'Didn't expect rank 11', says NEET-PG topper from Mangaluru

'During the process of preparation for the exam, I made it a point to study daily. It's the hard work and dedication which finally pays off,' Dr Shivani explained, adding that she would also paint occasionally to cope with the stress.

Mangaluru: Dr Shivani Bhat L was excited when she saw her result of NEET-PG entrance examinations and could not believe that she had secured All Indian Rank (AIR) 11.

The daughter of Gokul Bhat and Gayathri from Chilimbi in Mangaluru, Dr Shivani was over the moon when she got the news.

"It was late in the night on Friday when the results were announced. I immediately informed my mother and we were all super excited. Later, I spoke to my sister who is abroad and we spoke for hours," she recounted.

She said, "On learning about the exam's cancellations, I could not believe it. However, I did not freak out on it. I had put in a lot of effort since deciding to take the exam, even cancelling my plans to go to the UK for higher studies and choosing to stay back in India."

"Always having an end target date is essential. When the date is changed all of a sudden, you feel all your plans getting affected. The cancellation of the exams did affect me. But I bounced back and started preparing for the exam again," she added.

"During the process of preparation for the exam, I made it a point to study daily. It's the hard work and dedication which finally pays off," she explained, adding that she would also paint occasionally to cope with the stress.

"I have not yet planned on my specialisation. However, I am planning either to specialise in general medicine or radiodiagnosis," she said.

She attributed her success to a strong foundation in MBBS, particularly in physiological and pathological concepts. "I did not attend offline coaching classes. However, I had subscribed to online coaching platforms and dedicated my time to studying daily," she said.

Dr Shivani had completed her MBBS from Kasturba Medical College, Mangaluru.