The UGLY Truth

1 Crore. That's it? Yes, that's it. That is the average amount for a post graduation medical seat in any private hospital/college in India today. You may ask who pays so much? Turns out, MANY....many to the effect that there is waiting there too. Ridiculous much? Well, it may pinch some ones pocket, but it pinches my heart. Why? Is it that my father can not afford that money? Probably he can. Probably he can not. Can I afford it? Definitely not. Would I spend that much for my child just because the competition is tough and he/she is not hard working enough? Definitely not. Then I don't have the right to ask my father for the same.

I sometimes wish people thought on the same lines as I do. But then again, I don't completely blame them. Our Indian medical system is such that it is built with loop holes. Loop holes so big that most of the deemed and private hospitals are owned by politicians and what better way to fill their pocket holes? I have friends who have paid capitation and taken up seats. I do not look down upon them because it was their personal choice. Yes, I would be lying if I said it did not hurt knowing they got it easy and I am still struggling to get a seat. But when I think of it in the long run I don't feel so bad. I lost a year or two struggling now, learning it the hard way, but at least I do not live with the guilt that my education was so cheap (not in literal terms) that it was based on money. I do not want to abuse my brains and feel like a failure just because I did not get a seat via a common entrance.

For all non-medicos reading this, we had a common entrance for the whole of India, called NEET. There were almost 2 lakh students applying for this exam. The total number of seats available all over India via this exam is approximately 20,000. Out of this, 50% of the seats are for the reserved category. So hypothetically, for an open category candidate, like me, needs to be in the first 10,000 to secure a seat. That too, if I want a seat of my choice and in my city, I need to be within the first 1000 ranks. Surprised? Don't be.
People will say you knew this when you took up medicine. Yes, I knew it would be hard, but did I know that I would lose my faith in the system and profession so soon?

So, coming to the point what made me write this blog today. I happened to give an entrance today. I shall not disclose the name for obvious reasons but you do not need to be Einstein to figure out which one. Almost three weeks back I was contemplating whether to give this exam or no because it is a known fact that all the seats are rigged. However, my dad said give it as a back up so I filled the form of Rupees 3000 in total. I filled it knowing I was not going to study for it. And I did not. So I got up today and went for the exam. Never have I been so calm and relaxed for an entrance exam. I reach 15 minutes before the commencement of the exam and funny as it may sound, I went into a wrong classroom and sat on a wrong bench. Two minutes later I realised my mistake, so I picked up my belongings and stormed out of the class room leaving the rest behind thinking I am a moron.

I got into my actual class and took my seat. In front sat a girl wearing a black sweat shirt and diagonally in the next row sat a boy in a black and grey checked shirt and a black turban. The exam bell rang and everyone got busy in their own exam sheets. Three and a half hours is rather a long time for me to sit in one place without getting bored, especially when I have not been in touch with studies. So, one hour down I was already getting restless. I looked around and saw everyone else pretty engrossed in their papers. The benches being small I happened to notice that the girl in front of me had not marked (circled) a single answer on the answer sheet. I figured she is one of those who reads the whole paper and then marks her answers. Not wanting to waste more time, I got back to my paper.

One hour for the exam to get over. Suddenly a man, probably in his early 50's walked into the room, with two men who I presume to be working under him. This man, clad in white pants and a white khadi half sleeved shirt had a piece of paper in his hand. I, sitting on the third bench of the second row from the entrance did not find it difficult to read what was on the paper. It was a list of roll numbers. Surprisingly, the man started walking in my direction and stopped just before my desk. He looked at the girl in front of me, checked her roll number, confirmed it with the numbers on the paper he had, took her question booklet and marked something. I found this strange.

As soon as he was done with her, he started walking to the other side of the classroom and stopped at the boy with the turban's desk and did the same. I was perplexed. What was going on? It took me 15 minutes to figure this mystery out. Half an hour was left and the girl's answer sheet was still empty. I wanted to confirm my thoughts so I looked to my left and saw that the boy's answer sheet was empty too. Surprise! My blood boiled to the effect that I was unable to answer any question for the next 5 minutes. I was disgusted. The exam got over and the examiner started collecting the answer sheets. The girl had marked less than half the answers and the boy must have marked 20 answers max.

I do not know what to think of this. I do not have proof to assume that this was an act of cheating. Even tomorrow, if they do get a good rank I still will not have any proof to say they did not mark even 50% to be eligible, which by the way was written in the 'Instructions to candidates' section. You may say that I knew the exam was rigged well before I was even applying for it, then why this reaction. My friends, knowing and living with it because we can not do anything is one thing. But some one coming in the middle of your exam and exhibiting the act in public makes you wonder 'What is noble about this profession?' It did not take much to crush the little faith I had in our medical system and the people in it, that includes us budding doctors, big doctors or any one involved.

I do not wish bad for any one. But I really do pray that all those young hearts who have sacrificed their social life and years in attempting to get a post graduate seat in the field and place where they want. Saying this, I would like to tell all those struggling like me, that do not be disheartened, do not get upset. We live in a society which talks, eats and breathes money. It takes a lot not to be one of them and I salute those who are not.


PS- The figures for the number of students applying and the total number of seats is not confirmed but should be around that much.