"It was my childhood dream to become a doctor," Maya Kashyap of Dornapal told TOI on Friday. "I am glad that I have come this far."
To give you an idea as to why it's such a big deal for a tribal girl to get a medical seat, there are just 3,000 children enrolled in primary education in Dornapal - that too in hostels. Village schools, like the one in which Maya studied, hardly ever get to see a teacher.
Barely a handful make it to high school, and college is a faraway dream. And to make it even harder for the 19-year-old, bare survival has often been hard for her family after her father died nine years ago.
When asked how she managed to overcome her hurdles, she said: "I never looked at the obstacles. I only saw my goals." She secured the 154th rank among STs, was at number 12,315 overall in the state in NEET this year and took admission in Ambikapur Medical College. In May 2018, the Medical Council of India had approved 100 MBBS seats for this college.
"For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a doctor. After my father died, it became almost impossible to continue with my studies. But I never gave up. I could not give up on my dream," she said.
When she cracked NEET, her family was overjoyed but also worried about arranging the fees. Her elder brother Anup even took a loan from a friend while her sister-in-law Ratna Kashyap collected money from relatives.
Remembering the tough times, she said: "My mother had to take care of three siblings, besides myself. They, too, were in school. Due to lack of money, I faced a lot of hardship while preparing for NEET, but that did not deter me."
She didn't take any coaching to get into medical school. "I want to return to my area and serve my people. The interiors regions are deprived of basic medical facilities," she said.
from Times of India https://ift.tt/2MN6t1F
