IT was June 2022. A student from the countryside, drenched in sweat, was studying with many thoughts running through his mind. He was preparing himself for the medical and dental college admission test (MDCAT). The fear of failure was creating several negative inquiries in his mind. He was asking himself if he would be able to clear the test, wondering if he would come up to his parents’ expectations. The pressure on him was intense. How can I tell? I can because I was that person.

After months of hard work, the efforts finally bore fruit, and changed the course of my academic journey. I passed the test, and on that day, I forgot all the challenges and barriers I had faced during the journey.

Being an MDCAT aspirant was not easy. Preparing for the test was a daunting task. It required a lot of hard work, perseverance, dedication and focus. More than 80,000 students take MDCAT every year, making it an intensely competitive examination in every sense of the word. Aspirants have to study a lot of books, attend coaching classes, solve multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and take mock tests.

The aspirants also have to deal with the burden of family and social expectations. The journey was hard and challenging, but the end was rewarding. To go from an aspirant to an achiever needs dedication, positive attitude, strong determination and self-esteem.

Keeping oneself motivated and confident is the essential aspect of this journey because in our society, we encounter many negative people and negative comments. One must learn to counter and ignore all such negative elements who could do nothing better than to spread negativity. One should be able to focus only on the objective, not on any negative, discouraging element. And, trust me, getting admission to a medical college is the most satisfying and victorious moment in a young life, especially when you have dreams.

Recently, while returning from my medical college on my way home, holding my lab coat in my hand, I was struck by a wave of memories from the last year when I was an aspirant; when I would return from my coaching academy to home with MDCAT preparation books in my hands. I could feel the rather broad smile on my face as thoughts rushed through my mind.

The aspirants wishing to join the medical profession have to keep reminding them- selves that through hard work and dedi- cation, they, too, can achieve what I and many other did. Nothing is impossible if one is dedicated and sincere to one’s own self.

Mushtaq Ahmad Salarzai
Bajaur

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2023