In one of rare instances, a father and son duo from Gujarat – Dr Deepak Vyas and Dr Samisth Vyas – took the NEET-PG exam together earlier this year.
Dr Samisth completed his MBBS in 2023 and is currently doing his internship, while his 51-yr-old father has close to three decades of experience as a medical practitioner.
Interestingly, the son scored better than his father in the coveted exam.
“My son proved to be better than his father. I have clinical experience, but my son scored better,” said Dr Vyas.
The duo didn’t share their scores, saying that the first attempt was more for experience and that Dr Samisth would take the exam again to get into his desired field of study.
“When Samisth started preparing for his NEET-PG exams, I decided to give it a shot. When I passed MBBS in 1996, conditions were such that I had to start working and I could not pursue specialisation. Hence, I took it as a challenge to write the NEET-PG exam to test my knowledge, way of learning and format,” said the senior doctor.
“I wanted to give company and competition to my son, who passed from GMERS, Gandhinagar. We studied together where I guided him in practical aspects, while he would help me with the theoretical aspects from his syllabus.”
Dr Vyas said when he last appeared for the MBBS exam, the format was descriptive, and the MCQ format in which NEET-PG is conducted was unthinkable.
“I am from the pen and paper era when MBBS marks were considered for PG admission. Writing the exam on the computer in multiple choice questions (MCQ) format was a new experience,” added Dr Vyas, a medical counsellor with Apollo Hospitals.
Samisth, who wishes to pursue MD (medicine), will appear next year with better preparation to get admission in his desired field. So, the duo did not fret much about the exam or rank this year as the purpose was not to secure a seat.
The duo said that it was the spirit of competition that kept them going. “The result was not the goal – it was the journey, the time spent together and the sense of achievement that we will cherish,” said Samisth.
