The open-category candidate secured admission at Parul University, but the annual fee of about Rs 10 lakh made him abandon his long-held dream to study medicine. Ahmedabad: For Meman Mohammad Shaikh, a resident of Salad village in Vadodara district, a confirmed admission at a private medical college came with a hefty price tag which his family could ill afford.
I am now looking at a BHMS or BAMS course at another institute, where the annual fees of around Rs 2 lakh fit our budget,” said Meman, whose father runs a saree shop in Salad near Vadodara. “I have secured a government scholarship of about Rs 2 lakh and expect another Rs 2 lakh as financial assistance from my community. Despite this, my family will have to bear Rs 6 lakh for the first year itself and then Rs 10 lakh subsequently every year if I pursue the medical course,” he explains. Uday Karavadra, who scored 421 in NEET and was allotted a seat at SAL Medical College, Ahmedabad, also declined admission in MBBS. “The annual fee of Rs 11.68 lakh would have taken the five-year cost to nearly Rs 55 lakh. “She secured a seat at NHL Municipal Medical College but did not want to pursue medicine at a private college where the annual fee could be around Rs 24 lakh. She has instead opted for Pharm D at LM Pharmacy, where the annual fee is about Rs 2 lakh,” said Yagnesh, Heer’s father. Hitanshi Kalyani, who scored 322 in NEET in the open category, also did not confirm her medical seat at Kalol Medical College, after being offered a management-quota option costing more than Rs 24 lakh a year. The fee there is about Rs 17 lakh a year.
“He has, however, confirmed admission at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, through the All India Quota.
My father is a farmer and under no circumstances can we afford such a high fee,” he said. My daughter plans to add more general-quota options in Ahmedabad in the third round as the fees are not affordable,” said Ram Prakash Kalyani, her father. The institution offers greater research exposure,” said Dr Soham Dholakiya, his father.
“My family cannot afford paying such exorbitant fees. Karavadra is now considering studying Ayurveda. For Heer Nai, the choice was between a medical seat and an affordable alternative. “NEET score is good, but there has to be a budget for medical education. We cannot afford it. “I run a scrap business. The fees are too high. Kanav Dholakia, whose parents are dental surgeons in Anand, secured a seat at MP Shah Medical College, Jamnagar. Kanav wants to pursue clinical research rather than conventional medical practice.