MY LIFE BUT NOT MY RULES
I was 15, when my mother convinced me that “my life would be ‘set’ after getting into a medical college.” Like any other Indian kid, I believed her – word by word. I have turned 24 now and my life is far from being ‘set’. This, my friend, is the biggest scam, arguably worse than the 1992 one. Because this is an ongoing scam that has no end in sight and every Indian mother is empowered with that one special weapon that she uses when everything else fails – No! Not Relaxo Hawaii Footwear! – I’m talking about emotional blackmail. Two drops of tears and you become the villain. Beat that, Ekta Kapoor.
I have been giving exams for 10 years now, and am preparing myself both mentally and physically to study for many years to come. Has anything changed in my life so far?
Yes, many.
Apart from my stubborn under-eye dark circles, my glasses have become thicker than ever. However, I don’t have any complaints about my thick glasses. But what bothers me the most is how small my eyes look through my thick glasses.
My socializing skills have committed suicide. Literally. (Well not literally, but you see what I’m trying to stress upon here?) I have always been an introvert since childhood, with a limited circle of people around myself and no one was supposed to step even on its circumference. Somehow the circle got bigger over the years and currently, I can not tolerate any living being near me. Except dogs.
Believe me or not, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. has ruined the reputation of an M.B.B.S. graduate. Whenever a medical student proudly announces to the world (or rather to their aunties and relatives) that he/ she has completed M.B.B.S., the immediate transformation in their expression is remarkable. “Oh! M.B.B.S. is nothing these days, you have to be a specialist to start seeing patients and complete super-specialisation to actually start treating one.” This comes from people who may not be able to point out a professional college on a city map. Thank you, for letting me know what needs to be done next. I would have stayed ignorant throughout my life without this vital piece of information. You guys should open a consultancy firm!
Such statements forced me to search for my inner peace in the outer world and hence I joined the ‘Art of Living’ classes.
Recently, I was called out by my parents for not respecting the privileges I had in my life. That’s what a weekend of Bhagban does to your family. Well to be honest, I acknowledge the privilege I have had and I am sacrificing my youth for the benefit of society. I am not earning a penny and protecting my self esteem from getting hurt. Isn’t itp enough?
And while I was trying to cope up with the stress, the pandemic hit the world and definitely shattered my world. Ironically enough, the only year when I was relatively free and found meet-and-greet with fellow human beings acceptable, was 2020. Banging thaalis was perhaps the only event that took place that year. However, it was a brief moment of celebration because later it transformed to ‘beat the doctors’. Most of my friends decided to leave this country. Well, brain drain is better than ‘brain in a drain’, isn’t it?
Fast forward to the year 2021. 2021 was pretty much the same except for the fact that the batch of 2015 got convocated. Finally, we received beautiful mementos with the prefix ‘Dr.’ added to our names. This memento is a testimony to all the crests and troughs we have had in this journey. Indeed, a medical career is challenging but it’s all worth it, in the end.
Written By:
Dr. Tuhina Mishra
Dr. Tuhina Mishra has completed M.B.B.S from Grant Government Medical College, Mumbai. Apart from cribbing about her life in general, she is interested in the field of research and has published several papers both in national and international journals. She loves drawing, painting, reading, writing, teaching, trekking, and learning new skills. She loves to sing but her audience don’t appreciate her skills. She has been involved in numerous NGOs that work for mental health, rescue operations, cleanliness drives, women empowerment, women health, medical camps, etc.
