MBBS-MD-DM. Struggle to be excellent doctor for...

15 years !!

Yes, that’s right. It is more than my entire school time from KG to class XII. Let me elaborate.

I got selected into MBBS course in UCMS & GTB Hospital, Delhi University, the same year as I completed my class XII board exams, after competing in one of the largest entrance exams in the world - AIPMT (All India Pre-Medical Test). MBBS spans 5 and a half years, four and half years of studying and 1 year rotatory internship.

Besides studies I was active in music as well. I used to play keyboard and drums. We formed a rock band by the name “resurrection”. We won a few prizes at various college fests too. We mostly played our self compositions. As MBBS was nearing completion we got an offer to record our first album. But that would mean a career in music and end of medicine. Most of us chose medicine and moved on.

I completed MBBS with 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal and a few awards. I was preparing for next medical entrance test which was even more difficult than the Pre-medical test. I joined classes and test series during final year of MBBS and internship as well.

The very next session I got selected for MD Medicine at the prestigious Pt. B.D. Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak. I completed MD in 3 years after which I decided to work as senior resident at a government hospital in Delhi. I worked there for 6 months. I got married during same time. My wife had just completed MS in Obstetrics & Gynecology. I decided to pursue a career in Rheumatology, the love for this branch grew in me while I was doing MD Medicine as my guide and mentor was a rheumatologist and my thesis was on rheumatoid arthritis.

I started preparing for the next entrance exam, needless to say the competition and difficulty level keeps on increasing at every level. I left my job of senior resident and started preparing for DM in Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology. I had hoped I will sail through like previous ones but I was wrong. I did not clear in first attempt. My friends consoled me saying, hardly anyone cracks DM in first attempt. There is a huge backlog of people giving exams every year and clearing even in 3rd or 4th attempts in not unusual. Keep on giving exams and you will succeed one day. I was giving all rheumatology exams and hoping for the best. I cleared a fellowship exam at the world renowned Christian Medical College, Vellore famously known as CMC, Vellore. I was thinking of starting preparation again for DM and not settle for the fellowship. It was a difficult call because CMC is the top most medical college in India in private sector and overall number 2 just after AIIMS, New Delhi. Accepting the CMC, Vellore offer was even more difficult as my wife was expecting and leaving her at this stage when she needed my support, was giving me nightmares.

However, certain factors made me accept the CMC offer and I decided to join there. My library buddy also got through the same fellowship and told me it will be easy as we will be support for each other. My parents said I should not leave this golden opportunity and join CMC. I looked into my wife’s eyes I knew she wanted me to stay but her words said that I should go. It was a very tough decision.

I joined CMC, Vellore. Vellore is a small town around 130 km west from Chennai airport. Vellore is famous for 2 things, CMC and VIT (Vellore Institute of Technology). There is even a counter of CMC hospital inquiry at the Vellore railway station. Local people speak Tamil. Very few would know Hindi or English. CMC caters to patient population from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand plus all the southern states. Lot of international patients from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and middle east also come there for treatment. Learning experience at CMC was wonderful and world class.

During her last month of pregnancy, my wife’s blood pressure started to rise. Being an obstetrician herself she knew time had come before expected. I rushed to home to spend 21 days with her, the amount of leave I got. My son was born, probably the happiest moment of my life was holding my small baby in my hands. And to my surprise the pediatrician who handed him over to me was my junior from Med school and she instantly recognized me while I was thanking her.

Those 21 days passed by swiftly. I was almost in tears leaving them behind while entering the cab for the airport. I reached back to Vellore and I was in depression at that point of time, I think when I look back. I used to remain awake in nights, rush to hospital early in morning, return late in night and the cycle continued. Then something good happened. I thought of started to paint slowly learning from YouTube videos. My first online shopping ever was acrylic colors, brush set and a canvas. I used to paint in night, the time I used to remain awake before.

This is the first one I ever made.

Happier days were there just around the corner when my wife along with our son came to Vellore. My life changed. I felt home again. Despite the fact that my son didn’t recognize me as I used to leave before he used to wake up and came back after he had slept, I was still happy that he was around. My time in CMC, Vellore was about to get over. I had plans to move back to Delhi to be with my parents and start practice. But fate had something else in store for us.

My teachers at CMC, Vellore advised me to try for DM entrance exam one last time. They said you should do DM as well. So better try it now and don’t regret later for not giving a last attempt, as the age age cut off for DM exam is 35 years. I wasn’t even 30 that time. I understood their point and started preparing for the exam which was due just after 2 weeks. I filled only SGPGIMS, Lucknow form and no other institute’s forms. SGPGIMS is the best in the country for Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology training.

I got All India Rank - 1 in the DM entrance exam. My score was way ahead of other rankers. My rheumatology training at CMC, Vellore had paid off.

We started packing bags to Lucknow which was never on our list till a month back. All three of us moved to Lucknow. SGPGIMS is a wonderful place. It has lush green campus with comfortable homes. The campus houses a lake, small forest full of Nilgais (Indian antelope) besides school, bank, post office. Those 3 years passed rather pleasantly. I completed DM with a gold medal (best resident among all the medical specialties ). I also got selected for Indo-UK fellowship and spent some time at the Wolverhampton Rheumatology Centre, UK after completing DM.

Finally, I returned home and became a qualified rheumatologist.

Sharing a recent work (definitely some improvement from the first one).

-Suvrat Arya,MBBS,MD,DM