Motivational story of Reechashree Dhungana MBBS, 37th batch, IOM

Reechashree Dhungana

MBBS, 37^th batch, IOM

I completed my schooling from V.S. Niketan School and did my plus two from St. Xavier’s College, Maitighar.

Unlike many other students, I didn’t aim to become a doctor ever since I was very little. In fact, it took me a great deal of time to realize what I really wanted to do in my life, and now that I know what it is, I have no repentance over anything.

I was pretty good at academics since I was a school girl. I started coming first in school since grade four and I completed my schooling under 100% scholarship (on Tuition Fees). I completed my SLC with 90.38 % and passed Plus Two with an aggregate total of 85.5 %.  Now, since this article is mainly written addressing the students preparing for entrance examination, I would like share my experiences during entrance and the ups and downs associated with it.

The first blow I received in life was the entrance-result blow when the results of my first IOM examination came out. I got 83 marks on my first attempt. Oh yes! 83 is a great place to start from, right? But, the questions were relatively too easy and I was relatively a good student and almost every friend of mine had scored better. And so, I was not happy. Not that I expected to get in on my first attempt, it’s just that I hated myself then, because I knew that a little-more hard work could have given me at least a little more marks and a little more satisfaction even if I didn’t get in in the first place.

So then, I decided two things: 1. I had to change, I had to improve and start studying better.

2. I had to stop fretting over what was gone and become determined to create a life for myself where I would never have to look back again.

And so, ‘The Hard-Work Phase’ of my life began. But, I thought I should give Patan a try and so I started solving IQ questions and even made it to the interview/OSCE but got eliminated at the last round.

And guess what, I even applied for a scholarship in Bangladesh. I had an aggregate of 88 marks in PCB, so I thought I would make it, but, my Bio average was luckily/unluckily 86 which gave me another blow, because Bio was all we needed to get through selection process for Bangladesh and my little 86, haha, couldn’t make it for being a little less than the cut-off 87.

So, eventually I thought I should gear up for the ‘real’ upcoming entrance, ‘the BPKIHS entrance’. I started giving weekly exams a month after the course had started and made it to the top 20 on my first attempt. That was a motivation. In the first few exams I hadn’t been able to attempt all the questions, but, with few hacks on time management, I started getting 140 plus by attempting all the questions on the earliest entrance days. So, slowly and gradually, my marks went up. If I were made to plot a graph on my weekly exams performance vs time, I would plot an almost straight slope with minimal ups and downs. I started getting better marks, from 140 to 150, 150 to 160, 160 to 170 and ended up scoring 172 on my BPKIHS entrance with 18^th rank when there were 17 seats.

Now, that was another big blow in my life. That night, I couldn’t sleep. The results were out @ 12:00 AM and I started studying aggressively that night itself after realizing that I missed it because of 1 rank and 0 marks.  Before IOM’s exam, I went to Dharan twice for counselling, expecting that may be someone would give up the seat for some reasons and maybe I would get in, but no, I returned back with nothing but hope, hope that things would change for the better.

One night, few weeks before IOM’s entrance, I sat down to ponder over all the circumstances. I pondered over how I missed the Top 20 scholarships in Name because I started giving exams after the scholarship session was over. I pondered over how I never managed to receive cash prize in Name because by the time I had started scoring well enough to beat the toppers, the Dharan session classes were already over. I pondered over how I missed Bangladesh because I didn’t score as well in Biology as I did in other subjects. I thought about how much I enjoyed other things too, like writing or public speaking, so I thought, maybe, maybe medicine was not for me. So, I told my parents that I would appear IOE entrance or start preparing for SAT to pave way for a foreign law degree. I thought about other subjects I could explore like mass-communication or almost anything, but not medicine.

I am thankful now that my family was strongly against me pursuing something else after having spent so much of time and effort for medical entrance. The counselled me and so, I was ready this time. It was impossible for me to study in donation or pursue something else, so the next IOM entrance was everything to me. It was like a ‘do or die’ situation. The night the IOM’s entrance result came out, I had the most terrible dream of my life. I realize how it does not matter now because that same day, the best thing of my life happened. I finally, made it to IOM.

Two nights, two nights in my life, I haven’t slept. On the night of BPKIHS’ result and on that day, on the day of IOM’s entrance result. Many distractions come and go, but there is one thing I conclude. It’s impossible to get in if you don’t believe that you can. I performed poorly on my first attempt because I was not convinced that I deserved it. And when, I was finally convinced that I had no other options, that medicine was all I wanted, that there was no escaping out, that I was responsible for everything that happens in my life, that if I am confident, I take the credit, if I ruin an exam by being nervous, I am the one to take the blame, that the entrance was all up to me and now was the time to do it, when I was finally convinced of all these things, I made it to IOM.

And yes, now I am a content medical student who is studying in the most prestigious institute of Nepal. And when I look back at my life, I have absolutely no regrets and I know that I will never have to look back again! 😊Motivational story of Reechashree Dhungana MBBS, 37th batch, IOM