NEET PG Topper 2023 Interview: Dr. Punya Muralidhar (AIR 11) says there is no substitute for hardwork
National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2025 ( NEET )
NEET PG Topper Punya Murlidhar says that she grew up surrounded by doctors in the family, and they inspired her to take MBBS too. However, she found her true passion for the field of medicine in the dissection hall and lecture halls. In this article, we bring forward to you her journey, preparation strategy and many other important tips to excel in the NEET PG exam.
NEET PG Topper Dr. Punya Muralidhar who comes from a family of doctors feels the NEET PG Exam is just the journey and not the end. She suggests student work hard, makes consistent efforts and not give up. In an exclusive interview with Shiksha.com, Dr. Muralidhar spoke about her journey to crack NEET PG 2023, tips, strategies, and last-day preparation. Read further to know more.
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Q. Congratulations on your success in NEET PG 2023 exam? How do you feel being a top ranker?
A, It feels really surreal and I haven’t been able to grasp the idea of a top rank yet in NEET PG Exam 2023. I also feel really grateful that I got to see my dream turn to reality.
Q: It is possible to crack NEET exam without coaching?
Q: Which is the best reference book for biology for preparing NEET ?
Q: Who topped the NEET 2023 exam?
As many as two candidates have scored full marks of 720 in NEET 2023 result. Out of 20,38,596 candidates who had appeared for the exam, 11,45,976 candidates have qualified. Prabanjan J from Tamil Nadu secured AIR 1 with a full score of 720. Bora Varun Chakravarthi from Andhra Pradesh has bagged AIR 2 with 720 score. Pranjal Aggarwal from Punjab is the female topper of NEET 2023 with 716 score. NEET 2023 result was declared on June 13. NTA released the scorecards along with the list of top scorers in NEET 2023 and the qualifying cutoff scores for each candidate category.
Also Read: NEET 2023 Toppers List
Q. Tell us something about your background.
A. I hail from a family of doctors as my parents and my sister are all ophthalmologists. I’m a South Indian but was born and brought up in Gujarat where I’m currently doing my internship.
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Q. What motivated you to pursue medicine as a career?
A. Since I was surrounded by doctors in my close family, choosing medicine seemed to be the obvious and easiest path to take at the time so I set out to do MBBS too, but I found my true passion for the field of medicine in the dissection hall and lecture halls. It is mesmerizing to know about the way the human body functions. When our clinical rotations started and we got to interact with patients, that’s when I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. There is no greater happiness than having a positive impact on someone’s life, however small it may be.
Q. How did your family support you in your journey?
A. My parents Dr. Jigisha Muralidhar and Dr. B L Muralidhar and my sister Dr. Venu Muralidhar have been my biggest support system. They had gone through this journey before themselves so they knew of the stress and the dedication that it takes to pursue this field. Their insights in helping me take important decisions; their pep talks and their constant belief in me are what kept me going. My grandparents’ blessings were always with me throughout this journey which gave me strength and positivity.
Q: What is a good score in NEET?
In general, a score of 600+ is considered to be good for NEET which will ensure a high rank. However, given the high level of competition, if you wish to get admission to one of the top 10 colleges, then you must score above 700. But if you wish to get an MBBS seat and any of the decent medical colleges in India, then a score of 600+ is required. At the same time, a score of 550 or above may also fetch you an MBBS seat at a medical college towards the end of the counselling rounds. On the other hand, if you are aspiring to pursue a BDS or a B.Sc. Nursing, then a score above 500 should be able to fetch you a seat at a good Dental or Nursing colleges in India. Having said this, by if your score is lower than the marks mentioned above, you need not feel demoralised or demotivated. There are a lot of other medical specialisations or courses through NEET scores and you will always have a good option according to your score. To know more, read the article given below: https://www.shiksha.com/medicine-health-sciences/articles/what-after-neet-blogId-37499.
Q: Which was the easiest section of the NEET 2023?
Q: Can I prepare for NEET in just one month?
Q: How do I prepare for the NEET from the very beginning without coaching?
Q: How to prepare for NEET exam and get a good rank?
Q. Where did you complete your rotatory internship?
A. I am currently doing my internship at Sir Sayajirao General Hospital, Medical College Baroda. I will complete it by March 31, 2023.
