Dr. Prakash Khaitan, a neurosurgeon in Sangam City, went above and beyond to encourage his daughter Mitali to do well on her medical entrance exam. Despite having a busy schedule filled with surgeries and patients, the 49-year-old doctor chose to study with his daughter for the all-India admission exam. The touching turn in the story is that both the father and the daughter were eligible to take the test this year.
By using Mitali's NEET (UG) score as the basis for admission, Dr. Khaitan's unusual strategy succeeded in getting her into a prestigious medical school in India. The motivational journey started when Mitali battled to rekindle her passion for her studies following the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Khaitan initially enrolled her in a coaching facility in Kota, Rajasthan, but she left because of the discomfort and went back home. He made the decision to encourage his daughter by studying with her and taking the NEET (UG)-2023 exam together after realizing the severe rivalry for MBBS seats in India.
Dr. Khaitan, a holder of the Guinness World Record for an eight-year-old girl's eight-hour surgery to remove 296 cysts from her brain, offered his viewpoint.
Dr. Khaitan dedicated time to studying for the NEET test despite having a busy schedule as a neurosurgeon in Sangam City and feeling a lot of pressure because he was one of very few neurosurgeons in Prayagraj.
Dr. Prakash Khaitan explained that he motivated his daughter by studying alongside her and appearing in the NEET (UG)-2023 exam. Seeing her struggle post-COVID-19 and amidst the intense competition in Kota, Rajasthan, he brought her home and studied with her for support.
This was his first time taking a medical admission exam since taking the CPMT in 1992 while still a student. He gave Mitali advice and persistently pushed her to put in the effort necessary to pass the exam.
Dr. Khaitan's academic career was underway after passing the CPMT in 1992 and receiving admission to the MLN Medical College in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad). After earning his MBBS, he continued his education at King George Medical College in Lucknow, where he also earned an M.Ch. in neurosurgery in 2003 and an MS in surgery in 1999.
Dr. Khaitan and his daughter had distinct test locations on May 7 for the NEET (UG)-2023 exam. Mitali took the exam in Jhunsi, while he showed up at a Shivkuti location. In June, when the results were made public, Mitali beat her father, earning a score above the 90th percentile, while Dr. Khaitan did impressively well, scoring an 89th percentile.
Mitali received admission to the MBBS program at Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, Karnataka, in July; thus, she was already on her way to realizing her dream when the NEET (UG)-2023 mop-up round of counseling was still ongoing as of the third week of September.
The narrative of Dr. Khaitan is a potent reminder to his daughter and to everyone else that there is no upper age limit for learning. Hard work and dedication can result in success. (Rehash/Dr. Nithin GN)