MADURAI: As many as eight students from Madurai have got MBBS seats and one student BDS seat in the first round of counselling for MBBS/BDS seats under the 7.5% quota for government schools held in Chennai on October 20.
J Deepika, J Toufiqua Noorain, V Muthu Kumar, M Resika, B V Kalaivani, B G Sasi Rekha, A Thicithasri and E Kalaeeswari bagged MBBS seats and S Mahamutha Hassin BDS seat.
Thicithasri, a candidate from SC community residing in Mahaboopalayam, got an MBBS seat in Tuticorin Medical College in her second attempt. "I got only 150 marks last year and even this year only 279. But thanks to my parents' support and government NEET coaching, I got a seat this time," she said.
Muthu Kumar from GHSS Melakottai, the only male among the lot and son of a daily wage labourer, was studying a paramedical course before repeating NEET this year. "I was demoralized after scoring only 161 marks in NEET in 2020. That is why I took up Radiology instead. But my parents motivated me to write NEET again since the government would bear all expenses too. I scored 298 marks this time," he said. Muthu Kumar is now all set to study MBBS at Virudhunagar Medical College.
J Mahalakshmi is proud of her daughter Deepika, who scored 309 marks to top the list from the district, that too in her first attempt Her father is an autorickshaw driver and Mahalakshmi a homemaker.
"She started to prepare only after the Class XII board exams but still was able to do well with intense coaching in just a couple of months through government NEET coaching," she said.
Last year, as many as 17 government school students from Madurai had got MBBS/BDS seats while in 2020, 13 secured seats under the 7.5% quota.
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