Be Calm and Focused, says Dr. Satya (AIR 9 in AIIMS PG and AIR 37 in PGI)

PrepLadder wishes heartiest congratulations to Dr. Satya Prakash for attaining AIR 9 in AIIMS PG and AIR 37 in PGI. We wish Dr. Satya Prakash all the very best for his successful career and future ahead. In this interview with PrepLadder he shares tips on how you can achieve your dream seat too. Hello, please tell us something about yourself. Dr. Prakash: My name is Satya Prakash. I have done my MBBS from AIIMS, New Delhi. I got AIR rank 9 in AIIMS PG November, 2017 and AIR 37 in PGI, Chandigarh November, 2017. What do you think is the correct approach to study for AIIMS PG? Only MCQ's or Theory+MCQ's? Dr. Prakash: According to me, theory along with MCQs approach is much better as compared to practicing only MCQ’s, because there are a lot of conceptual questions which can't be solved simply by solving and practicing MCQs. When should the preparation ideally be started? Dr. Prakash: I started my preparation in the 6th semester where I joined a foundation course in one of the coaching institutes, although I didn't attend it very sincerely. I started my proper preparation for PG with full focus in my internship. At first, I tried to focus on basic concepts only and gradually upgraded my preparation. Please list the books you studied for each subject. Dr. Prakash: Books I referred for my preparation were: Anatomy- Gray's for students, Vishram Singh, T and D notes Physiology- Somen Manna review, some figures from Ganong Biochemistry- Coaching class notes, First Aid for Step 1 USMLE Path- Devesh Mishra review, Diagrams and photos from Robbins, T and D notes Pharmacology- Gobind Rai Garg review, T and D notes Microbiology- Apurba Sastry review, T and D notes Forensics- Sumit Seth review, T and D notes Medicine- Thameem notes, coaching class notes Surgery- Coaching class notes, T and D notes Paediatrics- Meenakshi Bothra review Obstetrics and Gynaecology- Puneet Bhojani review, coaching class notes PSM- Vivek Jain review, coaching class notes Ophthalmology- Coaching class notes, Vineet Sehgal notes Orthopaedics- Apurva Mehra review, coaching class notes, T and D notes ENT- Coaching class notes Dermatology- Coaching class notes, T and D notes Psychiatry- Coaching class notes, T and D notes Anaesthesia- Coaching class notes Radiology: Coaching class notes, T and D notes Have you attempted any PG exam previously? If yes, what were your ranks then and what did you do different this time that lead to your success? Dr. Prakash: No, with god’s grace and my preparation, I cleared it in my first attempt.   How big is the role of practice and revision while preparing for AIIMS PG and how much time should be dedicated for it? Dr. Prakash: Revision carries a great role in ensuring a good rank, as it is nearly impossible to be able to memorize everything in just one reading. So you need to have a good revision strategy. One must spare at least a month for revision purpose. However, it is equally important to not read too less, because the questions tend to be quite varied and are asked from various topics.   Did PrepLadder play a part in your success? If yes, how? Dr. Prakash: I read an interview of one of the AIIMS PG toppers on PrepLadder, which helped me a lot to plan my preparation more precisely.   Did you use a time table/study plan to keep your preparation on track? Dr. Prakash: I joined a T and D course, which helped me provide a target for each week.   Were you a topper or a mediocre student during MBBS? Dr. Prakash: I have always been above average, but was not one of the toppers of my class.   List the most difficult and easiest subjects for you. Dr. Prakash: According to me, ophthalmology and orthopaedics were the most difficult subjects whereas easiest ones were psychiatry and dermatology.   One mistake that you believe everyone must avoid while preparing for AIIMS PG. Dr. Prakash: One must try to avoid changing their strategy or study material too many times. Rather, making a broad strategy and sticking to it through the whole journey of preparing for exam would surely be beneficial.   What was your exam taking strategy? How many questions did you attempt in AIIMS PG? Dr. Prakash: Most importantly, I tried to remain calm and focused throughout. I had a good sleep the night before the exam. I reached the exam centre well in advance in order to avoid any sort of panic. I attempted 193 questions in the AIIMS exam, and probably got around 152 correct.   Some last tips for our readers preparing for PG? Dr. Prakash: I would suggest every aspirant to try to study from standard books and preferences till the final year, and don't get too PG oriented till that time. If you are thorough with the concepts, it won’t take too many efforts to adapt into PG style studying. Moreover, a lot depends on what you do in those 3 hours of the exam, and it does indeed involve some luck as well. So just accept it and just try to give your best, without taking too much stress. Hope this blog will surely help you in your preparation. Just remember, hard work along with some smart work will always pay you back in a positive way. For more such topper tips, Stay Tuned with PrepLadder!!