were treated in three different establishments, a dispensary for out-patients, half a dozen sheds for in-patients and special wards for chronic cases. Within a month of formal establishment, the Infirmary had nearly 90 inpatients.

By the end of 1807, the Committee of the Native Infirmary represented to Government on the fact that voluntary contributions had diminished and that funds for the Infirmary needed to be increased. It requested the grant of a village for its permanent support. The Monegar Choultry and Native Infirmary and the two were consolidated on November 1, 1809.

The new institution was designated 'The Madras Infirmary and Native Poor Asylum. At that point, there was also "an Idiots Asylum, a Lazaretto or Leper Hospital, and a Foundling ward for the accommodation of pauper children".

Various additions were made to the Native Infirmary from 1868. Four new wards with 40 beds for female patients were constructed. The Northcote Wards, two model wards, for males and females were furnished. Napier Ward was similarly met from a donation from Governor Napier.

In 1882, the Raja of Vizianagaram defrayed the expenses for bringing water from Red Hills to the hospitals. In the 1880s, the Rajah Sir Ramaswamy Mudaliar Lying-in Hospital was added, named after its donor.

The Auxiliary Royapuram Medical School (1877) trained compounders and sub-assistant surgeons. The predecessor of Stanley Medical College was the Royapuram Medical School that was started in June 1903 as a small school housed in the Old Bullet Factory of the East India Company. In 1913, there were 250 or so pupils in the school, which had minimal facilities (only two low power microscopes for teaching and one with an oil immersion lens kept under lock and key for the use of District Surgeons!).

On December 19, 1913, Governor Pentland laid the foundation stone for the Royapuram Hospital and Medical School.

When the five-year LMP course was inaugurated on March 27, 1934 by the then Governor of Madras Presidency, Sir George Fredrick Stanley, till then known as Royapuram Medical School, was renamed Stanley Medical School in his honour.

On July 2 nd 1938, the Stanley Medical School was upgraded as Stanley Medical College.

Between 1937 and 1939, the new clinics opened included those for venereal, leprosy, dental, ear, nose & throat, and ophthalmic, and separate clinics were organised for Departments of Medicine, Surgery, TB, Dermatology, Electro-Cardiography and Orthopaedics. Bed strength also rose from 462 to 724.

In 1941, three medical and surgical units were created. Permission to start MD and MS courses was given in 1948. By 1950, the College became independent of Madras Medical College. When the new Anatomy and Physiology Departments were inaugurated in the new college building for training students in all subjects of the medical curriculum. The number of students admitted increased from 72 to 100.

“As far as known from published records the first successful heart operation in India was done in Stanley Hospital on November 10, 1948, on a girl of 11 years with persistent patent ductus arteriosus. The girl is known to be doing well and is now married and has children.”
 

By 1952, the Department of Anatomy was upgraded with courses for M.Sc and Ph. D in Anatomy. The institution of a Dean to administer both the College and Hospital was created the same year. The first Dean was Dr. AnanthanarayanaIyer who established the Institute of Anatomy at Stanley in 1955, attracting students from all over the country. He also established the Anatomy Society of India in 1955 as a platform for research and dissemination of information on developments in anatomy at the annual conferences.

The opening of the Rural Medical Relief Centre at Alamadhi was a pioneering effort that cast a probing light on the problems of providing medical relief in the villages. Rural Medical and Social Service ( RM&SS ) work was started in 1952 by an Alumnus Dr. Nemiraja MD DGO, in Alamadhi Village near Red – Hills in the land donated by Mrs. Kamalammal an Philanthropist from Alamadhi Village and inaugurated by Dr. Ida Scudder, a Medical and Social Philanthropist.

Subsequently with the help of Our College Faculties and Alumnus Prof. Dr. S. Kalyanaraman M.S. M Ch. - Neurosurgeon, Alumnus Prof. Dr. Raghuram M.S. and other eminent faculties, regular services on Sundays were provided; in 1955 these services were extended to near by hamlet Grand – Line and Chithranjan near Poonamallee. Holding of a World Medical Students' Conference and the organizing Medical exhibitions to finance the rural medical relief activities are some achievements worth mentioning. These extraordinary achievements of the infant college, which evoked the envy of the sister college, were solely due to the oneness of mind and spirit that prevailed between staff and students. This identity of purpose –this sublime intimacy – came to be referred as the Stanley Spirit.

