Advantages of taking a drop for NEET

The NEET exam is one of the most competitive exams in the world, if not just in India. 25 lakh aspirants for some 1 lakh seats. Can you imagine? Obviously, not everyone makes it in the first try. The good side is that there is no limit to the number of times you can attempt NEET. 

You can try again, as many times as you want. Why did the NTA set this rule in the first place? Is it worth trying for a seat again? What are the advantages of taking a drop? Let’s discuss.

Job security.

One thing we realized in the lockdown is that job security is very important. With the ongoing recession, every person is overworking for fear of being either replaced by a younger professional or by AI. The number of people who have lost their jobs is both scary and shocking.

Medical professionals, as sad as it is, are never going to run out of jobs. Any pandemic is only going to increase the need for doctors, instead of reducing it. Working in the midst of a pandemic sure has its downsides, but it at least ensures that you get to do your moral duty. You get to work and you get paid enough to sustain yourself. 

A safe future.

We go back to the point about Artificial Intelligence. The evolution of technology is here. AI has become much more advanced and acceptable over the post-covid era. It will only continue to advance and enter newer domains everyday. But, the bad side of this is that humans are being replaced, leading to an unemployment crisis.

This makes you wonder if your job is sustainable too. When we talk about medicine, from a doctor’s perspective, any treatment is half psychological. The doctor’s touch and listening capacity heals a patient of half his problem. Then comes in the physical examination, which is again an acquired human skill difficult to replace. 

Yes, we can see robots performing surgeries being proposed, but when and if they will be introduced into practice, is the actual question.

Ethics are the guide to medicine, and thus it is rather difficult to replace a complex emotional human being with a machine that has no emotions. All in all, medicine is one of the jobs that is relatively safe when we think about the advancement in technology.

Respect and authority.

Humans are social beings. We live to be part of a society, to be accepted and respected. While every profession is equally respectable and important for the society, it has placed the profession of being a healer very high. People have always looked at doctors as divine beings.

The respect in this profession is seriously unmatched. The other day, I was in a bazaar shopping for some antiques. The shopkeeper inquired about my life and asked me what I did. His entire demeanor changed when I told him about being a med student. He was earlier being rude but now he sat me down and talked to me about his life. He even offered me some of his lunch. 

Point in case, people love doctors. The respect and love is heart touching.

Another Shot at Your Dream.

Obviously, if you are reading this blog, I assume that you want to get into MBBS. You see, most people are forced to be a doctor by their parents. They do not enjoy or even like science. I would really advise you to talk to your parents if this is the case. 

Other people who want to take a drop because they think that being a doctor is their dream, or that they like science and feel passionate to give back. A drop year will help you with exactly that, getting a chance, an opportunity to pursue your dream. You can get back up and give it another shot with a lot of dedication.

Increased Chances of Success.

Did you know that 60-70% of students in medical colleges are droppers? This clearly means that droppers have a higher rate of success than freshers. There is no harm in giving another chance, you might statistically be at a higher chance of getting a seat.

Also, whatever the results be, you will come out a stronger and a more resilient person. Dealing with the NEET competition is not easy. The competition will toughen you up. You will develop a lot of important life skills like time management and discipline too.

Conclusion.

The dream of medicine is dreamt a lot of people every year. But only the ones who do not give up, who know how to get up and strike again get through. You need to listen to your heart.

But also, there is a flip side to this decision too. Some things that you must know and be prepared for. Read the disadvantages of taking a drop in NEET.

Whatever you decide, make sure that it is an informed and well thought decision and not just a hunch. Weigh the benefits and the downsides, decide what is important to you, and also remember to listen to your heart.

All the best with your decision!