“Questions in PrepLadder mocks were of current pattern” says Dr. Snigdha (AIIMS May 2018: Rank 14)

"Questions in PrepLadder mocks were of current pattern" says Dr. Snigdha (AIIMS May 2018: Rank 14)

PrepLadder congratulates Dr. Snigdha Soni on securing Rank 14 in AIIMS May 2018. We wish her all the best in her career and future ahead.

In this interview she shares the plan that worked for her, to help you replicate her success.

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Hello, please tell us something about yourself.

Hello, I am Dr. Snigdha Soni. I did my under-graduation from AIIMS, New Delhi. I gave the May 2018 AIIMS exam and achieved the 14th rank.

What do you think is the correct approach to study for AIIMS PG? Only MCQ’s or Theory+MCQ’s?

Definitely Theory+MCQ’s. It’s not the question that gets repeated, it is always the concept. Therefore it is better to get a stronghold on the theory and build concepts first and then follow it up by practicing MCQ’s to test the application.

When should the preparation ideally be started?

The internship is a good time ideally to start a focused preparation. However, classes attended in the 3rd year also help a lot because they ensure that you have your own notes.

Please list the books you studied for each subject.

Anatomy – Gray’s anatomy for students, Dr. Rajesh Kaushal’s book

Physiology – Ganong, Soumen Manna

Biochemistry – Dr. Rebecca James class notes, First Aid for USMLE Step 1

Pathology – Robbins, Dr. Devesh Mishra’s book

Pharmacology – Dr. Gobind Rai Garg’s class notes and book

Microbiology- Apurba Sastry

Forensic Medicine – Sumit Seth

Dermatology- Coaching notes

Anesthesia – Coaching notes

Psychiatry – IAMS Module

ENT – Coaching notes

Ortho – Dr. Apurva Mehra’s book

PSM – IAMS module + coaching notes

Medicine – Dr. Thameem’s notes

Surgery – Dr. Pritesh Singh’s notes and book

Obs Gynae- Coaching Notes

Paeds- Dr. Meenakshi Bothra’s book

Optha- Dr. Vineet Sehgal’s Ophthalmology Made Easy module and 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?

Yes, I attempted the AIIMS PG entrance exam in November last year and achieved a rank of 224. Due to postings that I had at that time, I could not revise well and realized that it is extremely important to do so for cracking the PG exam. I gave tests religiously this time and that also made a difference.

How big is the role of practice and revision while preparing for AIIMS PG and how much time should be dedicated to it?

Practice and revision is extremely important, not just for AIIMS but for any exam. Ideally, 2-3 months should be given and 3 revisions done if possible.

Did PrepLadder play a part in your success? If yes, how?

Yes, it definitely did. I gave the National mock tests conducted by PrepLadder for various exams and it helped me evaluate where I was standing. The kind of questions in the exam was of the current pattern and that also helped a lot. Apart from that, the interviews posted on Prep Ladder provided a lot of motivation.

Did you use a timetable/study plan to keep your preparation on track?

Yes, I did. I made a schedule in the beginning and I tried to stick to it religiously. There was one broad timetable and then I would make short term study plans for the next 2-3 days and try to stick to that as much as I could.

Were you a topper or a mediocre student during MBBS?

I was not a topper but I usually stood amongst the top 10 in my batch.

List the most difficult and easiest subjects for you.

The most difficult subject for me was Biochem as we don’t have much idea about it post first year and Ophthalmology. The easier ones were Medicine, Derma.

One mistake that you believe everyone must avoid while preparing for AIIMS PG.

That you run behind amassing vast amounts of knowledge and then forgetting what is actually important. It’s very important to study smartly and know what topics are important.

What was your exam taking strategy? How many questions did you attempt in AIIMS PG?

I attempted 196 questions in the AIIMS exam. For the AIIMS exam, its important to attempt high. If you can reach down to two options in a question, its advisable to attempt it. I had planned that I will try finishing the exam in about 2 hours and keep 1 hour for questions Marked for Review and revision and I managed to stick to this by and large.

Some last tips for our readers preparing for PG?

Consistent and smart hard work is needed for an exam and more than that faith that you can do it.

We thank Dr. Snigdha Soni for sharing his success story.

Best Wishes for PG entrance

With Love, Team PrepLadder