NEET 2022 Topper Interview- Vatsa Ashish Batra AIR 2

NEET 2022 Topper Interview: Among the top 10 rank holders in NEET 2022 Is Vatsa Ashish Batra, a 17-year-old Delhi student from Air Force Balbharti school. With a score of 99.99 percentile, he holds the 2nd AIR Rank and tops the Delhi NCT in the NEET competition. His love of biology was a large part of his decision to pursue an MBBS.
During our interview with Careers360, he emphasised the importance of consistency in NEET preparation or any other exam. In his opinion, self-study is the most critical thing, and one should begin as soon as possible. The mental decompression caused by stress is something he avoided at all costs. The aim that he had from the beginning when he decided to pursue MBBS was to study at AIIMS Delhi.

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The NEET exam was conducted on July 17,2022, for admissions to 91,415 MBBS, 27,948 BDS, 52,720 AYUSH, 487 BSc nursing 603 BVSc & AH seats across India. A short extract from the interview with Vatsa Ashish Batra of NEET-UG 2022 is provided below.

Careers360: What made you decide to pursue medicine as a career? How did you choose to become a doctor?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: It has always been my aim to pursue MBBS from AIIMS, New Delhi since I decided to pursue it. As a biology enthusiast, my decision to pursue an MBBS was primarily motivated by my love of the subject.

Careers360: Aside from coaching institute preparation, how much self-study did you do?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: I gave self-study a great deal of importance from the day I began preparing. Despite my coaching institute's schedule, I used to study on my own for four to five hours a day in Class 11. Gradually, I increased the duration and made it a point to study for 6 to 7 hours in class 12. NEET exam preparation reached its peak during the last six months when 8 hours were the minimum and sometimes more than that

Careers360: In what ways has your NEET preparation progressed since the beginning?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: It didn't seem like much pressure when I started preparing for class 11, and it was a fairly relaxed experience. It was more hectic in class 12 because I had the board exam to prepare for, plus a lot of material to review for class 11.

Careers360: When you are not studying, what activities do you enjoy?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: I've been playing badminton regularly for six years. Music is something I love to listen to, and I sometimes play basketball as well

Careers360: As two years is a long time, what have you done to maintain your mental health?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: It was beneficial for me to meditate and focus on peace of mind to reduce stress and not decompress my mental bandwidth

Careers360: Can you tell me where you're from and what your parents do?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: As both my parents are civil engineers, we have been living in Delhi for the past two years. I am originally from Ranchi.

Careers360: During your preparation for the NEET exam, what subjects are you weak at?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: My weakest subject was chemistry from the beginning, and I did not do much about it at first. However, as the exam approached, I focused more on it and made it my most vital subject.

Careers360: Has this been your first attempt? When did you start preparing for the NEET exam? What was your approach?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: Yes, it is my first attempt. Keeping your preparation consistent is essential. At times you'll inevitably be low, and at other times you'll be very positive, but don't get overconfident as it's a long road. However, it would be best if you also kept hope when feeling low because you are capable of more and everything you cannot control. All you can do is put your best foot forward,

Careers360: When you attempted the NEET exam, what was your strategy?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: My first attempt was biology, followed by chemistry, and finally physics. I would generally complete the NEET mock tests. The paper would usually take me 1.5 hours to complete, followed by a thorough revision.

Careers360: Who do you credit for your success in topping the NEET?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: Sincerely, to everyone, including my teachers, my coaching institutes, my parents, my elder brother, and my twin brother.

Careers360: When it comes to balancing school and NEET preparation, does it get tricky?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: Having online classes due to covid in class 12 makes it easier for me to manage both, but apart from that, my teachers were very helpful in giving me extra time if I had any questions.

Careers360: What has been your experience with online learning so far?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: In my experience, online education has been pretty good for me, and I have never felt like there was a communication gap. Teachers stayed in touch with me constantly throughout the course.

Careers360: Could you share your most challenging preparation experience and any advice for those preparing for NEET?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: In my case, it was chemistry, as it requires a lot of memorization, so I concentrated on it as much as possible. There isn't any other way to approach it or revise it as often as possible and attempt NEET previous year question papers

Careers360: In your quest to prepare for the NEET, tell us what motivates you?

Vatsa Ashish Batra: I had AIIMS as my goal from the beginning, so the prospect of going there kept me motivated. My parents and my brother played a big part in helping me find solutions and get things back on track.