| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences |
| Commonly Known As | KIMS |
| Country | India |
| State | Karnataka |
| City | Bengaluru |
| Field | Medical Education and Healthcare |
| Institution Type | Private Medical College |
| Affiliated University | Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) |
| Regulatory Recognition | Medical Council of India (now National Medical Commission) |
Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, widely referred to as KIMS, is a private medical college located in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The institution offers undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and is affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), the principal affiliating body for health sciences colleges across Karnataka. KIMS is recognised by the National Medical Commission (NMC), formerly the Medical Council of India, which is the statutory authority governing medical education in India.
The college is named in honour of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the sixteenth-century chieftain credited with founding the city of Bengaluru. This naming reflects the institution's roots in the Vokkaligara Sangha, a prominent socio-educational organisation in Karnataka that has historically promoted educational institutions across the state.
KIMS was established under the aegis of the Vokkaligara Sangha, Bengaluru, an organisation with a long history of running educational and charitable institutions in Karnataka. The college was set up with the objective of providing quality medical education to students from Karnataka and across India, with a particular emphasis on serving communities in and around Bengaluru. Over the decades since its founding, the institution has expanded its academic programmes, clinical departments, and infrastructure to meet the evolving standards of medical education in India.
The attached teaching hospital, known as KIMS Hospital, functions as the primary site for clinical training and patient care, serving a large population from Bengaluru and surrounding districts.
KIMS offers the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree at the undergraduate level. At the postgraduate level, the institution provides MD and MS programmes across a range of medical and surgical specialities. Admissions to MBBS and postgraduate courses are governed by the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), in accordance with the regulations of the National Medical Commission.
The academic curriculum follows the competency-based medical education (CBME) framework introduced by the NMC, which emphasises clinical skills, professional ethics, and community health alongside theoretical knowledge. The college also supports research activities, with faculty and postgraduate students contributing to peer-reviewed publications in medical journals.
The teaching hospital attached to KIMS provides students with hands-on clinical exposure across departments including general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, ear nose and throat (ENT), psychiatry, dermatology, and several other specialities. The hospital serves as a referral centre for patients from Bengaluru and neighbouring regions, ensuring that students encounter a diverse and substantial patient load during their training.
Clinical postings form a mandatory and significant component of the MBBS programme, with students rotating through inpatient wards, outpatient departments, operation theatres, and emergency services. Postgraduate residents receive intensive departmental training aligned with NMC-prescribed guidelines.
The KIMS campus is situated within Bengaluru and includes the medical college building, the teaching hospital, lecture halls, dissection halls, and well-equipped laboratories for subjects such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, and forensic medicine. The campus also houses a central library with access to medical textbooks, journals, and digital databases. Separate hostel facilities are available for male and female students, along with a canteen and sports amenities.
Admission to the MBBS programme at KIMS is conducted through the centralised counselling process managed by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) for state quota seats and by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for All India quota seats. Eligibility is determined by NEET scores. Postgraduate admissions similarly follow NEET-PG results and the applicable counselling procedures.
KIMS has an active student community with various academic associations, cultural committees, and sports clubs. Annual events include cultural fests, medical conferences, and inter-collegiate competitions. Student chapters of national bodies such as The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Junior Doctors Network are active on campus. The institution encourages participation in community health camps and outreach programmes as part of its social responsibility initiatives.