TIRUPUR: After three attempts to crack the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and missing an MBBS seat in a government medical college by just six marks in the third attempt, when he scored 505 marks, a 20-year-old medical aspirant from Udumalpet is likely to end up a daily wage labourer soon.
V Ashok Mithun told TOI that he was desperate to secure a medical seat and the sudden loss of his 55-year-old father, who always backed him to pursue his dream and bought him study materials, to Covid-19 in the first week of February this year had left him with no other option but to take up his father's profession of painting to make a living.
Today, Mithun is the sole breadwinner of his family and has the huge responsibility of taking care of his 53-year-old mother Kanageswari, who is suffering from BP.
"After completing Class XII, I attempted NEET (undergraduate) thrice. In the first two attempts, I could score only 164 and 346 marks, respectively. Then my father bought me study materials and I scored 505 marks in the last year's NEET," Mithun said.
However, he couldn't secure a medical seat in any of the government medical colleges in the state in the first phase of MBBS counselling that was held recently. "I missed the seat by six marks."
Mithun said his father was admitted to Udumalpet government hospital with Covid in January end, when he was preparing for MBBS counselling. "It was the time for choice filling and opted for government medical colleges. I could have secured a seat in self-financing colleges, but I knew my family could neither afford the fees nor an education loan."
Mithun now does painting along with his father's colleagues and earns Rs400 a day. He had recently shot off a letter to the chief minister's office (CMO), seeking help to pursue his MBBS dreams. "On February 18, I received a call from CMO and later Dr P Vasanthamani, secretary of selection committee, Directorate of Medical Education, suggested me to opt for all India quota. I was told that there were high chances for me to secure a self-financing medical seat with my mark in the second phase of counselling."
While Mithun has applied for the all India quota, he is concerned about the fees. "If I don't get any financial help, I have to stick to paint work."
