Mysuru: Two students, who just finished their graduation in MBBS, proved that people with low income too can pursue medicine if they get free seat in government medical colleges as the fee is just Rs 18,000 per year. Dr HR Bharath and Dr S Abhishek who graduated from Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute and emerged as toppers in medicine and anatomy respectively, come from a poor financial background. Bharath’s father works as a tailor in Hassan while father of Abhishek runs a small business in Bengaluru.
The duo, who came out with good ranking in CET managed to get free seats in the government medical college. The yearly fee they paid was Rs 18,000 which is even less than the admission fees of LKG seats. The young meritorious graduates of MMC said that if one dedicates themselves to studies and does well in CET they too can get free government seats. The fees for the same seats runs in lakhs of rupees if it is a payment seat. If the students belong to reservation that is SC/ST/OBC the fee still comes down.
Speaking to newskarnataka, Bharath said “There is false belief and false notion that medical is too expensive. Initially my parents too thought the same but later they realized that if we get government seat at Government College the expense is very less. Now my parents especially my father who is a tailor has started creating awareness about the same. The yearly fee is just Rs 18,000 and every month I pay Rs 2000 for hostel which also includes my mess bill. Apart from this we need to spend some money on books. These things can be managed through merit and MHRD scholarship which we get. At the outset, if one gets free seats in Government medical college, medical education is not at all expensive. Nowadays many parents pay more than Rs 50,000 per year just for admission to LKG. My parents too had lot of financial problems but they never showed it to us. My father is my inspiration”.
Bharath secured 94 percent in II PUC but it’s because of his good ranking in CET that he managed to get a free medical seat. He secured 370th ranking in CET. He is going all out for PG entrance and wants to take up general medicine as his optional subject for PG. His father has done his basic education upto tenth standard while his mother upto eighth standard.
Abhishek’s story too is bit similar to that of Bharat. His father runs a small stationery shop in Bengaluru. “My parents were facing financial problem, after finishing II PU I thought of doing engineering and supporting them but my parents motivated me to take up medicine, it’s because of their motivation I managed to do well and got a free seat in government medical college. If one puts sincere effort definitely we can achieve” added Abhishek.
Those wishing to pursue medical stream should do well in CET:
The duo also called upon the medical aspirant students to focus more on CET. “There are instances where candidates even after scoring 99 percent in II PU have not got medical seats as they couldn’t secure a good ranking in CET however the same does not hold for engineering seats where equal importance is given to both the II PU marks and CET performance.