Q. Did you appear for any other PG medical entrance examination?
A. No this was my first attempt at NEET PG.
Q. What are your thoughts on the NEET PG 2023 postponement that many candidates requested? Do you think the exam should've been postponed?
A. I personally refrained from checking the news too often because it caused me anxiety to do so. Whenever I’m faced with situations that are not in my control; like whether the exam will be postponed or not; I like to focus on the part which I can control like working hard for the exam. I try to have faith that whatever happens will happen for the good and that helped me keep up with my preparation in those uncertain times.
Q. How did you prepare for NEET PG 2023?
A. I started my preparation for the lockdown in my third year of MBBS. I finished making the notes for my third year and medicine via online platforms. In my final year, I completed the notes of my final year subjects via a mixture of online and offline classes. In my internship, I made notes of my first and second-year subjects and in the second half of the year, I focused on revising and solving MCQs. During my internship year, I started giving grand tests.
Q. How much time did you devote to self-study vs. coaching and how do you manage to do both?
A. While preparing notes in my first 2 years of preparation I used to spend most of my time watching videos or attending the coaching class. Just a month or two before my university examination every year I used to self-study more, revise the notes I had prepared even read some selected topics from the standard textbooks. In my internship year I mainly focused on revising the notes I had already made and taking tests.
Q. Did you take any mock tests to prepare for NEET PG 2023 preparations?
A. Grand tests formed a major part of my preparation. I used to give one grand test every 2 weeks and it gave direction to my preparation by telling me which subjects I was weak in and needed to study first. A common misconception among students is that grand tests should only be attempted after you have completed the course because it’s a tool to test your knowledge, but this is not correct because grand tests are essential to developing your test-solving skills. Giving multiple tests builds strong intuitions and helps rule out the other options in the test. It also helps you formulate the exam day strategy.
Q. Did you have any specific exam day strategy?
A. Preparing yourself to be in a positive and confident mindset on the day of the exam is the key to getting those extra marks and pushing your rank up. In the weeks leading to the exam whenever I felt anxious I kept reinforcing positive thoughts in my head by talking to family and friends.
I trained myself to deal with anxiety so on the day of the exam I was feeling positive, confident and even a little excited to start the test. I attempted all the questions because I had been good at guessing in my previous grand tests and the strategy of aggressively attempting questions worked for me.
Q. What are your hobbies and did you find time to engage in your hobbies throughout your NEET PG 2023 preparations?
A. During the start of my preparation in the lockdown I had a lot of time to pursue my hobbies and prepare for NEET simultaneously. Whenever I got the time I sketched and I also loved dancing with my sister. I also conducted and published ICMR-approved research at the time. But during my internship due to heavy duties I couldn’t pursue any hobbies but I participated in a couple of national quizzes. I used to unwind by spending time with family and meeting up with friends.
Q. Any message or advice for future medical aspirants?
A. My advice to all my juniors will be to dream big. The most important step to doing something big is thinking that you can do it. Trust the process and make consistent efforts as there is no substitute for hard work. Surround yourself with positive and encouraging people and keep them close. At the end, this exam is just a part of your journey to be a good doctor for society, it is not the end goal.
Read More:
- NEET PG 2023 Topper Interview: Dr. Devashish Gupta (AIR 14) said it was his dream to become a great doctor
- NEET PG 2023 Topper Interview: Dr. Rohit Tholia (AIR 3) says family support is crucial to prepare for such daunting exam
- NEET PG 2023 Topper Interview: Know how solving NEET, AIIMS mock tests helped Dr. Aakash Sethi to secure AIR 4
- NEET PG 2023 Topper AIR 2 Dr. Prem says to try to assess yourself wherever possible, on multiple platforms
- NEET PG 2023 Topper Interview: Dr Rahul Nambiar, AIR 9 asks aspirants to focus on previous year's question papers
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I will not say, it is impossible. It is possible, but you have work very hard and must give your 200% effort to crack these competitive exams. In my opinion, it is better to take coaching for NEET exam. Coaching makes your exam preparation easier. Sometimes, if you get lots of doubt then you can get it cleared by your tutor who has got the subject knowledge.
Students get individual attention at coaching institutes and they focus on learning and development of students as per their requirement. Coaching centers also teach you a lot of tips, tricks and time management that help you to crack NEET exam. But, you have to be careful in choosing a right and resourceful coaching center, as there are many fraud coaching centers that works for money and not for delivering knowledge to the students.