By January 1963, annual admission rose to 150. There were by then seven medical and surgical units. Bed strength increased to 840 sanctioned beds besides accommodating 100 more extra patients.

The foundation stone for construction of the Silver Jubilee Auditorium for the College was laid by the then President of India , Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, on October 30, 1964, as a part of its Silver Jubilee celebrations, the Stanley Alumni contributing Rs. One lakh, then..

On the indomitable 'Stanley Spirit', talk to any Stanlean and everyone will wax eloquent on the SMC Hostel, the College magazine, NCC and other activities that added considerably to the growth and development of "that unique personality – the Stanley Medico. Students imbibed not only scientific knowledge and technical skill but also the Stanley Spirit of cooperative endeavour, where staff and students moved and worked together as members of a family with affection and mutual respect," says an early note. Dr. A. Ananthanarayanan, former Dean and Director of the Central Institute of Anatomy, SMC, and Dr. S. Balasubramaniam, former Dean, endorse these words.

From early note "We never bought textbooks, they were all donated by our seniors who guided us in important exams too. All the top university rankers were from Stanley, which was known for its sports prowess and cultural activities too. Students came mostly from middle class backgrounds or were first gen learners, and so were more close-knit. Our homely hostel canteen was known for its 'Oil Chicken' and attracted students from other colleges too!" The College had a well-equipped gym.

The plastic surgery unit at Stanley officially began in 1971 by the efforts of Alumnus Prof. Dr. R. Venkataswami. In 1973, the Hand Injury Service Centre, the first in the country, was started. In 1980, the Centre introduced microsurgery for hand injuries, the first in the country. In 1987, the Department was upgraded as the Institute for Research and Rehabilitation of Hand and the Department of Plastic Surgery (IRRH & DPS), one of the best centres in South and Southeast Asia. Today the Institute has performed more than 330,000 hand injury surgeries and more than 70,000 plastic surgeries, and is even slated to perform the first hand transplant., the only medical college that could boast of one at the time.

In early 80's Alumnus Prof. Dr. P. Chandra developed the department of Paediatrics into an Institution attaching Social Paediatrics as a main medical service, to cater the real downtrodden North Chennai Public. She was instrumental for a separate Seven Storied Paediatric Block inaugurated in 1982.

A Eight Storied New Surgical Block was constructed in 1984 , under the Dynamic Supervision of Prof. T. Srinivasan HOD of Anaesthesia who, housed all the Surgical Units and allied Surgical Specialities with 20 operation rooms, under one roof.

The Hospital's Department of Surgical Gastroenterology was the first public sector hospital in India to perform a successful liver transplant in 1995, under the leadership of Dr. R.P. Shanmugam. Several successful cadaveric liver transplants were performed since 2000 by an Alumnus Prof. R. Surendran the then HOD of Surgical Gastro Enterology who also was instrumental for ISO 9001 certification (acquired in 2000) of the Department, the First public sector institute to obtain an ISO 9001 Certification and also a creation of Stem Cell research Center in our institution.
 

This ICMR Stem Cell and Diagnostic Laboratory ensures a zero infection rate that is critical for a transplant programme, and is involved in ongoing research on liver progression cells as a therapeutic option in end-stage liver disease. Currently, the Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology and the Centre for Liver and Pancreatic Diseases at Stanley perform the maximum number of surgeries related to cancer of the pancreas and form to successfully perform liver transplants. Since then, this institute has performed over 35 successful liver transplants. With a Sophisticated medical infrastructure facilities Stanley remains as good as a five-star Hospitals.

The Students' Community with the help of Stanley Alumni Sponsorship started a Green Hands Project in the year 1997, and so far planted around 1,25,000 saplings in and around Chennai city.

Today with nearly 1300 beds for in-patient treatment, the hospital now has an out-patient attendance of around 5000 patients a day, a unique 8-storey surgical complex equipped to perform up to 40 surgeries simultaneously, a separate Paediatrics block and an upcoming New Multistory Building with all specialities under one roof, and the RSRM Hospital attached for obstetrics and gynaecology care. Its Department of Urology performs up to fifty kidney transplants a year.

