Mumbai doctor commits suicide after poor NEET score

A 25-year-old doctor, who was disappointed with his score of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), committed suicide on Monday by jumping off the seventh floor of Lokhandwala Complex in Kandivli.

Police officials said Dr Parth Bamaria, who was attached to the municipal KEM Hospital, Parel, was depressed as the scores in the test were not enough to get a seat for post graduate studies. “He jumped off the terrace of the building he lived in. He has left a suicide note, which said that there was no foul play and he did this by his own wish,” said senior police Inspector Dilip Yadav of Samta Nagar police station.

Yadav said investigations revealed that the doctor was under severe depression after the NEET results were declared on January 15. “His family and friends confirmed that the exam stress and poor results bothered him as he wanted to pursue post-graduation,” said Yadav.

NEET is a single window entrance examination in India for students who wish to appear for graduate medical courses (MBBS/dental course (BDS) or postgraduate courses (MD / MS) in a government or private medical college. Dr Bamaria’s colleagues from the hospital also said his marks weren’t enough to secure a seat in any government or private medical college.

Every year, around 1 lakh doctors appear for the exams, out of which approximately 30% clear the test. The students then compete to be eligible for 17,000 PG seats across 350 medical colleges of India (both government and private).

Dr Sagar Mundada, president of youth wing of Indian Medical Association, said IMA is planning to file a PIL in the Supreme Court, requesting to make changes in the current pattern of the exams, which are allegedly causing undue mental pressure for the students. “In the current pattern, NEET exams are spread across a week with exclusive paper patterns for every student which turns the test in a gamble. There have been instances where bright students are unable to clear the exams, affecting the quality of post-graduate doctors. We demand a less theoretical and uniform exam pattern for everybody, which will eventually better the quality of doctors,” said Dr Mundada.

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