For 18-year-old Prince Namdev, becoming a doctor was not merely an aspiration but also the cherished dream of his family, woven together with paan, threads, and abundant faith.
Originating from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, Prince comes from a family where his father runs a modest store and his mother takes care of minor sewing tasks.
He mentions softly that they receive around 8,000 rupees per month, so it was quite difficult to allocate funds for tutoring.
His little sister is still studying, and every penny at home matters greatly. Therefore, when they started preparing for the NEET exam, the family approached his Nana-ji (maternal grandfather), a former nursing aide who has now retired. He readily agreed to help them out.
THE START OF A DREAM
"Until I came across a Physics Wallah video on YouTube during my Class 10, I wasn’t aware of NEET at all,"Prince remembers.
He started viewing Biology lectures when he got information about the exam from a teacher during one of these sessions. This marked the start.
"My Nana -ji helped pay for those online classes. He told me what it takes to become a doctor."
In his 11th grade, Prince took the PW scholarship exam at the last moment without preparing much and did not perform very well. However, with better guidance, he attempted the exam again during his 12th grade and managed to secure a full scholarship to attend PW Vidyapeeth in Kota.
He mentions that this assistance made a significant difference and eased the load for his Nana ji.
The complimentary education proved to be transformative -- what once appeared unattainable now felt achievable.
LIVING IN KOTA: DAWN STARTS IT AND NO FACEBOOK/TWITTER
In Kota, Prince adopted a regimen frequently endorsed by top students: "Rise at 4 am, study, go to classes until evening, have dinner, review material, and retire by 10:30 pm." He avoided Instagram and other distractions. "I steered clear of all social media platforms because I realized they could consume valuable time."
However, everything wasn’t smooth sailing. Missing home had its challenges. "Every time I felt down or exhausted, I would ring up my mom and dad or dive into some mobile games. That always made me feel better."
Emotionally, family always remained close. "My parents never put pressure on me. They simply hoped I would give it my all."
NANA-JI'S PRIDE, FAMILY'S JOY
Throughout everything, his Nana-ji remained steadfast as a rock—using his pension funds to cover his initial education expenses and steering him through the complexities of preparing for a medical career.
Prince shares with a bashful grin, "He’s incredibly joyful at the moment. He has shared my outcome on his WhatsApp status and is reaching out to everybody to inform them."
Now that he's bagged Rank 975, the goal is clear: "Like every other aspirant, I want to study at AIIMS." He's already thinking about postgraduate specialisation.
TO OTHERS LIKE HIM
Prince has a simple message for other small-town kids dreaming big: "Study well. Don't take pressure. Take a lot of tests. Take breaks and stay in touch with family or friends."
Dreams don’t require deep pockets — often they merely call for a Nana-ji, a scholarship, and a lad eager to rise at 4 am to transform his aspirations into truth.
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