<p>The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET, for admission to India's medical colleges, was rocked by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/neet-row-supreme-court-pulls-up-national-testing-agency-over-inconsistent-marks-calculation-735611">scandal</a> in June. Some 67 students got the perfect score in this highly competitive test, something that is not just rare but nearly impossible.</p>

<p>NEET is considered to be one of the toughest exams in the world, second only to the Gaokao exam in China. Over 2.3 million students took the exam this year, out of which 1,563 had to take it again due to alleged discrepancies in the results.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Central Bureau of Investigation is now investigating six cases of alleged paper leaks, and some reports say that the question papers were sold for close to Rs 3 million ($35,944) a day before the exam, raising serious concerns about the sanctity of Indian examinations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On the occasion of National Doctors Day, which is dedicated to cherishing the many wonderful people who serve folks from across the globe and save lives every day, the NEET scandal and subsequent concerns have dampened the celebratory atmosphere.</p>

<p>Some key questions are being asked:&nbsp;</p>

<p><b><i>If people can get into medical colleges through unfair means, what does it say about India’s future doctors?</i></b></p>

<p><b><i>What is the scope of Indian medicine as a profession and career?</i></b></p>

<p><b><i>Is medicine no longer a ‘noble’ profession?&nbsp;</i></b></p>

<p>Let’s take a deep dive.</p>

<h2><b>Rise in Competition</b></h2>

<p>The field of medicine has become extremely competitive, forcing aspirants to study up to 18 hours a day to crack the all-important examination. With the rise of coaching institutes, which charge hundreds of thousands of rupees for preparation, parents are forced to sell their possessions and even take debt to make sure that their children become successful doctors.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/neet-exam-row-doctor-arranges-solver-in-place-of-his-medical-aspirant-son-for-rs-4-lakh-police-on-manhunt-736685">NEET exam row: Doctor arranges solver in place of his medical aspirant son for Rs 4 lakh; police on manhunt</a></p>

<p>Dr. Anuradha, a dentist from New Delhi, says that in her preparatory days, "the competition was not this high, and thus the pressures were not this intense."</p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/data-lab-inside-kota-indias-factory-of-suicides-708476">rise in suicides</a> among NEET aspirants points to the growing pressure that Indian students face every day. Was this the reason why many students preferred the illegal route this year? That is something for all of us to ponder.</p>

<h2><b>Downward Trend in Education and Discipline?&nbsp;</b></h2>

<p>The natural question that we must ask is: have the discipline and quality of medical education imparted to students declined? If yes, why?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr. Anuradha says that "discipline in colleges was still present in my time but is now not there, especially in private colleges."</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjXpu_A_YWHAxWsma8BHQxfBCQQxfQBKAB6BAgKEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/neet-ug-exam-row-student-who-got-leaked-papers-scored-only-185-marks-out-of-720-734883" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/neet-ug-exam-row-student-who-got-leaked-papers-scored-only-185-marks-out-of-720-734883&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjXpu_A_YWHAxWsma8BHQxfBCQQxfQBKAB6BAgKEAE">NEET-UG exam row: Student who got leaked papers scored only 185 marks out of 720</a></p>

<p>Dr. Chanbrababu Sudha, another practitioner and academician, says: "Three decades ago, it was pure academic acumen on which I was weighed, which is very far from the scenario today."</p>

<p>What are students weighed upon today? Are private centres of medical education just businesses?&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b>NEET Scandal Can Cost Lives</b></h2>

<p>While cheating or unfair means in any other examination may lead to bad engineers or uninformed policymakers, unfair entry into medicine may result in unqualified doctors treating patients, leading to the loss of lives or mass tragedies.</p>

<p>Both doctors I spoke to agreed that the illegal entry of people into premier colleges is "dangerous" and may give rise to doctors who are "not properly trained to handle complicated cases."</p>

<h2><b>Is medicine, as a profession, still noble?&nbsp;</b></h2>

<p>Being a doctor is a matter of great pride in India. "Doctor bhagwaan hai" (Doctor is God) is a phrase all Indians have heard in their childhoods, from mothers and grandmothers.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | NEET Row: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla dismisses Congress' allegations</strong></p>

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<p>But with the rise in commercial coaching centres, inflated treatment charges, and now a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/collapse-of-education-is-collapse-of-the-nation-statement-goes-viral-amid-neet-ug-exam-row-in-india-735377">paper leak</a>, the question that needs to be asked is whether medicine is still a noble profession.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr. Anuradha says that "this is highly subjective and differs from person to person. You can be noble if you want to be, but the lure of money is too great for some, and thus they follow unethical means and charge unnecessarily."</p>

<p>A doctor-to-be, Shraddha Khullar agrees. She says, "Medicine will always be a noble profession because it is meant to help people (literally and figuratively)."&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b>Future Gloomy or Drab?&nbsp;</b></h2>

<p>With the paper leak and the additional pressure that it has put on the doctors of tomorrow, the future looks gloomy at best.</p>

