As beneficiaries of a support programme initiated by the 2002-batch of Madurai Medical College (MMC), five students from Avvai Corporation Girls Higher Secondary School on East Avani Moola Street, have done their mentors proud.
The five girls are among the 88 students from government schools in Madurai district who have cleared the NEET-2021. The medicos can't stop beaming about B. R. Priyanka, the district's top scorer with 414 marks. She along with G. Deepasri (301), K. Vinodhini (283), B. Sangeethan (258) and G. B. Kousalya (226) were recipients of the MMC-02 scholarship.
The cut-off for admissions is awaited, but all of them stand a good chance of getting into top medical colleges under the 7.5 per cent internal reservation quota, said Dr. N. Prithiviraj, Consultant, Surgical Gastroenterology, Vadamalayan Hospital. It was his idea to sponsor deserving students who are unable to afford the expensive NEET coaching.
This year, however, 508 government and aided school students in Madurai received the Education department's e-box training as well. The results are a significant improvement over previous years.
Two years ago Dr. Prithiviraj had approached his medical college batch mates to raise funds for government school students who wish to attend intensive coaching classes. “It was launched as a pilot project in one school. The donation covered the fees of five students,” he told The Hindu.
However, the doctors did not stop there. They kept track of the progress of the five scholarship winners and spared their time to conduct extra classes and clear their doubts. “When we mentored the girls to ace the exam, it bolstered their confidence. We are thrilled that all five have made it,” said Dr. Prithiviraj.
Daughters of an autodriver, bus conductor, cable worker and hotel waiter, the girls were selected based on their class X marks and their unflinching passion to become doctors.
“In future we want to reach out to more students and especially those in rural areas who cannot commute to the city daily for special coaching,” the doctor said.