joined AIIMS in 2007 as a nerdy 17-year-old and, five years later, left the institution as a responsible, mature doctor with a well-rounded personality. Despite topping the AIIMS entrance exam, I had initially joined IIT Delhi, but soon realised that my interest lay in medicine. So I quit IIT and joined AIIMS. Although many thought I had made a mistake by giving up IIT, it was the best decision of my life.
When you join college after school, everything is new and you are unsure of the future. You need someone to hold your hand and guide you. AIIMS did just that. Several other medical colleges arguably impart the same knowledge, but I feel AIIMS teaches you how to make the best use of that knowledge. Being a good doctor is really important, but AIIMS also imparts other life skills that matter in the long run.
Of the thousands of aspirants who take the AIIMS entrance exam every year, less than a hundred-odd end up realising their dream of studying in the institute. Mine was a batch of 50 students, with toppers from every state. Together we created a competitive yet healthy environment.
At AIIMS, students get clinical postings from the second year itself, and that's when we get a first-hand experience of patients and our profession. The sheer variety and number of cases one gets to handle here is mind-boggling.
AIIMS, a tertiary care centre, gets patients whom other hospitals have failed to cure. That, in itself, is a challenge as well as an opportunity. We see the rarest of cases from all over the country. When expected to handle such patients, one obviously reads and researches more. The technology, too, is the best one can find. We have state-of-the-art lecture theatres, instrumentation and skill labs. The faculty lays a lot of stress on research work from the very beginning.
Photo: Vikram SharmaPhoto: Vikram Sharma
The institute provides ample opportunities to participate in national and international conferences as well as exchange programmes. Such exposure helps students achieve standards at par with the best in the world. AIIMS students have gone on to become doyens not just in India but in international institutions as well. When you know your seniors and alumni are leading doctors setting standards in the field of medicine globally, you have great role models to inspire you.
Along with the intense focus on academics and learning, AIIMS offers a host of extra-curricular activities. World class facilities for sports as well as recreation are available on the campus. We can boast of a strong socio-cultural club and annually host the biggest fest among medical colleges, Pulse. It attracts students from across the country and allows for interaction with students from other professional streams, opening our world to varying viewpoints and ideas.
A big thanks to my alma mater for making me a skillful and confident medical professional.
The author is a senior resident in the department of radiology, AIIMS.
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