Medical admissions counselling: Dreams take shape for many students from rural T.N.

The hall where the counselling for MBBS and BDS courses under 7.5% reservation for government school students was in progress was filled with mixed emotions of tension, confusion and quiet excitement. But soon the apprehensions gave way to relief as parents and students exchanged smiles as for many of them, it was the first step towards their dream of donning the white coat.

Most of the students who walked into Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar Estate for the counselling on Wednesday were from rural parts of Tamil Nadu. Many of them – whose parents were into agriculture, weaving, and daily wage labourers – said they had spent in the range of Rs. 30,000 to Rs. three lakh for coaching classes.

A. Jeevitha, a resident of Villupuram, was accompanied by her father Azhagappan, a farmer. Securing 566 marks in class XII board examinations and a NEET score of 460 in her second attempt, she chose a MBBS seat in Government Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai. “I am very happy that she is getting to pursue her dream,” her father said. They spent Rs. 30,000 for private coaching.

Sridevi and her sister Nishanthi – residents of Sathyakadanur in Villupuram – have both benefitted from the 7.5% reservation for government school students. While Sridevi secured a medical seat at the Chengalpattu government medical college in Wednesday’s counselling after securing a NEET score of 470, Nishanthi, who is currently pursuing engineering, had secured admission under the preferential reservation in 2022. “My father is an auto driver. This is my third attempt at NEET. Two of my uncles supported me financially to go for NEET coaching. They spent nearly Rs. three lakh,” Ms. Sridevi said.

A. Manjula, a resident of Salem, secured admission at Krishnagiri government medical college. In her first attempt at NEET, she secured 270 marks and went on to score 453 in her second attempt. “We spent Rs. 48,000 for coaching classes,” Ms. Manjula, whose father works in a weaving unit, said.

An official, on condition of anonymity, said that majority of the students in the 7.5% reservation category, were NEET repeaters. “Families spend at least Rs. 1.5 lakh for NEET coaching, and among them, only those who can afford to spend, repeat NEET. So, freshers hailing from poor families stand to lose, and this is not fair. In the beginning, when the 7.5% reservation was introduced, it was mostly freshers who obtained seats for the first two to three years. But in the subsequent years, most of the candidates were repeaters, and the number of freshers reduced,” he said.

“In addition, there is no 7.5% reservation for government school students in paramedical courses, one of the main options for children belonging to Below Poverty Line families. The government should take this into consideration,” he added.