AIIMS 2018 Topper Interview: A steady mind and sincere hard work paved my way to success, says Manraj Singh Sra, AIR 4

AIIMS 2018 Topper Interview- A Doon School, Dehradun alumnus and a resident of Bathinda, Punjab, Manraj Singh Sra, obtained the fourth rank in AIIMS 2018 with a whopping score of 100 percentile. He appeared for both NEET and AIIMS MBBS and is looking forward to join AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), Delhi.

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Born to doctor parents, Manraj’s mother is a family medicine doctor and father is an Ophthalmologist. He stayed with his grandparents to complete his Higher Secondary education from SD School, Sector-24, Chandigarh. He derived motivation from his parents and credits his success in AIIMS 2018 to his personal tutors who guided him throughout his preparation tenure. Manraj never gave up on his hobbies which included reading novels, stories and magazines. Careers360 brings forth the interview of Manraj Singh Sra, where he shares his exam experience as well as preparation strategy for the future medical aspirants.

Read the full AIIMS 2018 topper interview of AIR 4 Manraj Singh Sra here.

Excerpts from the interview:

Careers360: Heartiest Congratulations on making it to the top 10 list in AIIMS, NEET and JIPMER! How are you feeling and celebrating your achievement?

Manraj: Thank you! Honestly speaking, I wasn't expecting this rank at all. My paper went well and was sure to qualify to get into a decent college but AIR 4 was much beyond expectation.

Careers360: What is your overall and subject wise score of AIIMS 2018?

Manraj: The overall percentile was 100 and the subject percentiles were Biology- 98.47, Chemistry- 100, Physics- 99.97, and G.K – 99.74

Careers360: Did you appear for any other medical entrance examinations, other than AIIMS?

Manraj: Yes, I did. I appeared for NEET 2018 and scored 648. My AIR rank in NEET was 159.

Careers360: How NEET is different from AIIMS in terms of exam pattern and level of difficulty?

Manraj: While NEET exam majorly focusses on Biology, AIIMS MBBS gives equal weightage to all the subjects including General Knowledge. After appearing in NEET, I had spent quality time on Physics and Chemistry for AIIMS.

Careers360: What motivated you to pursue medicine as a career?

Manraj: As I was passionate about Biology throughout my academic years, chose to take up medicine as my career option. Moreover, I was brought up in a family where both my parents rendered service to people as doctors. Closely observed how they healed patients and can still recall their happy faces once cured.

Careers360: How did your family support you in this journey?

Manraj: My family has been extremely supportive throughout. They have helped me stay focused and motivated. My parents and grandparents have tried making my study hours comfortable as much as possible.

Careers360: How did you prepare for AIIMS 2018? Did you undertake any coaching or external assistance? If yes, how beneficial did it prove?

Manraj: Since last one year, I spent around 8-10 hours preparing for the entrance examinations. I took guidance from individual tutors for all the related subjects, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry as well. Additionally, took substantial number of online mock tests from Allen coaching institute. Preparation cannot be considered complete if one does not spend ample time indulging in self-study. For NEET, I focussed on Biology and read from NCERT textbooks and for AIIMS MBBS 2018, I gave equal attention to all the subjects. The best part of my preparation was solving past years’ IIT papers; it helped me smoothly secure the obtained scores. Last few months, closely followed the newspaper to keep myself updated.

Careers360: Which according to you was the toughest and easiest section in AIIMS?

Manraj: Undoubtedly, Physics was the toughest in AIIMS and Chemistry was the easiest. On the contrary, Physics was lengthy in NEET 2018 and Biology was easy.

Careers360: Any college, you have in mind for admissions?

Manraj: Looking forward to join AIIMS Delhi.

Careers360: Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

Manraj: Difficult question! Too early to decide on the same. I would try to specialize in Neurology and become a successful Neurologist.

Careers360: What are your hobbies? Could you engage in them during the preparations?

Manraj: While preparing, I religiously used to take small breaks in between to get refreshed; read interesting novels, magazines, and watch television during meals. Though I had decreased the frequency, I love to play football during leisure.

Careers360: What is your message for the future AIIMS aspirants?

Manraj: It is important to be confident which can be attained through consistent practice. Regularity in terms of reading and writing is imperative to bag a decent score. My message for all the future candidates is not to get disheartened by the minor failures that happen during the preparation period; one should focus on long-term results.

Sincere wishes for all the future aspirants!

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AIIMS Topper Interview