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Journalism of Courage
Umer Ahmad Ganie, a 19-year-old from Zagigam in Kashmir’s Pulwama district, used to study from 4 pm till 12 pm and then 3 am till 8 am everyday with the aim to clear NEET UG 2023. However, his odd hours of studying were not because it suited his lifestyle, but because he had to attend school and work as a labourer during the day.
“I come from a family which is not financially strong. I had to work as a daily wage labourer all while attending school. My father was over the age of 50 when I was in Class 9, therefore I had to work hard to make sure that my family was financially supported. It was in Class 10 when I heard the news of a boy clearing NEET and becoming a doctor from my district. That motivated me to prepare for the entrance test and I chose the Science stream in Class 11,” he told indianexpress.com.
However, Umer could not afford private coaching classes so he relied on NCERT and focused on self-study. “To make sure that I could buy the relevant study material, I was painting houses to sustain a living,” he recalled.
However, soon after his decision, Covid took over the world and several other issues disturbed his studies. “Covid didn’t deter or scare me. I saw the efforts the doctors of my district and other parts of the world were putting in. That motivated me to clear NEET, become a doctor and get a chance to help people in society,” he said.
The time period which was a problem for many became a golden opportunity for Umer in achieving his dream. “There were times when there were internet outages or lockdowns in the district, but since I was referring to NCERT books, my preparation strategy was not negatively affected,” he said.
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However, Umer — who also took online classes from Physics Wallah — has now been appointed as the brand ambassador for the coaching institute’s Kashmir region. He also added that the internet can be used for the NEET preparation. “Future medical aspirants should use the internet to get the right resources and understand the topics that seem difficult. It is easy to get distracted through social media, but if the internet is used in the right manner, it can help drastically,” he advised medical aspirants.
Umer’s older brother has taken up the responsibility of providing financial assistance for the family to ensure his younger brother can achieve his dream of an MBBS degree.
The 19-year-old now wishes to get admission to any government medical college in his state. “I like Kashmir and I want to study and practice medicine here only. The weather suits me, I understand the language and people. Therefore, I would like to study here and help the people of Kashmir in the future,” he said.