<p>But will the clouds clear?</p>

<p>"I hope that one day we will be able to have a medical system that caters to every strata of society, which it is not able to do today. The poor and rich should be treated equally," says Dr. Anuradha when asked about the future of the profession.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shraddha Khullar says, "My hope is that we start treating doctors as human beings and not mere machines who are meant to work round the clock without any breaks."</p>

<h2><b>Way forward</b></h2>

<p>While celebrating doctors on National Doctors Day is admirable, it is far from enough. There have been enough cases of doctors being beaten up inside hospitals.</p>

<p>In many cases, doctors are notoriously underpaid, shockingly overworked, and deserve much more.</p>

<p>We need to not just respect our doctors but also make sure that the only thing they worry about is their patients, not paper leaks, salaries, or personal safety.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET, for admission to India's medical colleges, was rocked by scandal in June. Some 67 students got the perfect score in this highly competitive test, something that is not just rare but nearly impossible.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET, for admission to India's medical colleges, was rocked by scandal in June. Some 67 students got the perfect score in this highly competitive test, something that is not just rare but nearly impossible. NEET is considered to be one of the toughest exams in the world, second only to the Gaokao exam in China. Over 2.3 million students took the exam this year, out of which 1,563 had to take it again due to alleged discrepancies in the results. The Central Bureau of Investigation is now investigating six cases of alleged paper leaks, and some reports say that the question papers were sold for close to Rs 3 million ($35,944) a day before the exam, raising serious concerns about the sanctity of Indian examinations. On the occasion of National Doctors Day, which is dedicated to cherishing the many wonderful people who serve folks from across the globe and save lives every day, the NEET scandal and subsequent concerns have dampened the celebratory atmosphere. Some key questions are being asked: If people can get into medical colleges through unfair means, what does it say about India’s future doctors? What is the scope of Indian medicine as a profession and career? Is medicine no longer a ‘noble’ profession? Let’s take a deep dive. Rise in Competition The field of medicine has become extremely competitive, forcing aspirants to study up to 18 hours a day to crack the all-important examination. With the rise of coaching institutes, which charge hundreds of thousands of rupees for preparation, parents are forced to sell their possessions and even take debt to make sure that their children become successful doctors. Also Read | NEET exam row: Doctor arranges solver in place of his medical aspirant son for Rs 4 lakh; police on manhunt Dr. Anuradha, a dentist from New Delhi, says that in her preparatory days, "the competition was not this high, and thus the pressures were not this intense." The rise in suicides among NEET aspirants points to the growing pressure that Indian students face every day. Was this the reason why many students preferred the illegal route this year? That is something for all of us to ponder. Downward Trend in Education and Discipline? The natural question that we must ask is: have the discipline and quality of medical education imparted to students declined? If yes, why? Dr. Anuradha says that "discipline in colleges was still present in my time but is now not there, especially in private colleges." Also Read | NEET-UG exam row: Student who got leaked papers scored only 185 marks out of 720 Dr. Chanbrababu Sudha, another practitioner and academician, says: "Three decades ago, it was pure academic acumen on which I was weighed, which is very far from the scenario today." What are students weighed upon today? Are private centres of medical education just businesses? NEET Scandal Can Cost Lives While cheating or unfair means in any other examination may lead to bad engineers or uninformed policymakers, unfair entry into medicine may result in unqualified doctors treating patients, leading to the loss of lives or mass tragedies. Both doctors I spoke to agreed that the illegal entry of people into premier colleges is "dangerous" and may give rise to doctors who are "not properly trained to handle complicated cases." Is medicine, as a profession, still noble? Being a doctor is a matter of great pride in India. "Doctor bhagwaan hai" (Doctor is God) is a phrase all Indians have heard in their childhoods, from mothers and grandmothers. Watch | NEET Row: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla dismisses Congress' allegations × But with the rise in commercial coaching centres, inflated treatment charges, and now a paper leak, the question that needs to be asked is whether medicine is still a noble profession. Dr. Anuradha says that "this is highly subjective and differs from person to person. You can be noble if you want to be, but the lure of money is too great for some, and thus they follow unethical means and charge unnecessarily." A doctor-to-be, Shraddha Khullar agrees. She says, "Medicine will always be a noble profession because it is meant to help people (literally and figuratively)." Future Gloomy or Drab? With the paper leak and the additional pressure that it has put on the doctors of tomorrow, the future looks gloomy at best. But will the clouds clear? "I hope that one day we will be able to have a medical system that caters to every strata of society, which it is not able to do today. The poor and rich should be treated equally," says Dr. Anuradha when asked about the future of the profession. Shraddha Khullar says, "My hope is that we start treating doctors as human beings and not mere machines who are meant to work round the clock without any breaks." Way forward While celebrating doctors on National Doctors Day is admirable, it is far from enough. There have been enough cases of doctors being beaten up inside hospitals. In many cases, doctors are notoriously underpaid, shockingly overworked, and deserve much more. We need to not just respect our doctors but also make sure that the only thing they worry about is their patients, not paper leaks, salaries, or personal safety.

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National Doctors Day | From NEET paper leak to death threats, is India treating its doctors right?

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