Today, most of the old buildings have been replaced by newer structures in order to cater to the needs of larger patient population. A rare surviving bit of heritage in a forgotten corner is an obelisk with the Aesculapius insignia raised in Maj. E.W.C. Bradfield's time to remember 12 doctors who sacrificed their lives in the Great War. What continues unchanged at Stanley are the old traditions of committed service in an institution that today, as in the past, provides affordable healthcare to the underprivileged!

The Stanley Medical College and Hospital today stand as one of the earliest and pioneering centers for Excellence in India in the field of Medicine. The quality and success emanating from the hundreds of stanleans in India and abroad is a true testimony to the teaching of their Alma Mater.

The seed for this institution was sown as early as 1740. The East India Company first created the Medical Department for Training Assistants and native doctors. The first batch of this school consisted of eleven ‘Natives ’ and eleven ‘Eurasians’ the ‘dressers’ and ‘Apothecaries’.

The Stanley Hospital now stands on the old site of ‘Monegar Choultry established in 1782. It was a period of great famine and the Cholutry was established to take care of the suffering poor. Thus, the legendary ‘Kanji thotti’ was built to distribute ameliorative dobs and alms. Due to the untiring effort of Assistant Surgeon John Under Wood, the Government amalgamated the Monegar Choultry and its Leper Asylum with his private hospital called the ‘Native Infirmary in 1809. In 1880 a well-known Philanthropist, Raja Sir Ramaswami Mudaliar, endowed a lying in Hospital’ and a ‘dispensary’ in the premises of the ‘Native infirmary’.

With the establishment of the University of Madras in 1836 the degree course of M.B. & G.M., and LM. & S., was introduced in the Native infirmary as a separate Auxiliary Medical School.

In 1903, the Hospital Assistant course was introduced and the school was housed in the Old Bullet factory of the East India Company.

In 1911, the first batch of outgoing students were awarded their Diploma LMP (Licensed Medical Practitioner).

In 1933, the five-year D.M. & S. (Diploma in Medicine and Surgery) course with a detailed curriculum was inaugurated by His Excellency George Fredrick Stanley, the then Governor of Madras Presidency and the School was named after him as Stanley Medical School - with effect from 27.3.1934.

In 1938 the Medical School was upgraded as the Stanley Medical College, affiliated to the Madras University admitting 72 students to the MBBS course. Hon’ble T.S.S.Rajan, Minister for Public Health in the first Popular Ministry in the State Inaugurated the college on 2.7.1938.

In 1941 there were 3 Medical and Surgical units, and from 1964 onwards there were 7 Medical and 7 Surgical U2its.
The strength of the students for the MBBS course increased steadily from 72 in 1932 to 100 in 1950 and to 150 in 1963.

In 1964 Dr. Saravapalli Radhakrishnan the then President of India laid the foundation stone for the College Auditorium thanks to the endeavour of Stanleans who raised Rs. One lakh to mark the Silver Jubilee Celebration. The College is bestowed with the prestigious Stanley Hospital with a bed strength of 127.1 and an O.P. attendance of 4312 per day. One unique feature is its 8 storeyed Surgical complex which houses all Surgical Specialities under one roof. The Institute of Surgical Paediatrics housed in another 8-storeyed Block is a novel feature that Stanley is proud of. Stanley has a well-developed Medical Imaging Department which backs up the Medical Profession with equipment including the whole body Scanner. The Department of Immunology with a full-fledged Laboratory started functioning w.e.f. 2.4.1991.
Institute of Research and Rehabilitation of Hand and Department of Plastic Surgery, is a feather in the cap of Stanley for its pioneering status in South East Asia. Stanley can also be proud of the new building with its state of the art equipments the department has acquired in the year 2003.

The Department of Surgical Gastro-enterology in the year 1999 expanded as Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Hepato- - Pancreatic Billiary Dieases and GI Bleed Center of Government Stanley Hospital and Stanley Medical College, This was a pilot project sponsored by the Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation and was awarded ISO 9002 for its international quality care and excellence. Stanley is also the first Government Medical College to perform Liver Transplantation in India, even two decades ago. The department is sanctioned, a new “Liver Transplantation Unit” by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 2005 as a center of excellence, adding one more feather to its cap and to Stanley.
Stanley Medical College has celebrated its Golden Jubilee in July 1991. Stanley has developed as an institution of international standards’ and continue to grow still further.

