A Day In The Life Of A NEET UG Topper

For students who wish to become doctors, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is the only gateway. In order to pursue the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and allied courses in India, students are required to crack NEET-UG.

Over 16 lakh medical students appear in this single largest undergraduate medical exam every year. Each year, more participants are added to the list. Considering the level of competition set by the previous year’s toppers, medical candidates must use effective preparation strategies to ace the test.

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With the NEET 2022 exam around the corner, here are the schedules and preparation strategies, lifestyle and stress-busters adopted by NEET previous year’s toppers, which they shared with Careers360.

Tanmay Gupta | NEET 2021| AIR 1

With dedication and hard work, Tanmay scored 720 out of 720 in the NEET exam on his first attempt. He secured a score in the 99.99th percentile and attributed his success to his hard work and consistency. He emphasised on studying from NCERT books and taking mock tests a month before the exam.

“Treat every obstacle as an opportunity and success will follow you. Focus on your goals and move ahead enthusiastically in achieving them,” said Gupta.

His NEET preparations were according to a timetable where he dedicated around 8 hours to studies. He said that relaxing one’s mind is as important as preparing for the examination itself. Light-hearted TV serials, one hour of exercise and support from friends and family helped him a lot. According to Gupta, making realistic goals and focusing on them with dedication and consistency is the key to success.

Soyeb Aftab | NEET 2020| AIR 1

With no doctors in his family, Afta created history and made his parents proud by securing full marks and AIR 1 rank in NEET 2020. With a dedicated mind and preparation strategies, he was able to crack the exam on his first attempt.

His day used to start with school from 7 am and NEET coaching after that, due to which he did not get enough time to prepare for NEET by himself. For that reason, Soyeb studied for 10-12 hours during the holidays. For the exam strategy, he emphasised avoiding silly mistakes and attempting tricky questions last. According to Soyeb, “if one is dedicated towards his dream, every obstacle can be turned into an opportunity.”

Suyash Arora | NEET 2021| AIR 5

Arora bagged AIR 5 rank by scoring 715 out of 720. He dreamt of going to the All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS) New Delhi and with the constant support of his mother and sister, he was able to achieve this. He sees the profession of a doctor as one most akin to piety as you can save people’s lives.

He emphasised on dividing and allocating time to school, coaching and self-study. He took COVID-19 as an opportunity to prepare for the NEET exam. According to Suyash, he was able to achieve this rank with around 8-9 hours of self-study. In the initial days, Arora covered all the topics but narrowed his preparation in the last month to only the relevant topics.

He added: “Staying focused for a long time is the key to getting success in the NEET examination.”

Bhawanam Manasa | NEET 2020 | AIR 16

Manasa, was 17 when she cracked the NEET examination. She secured AIR 16 and aimed to become a neurologist. The thought of serving people and saving lives motivated her to become a doctor. She strictly followed a timetable which included weekly exams and preparatory classes. COVID-19 did not bother her and she kept preparing for the examination by giving around 8 hours to self-study.

“Meditation, spending time with her family and the constant support of her parents kept her stress free while preparing for the big day,” said Manasa.

Loka Sekhar Satvik Sarma | NEET 2020 | AIR 20

Sarma secured AIR 20 in the NEET examination. He said he owed his score – 710 out of 720 - to the guidance and motivation of his parents. He has many family members in the medical profession, which inspired him to become a doctor too. He started his preparation from Class 8 and by Class 9 he was exposed to systematic training to crack NEET.

With Physics and Biology as his favourite subjects, he dedicated 12 hours a day to prepare for NEET. A month before the exam, he revised the entire syllabus and did some exercises to keep himself calm. Loka Sekhar aims to study fundamental medicine first, followed by neurology. He believes that subject knowledge should not be achieved to pass the exam only and dedicates his success to the methodological approach he took for the NEET exam.

According to Sarma, “Hard work and perseverance always pay off.”

Pavit Singh | NEET 2021 | AIR 23

Being motivated by her mother, Singh was able to achieve her childhood dream of becoming a doctor by securing AIR 23 in the NEET exam. Due to COVID-19, the board exams were cancelled, which gave her enough time to prepare for the exam. She finds online study boring but helpful as you can expose yourself to different platforms for effective preparation.

Singh said: “You should always be focused and remember your goal, take breaks. Anytime you feel demotivated, that is the time you have to find the strength inside of you. You have to keep reminding yourself that I am worthy and I can do this. It is very important.”

Malleedi Rushith | NEET 2020 | AIR 33

Rushith dreamt of becoming a doctor when he was in Class 2 and was able to secure AIR 33 in the NEET UG exam. His grandfather motivated him to pursue his career in medicine.

He preferred the NEET exam over his Class 12 examination. The COVID period placed many hurdles before him but he remained motivated. In the early days, he prepared every topic thoroughly from the NCERT books and used it to underline important points. A month before the exam he revised those underlined topics.

Rushith aims to specialise in the cardiovascular system. According to him, “hard work is both the foundation and pathway to success”.

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Durgam Yashvanth | NEET 2020 | AIR 59

Keen on becoming a doctor from Class 6, Yashvanth obtained 701 marks, securing AIR 59 in the NEET examination. He studied from 4 am till 10 pm in the night.

He emphasises studying from NCERT books and taking mock tests every day before the examination. During his preparation, he focused on revising the concepts and not letting himself be demotivated in any way. His mother emerged as a big support while he was preparing for the examination. According to Yashvanth, “don't let yourself down in any situation is the key.”