Dreams crushed, high-scoring medical aspirant rears cattle 

Deepak Karthik | Nov 24, 2017, 08:35 IST



Padmapriya had to give up on her MBBS dream as her NEET score was not adequate to get her a seat
TRICHY: The aspiration of 18-year-old Padmapriya was to wear the white coat and be addressed as doctor. However, she had to give up her MBBS dream as her score in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) was not adequate to fetch her an MBBS seat. Now, even her other option of pursuing Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS) hangs in the balance as her family is incapable of paying the fees for the course at a private siddha medical college.

Padmapriya, who scored 1,114 marks out of 1,200 in her higher secondary board examination, now rears cattle at her native Keezhachinthamani village near Jayankondam in Ariyalur district as she has to support her family too. Daughter of Gunasekaran, a differently-abled man, she hit headlines when she mastered all the 1,330 Thirukkural couplets at the age of seven. As a reward, she received free admission and education at a private matriculation school near Jayankondam. Since NEET was made mandatory for medical education, the medical aspirant who completed her higher secondary in Tamil medium, took up the competitive examination but could score only 77 marks, far below the required slab for medical education.

"Though my MBBS dream was crushed due to NEET, I was reluctant to give up. After attending counselling at Dr MGR Medical University, Chennai earlier this month, I secured admission for BSMS at a private medical college at Coimbatore as I have 184.75 medical cut-off marks," Padmapriya told TOI.

Latest CommentHi I do know why this article has been published now. Padmapriya''s fee was paid on the 19th of October 2017 by one of our friend and we have the receipt for it. She does not need any additional fund... Read MoreNivedita Ambigananthan

However, she is short of money as her poverty has become a hurdle in paying the fee of ?3.30 lakh to pursue the course.

With her differently-abled father taking care of livestock and mother Gandhimathi working as agriculture labourer, Padmapriya will have to abandon her education if they can't find the money.