Stanley Medical College (SMC) in Chennai is one of India's most prestigious medical institutions, attracting a large number of aspiring students each year. Admission to SMC is highly competitive, primarily determined by the candidate's performance in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). The cutoffs vary depending on whether a seat is allotted under the All India Quota (AIQ) or the State Quota.

MBBS Admission Cutoffs

For MBBS, the required NEET scores differ based on the candidate's category and quota type.

All India Quota (15%)

2023:

• General Category: Closing ranks ranged from 2,002 (Round 1) to 8,424 (Round 3).
• OBC Category: Closing ranks were between 3,245 (Round 1) and 10,536 (Round 3).
• SC Category: Closing ranks varied from 12,466 (Round 1) to 50,099 (Round 3).
• ST Category: Closing ranks were between 74,298 (Round 1) and 111,948 (Round 3).
• EWS Category: Ranks ranged from 7,882 (Round 1) to 11,174 (Round 3).
• General-PwD Category: Closing ranks were 268,026 (Round 1) and 310,560 (Round 2).

2022:

• General Category: The closing rank for Round 3 was 14,337.

2021:

• General Category: The closing rank was 1,315.

State Quota (85%)

For candidates applying under the Tamil Nadu State Quota, the required NEET scores are generally lower compared to the All India Quota. For example, in recent years, a NEET score of around 617 corresponded to an All India Rank (AIR) of approximately 4,572 for SMC under this quota.

Postgraduate (MD/MS) Admission Cutoffs

For MD and MS programs, admission is based on NEET-PG scores. The cutoff ranks vary annually depending on the specialty, number of applicants, and seat availability. In 2023, cutoff ranks ranged from 379 to 43,415, depending on the category and course specialization.

Super-Specialty Courses (DM/M.Ch) Admission Cutoffs

Super-specialty admissions are based on NEET-SS scores. In 2023, the cutoff ranks for general category candidates at SMC included:

• DM Nephrology: Rank 118
• M.Ch Gastroenterology Surgery: Rank 218
• M.Ch Urology: Rank 605
• DM Gastroenterology: Rank 789
• DM Neurology: Rank 1,051
• M.Ch Plastic Surgery: Rank 1,136
• DM Cardiology: Rank 1,210
• M.Ch Vascular Surgery: Rank 1,267

Factors Influencing Cutoffs

Several factors affect the cutoff ranks each year:

• The number of candidates appearing for NEET.
• The overall difficulty level of the exam.
• The number of seats available in each course and category.
• Reservation policies and seat allocation based on categories.

Stanley Medical College (SMC) in Chennai stands out for its strong academic programs and its track record of preparing students for successful careers in the medical field. While it doesn’t follow a traditional campus placement model, the college ensures its students gain invaluable hands-on experience through internships and are well-equipped to pursue a range of career paths after graduation.  

Internship Opportunities  

Practical Training: After completing their final year, students undertake a one-year compulsory rotatory internship at Stanley Medical College Hospital. This immersive training helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world clinical practice.  
Stipend: Interns are provided a monthly stipend, currently around 25,000 (as of 2024), which is periodically revised by the Tamil Nadu government.  

Career Pathways  

Job Opportunities: Graduates from SMC are highly sought after by leading government and private hospitals in Tamil Nadu and across India. Hospitals such as Apollo, Fortis Healthcare, and AIIMS have employed many SMC alumni.  
Earning Potential: Fresh graduates can expect starting salaries ranging from 3–7 lakh per year, with some exceptional offers going up to 25 lakh per year. The average annual salary package is approximately 5 lakh.  
Further Studies: A significant number of graduates choose to specialize by pursuing postgraduate studies in various medical fields. SMC provides guidance for competitive exams like NEET-PG to support their aspirations.  

Support Systems  

Career Guidance: While SMC doesn’t have a formal placement cell, it offers counseling services to help students explore career options and make informed choices.  
Alumni Network: The college boasts an active alumni network, which mentors current students and shares insights about the profession and opportunities available.  

In essence, Stanley Medical College ensures its students graduate with a solid foundation of skills, practical knowledge, and connections to thrive in the medical profession. Whether through internships, career guidance, or alumni support, SMC creates an environment where future doctors can excel in their chosen paths.