Against all odds | The story of Hitesh Choudhary: From almost being a school dropout due to monetary issues to becoming a doctor

A helping hand

Dr Choudhary studied in a municipal school till class four when he won a scholarship that allowed him to move to the KC Thackeray Vidya Niketan School run by Akanksha Foundation, supported by Mphasis F1 Foundation. Here, tuition and books were free, he only had to pay for travelling to school. When he got to class seven, the shop run by his family had to be sold and their only source of income ran dry.

“We were not able to pay rent or living costs. When I was about to leave school to return to our village, some of my teachers encouraged my mother to start working. They used her contacts to look for a job for her, whereby she could earn to support the family. She was finally able to bag a job in a private hospital’s housekeeping department. This enabled us to stay on in Pune and for me to continue studying,” said Dr Choudhary.

This experience also transformed him. “My teachers played a crucial role at a point when I needed it. Doing so much for someone who is just one of the students in their school; finding a job for his mother so she could support the family… It inspired me to give back to society. When I was choosing a career, the two options that came to mind were – either doctor or a teacher, both would help me give back to society,” said Dr Choudhary.

Dr Choudhary’s NEET journey wasn’t easy either. He had to opt for drop years to pass the exam. And even when he scored well, an issue with his domicile certificate did not allow him to get admission. But he did not give up, and he cracked the exam again the next year. His elder brother, who lived with his grandparents in Rajasthan, had also taken up medicine and became a cardio surgeon. Sharing a lesson from his story Dr Choudhary says, “If you want to do something, go for it. Even if you don’t have money, somebody will help you. Even if it’s mental or some other obstacle, do not stop. Look for someone who will help you and you will definitely have a breakthrough.”