"If I can do it, anyone can!" Says Dr. Sashwanthi Mohan

PrepLadder congratulates Dr. Sashwanthi Mohan on getting her dream seat in one the most prestigious institutes in India. We wish her the best in life and career ahead.

Here, she shares some tips to help you achieve this too.

Hello, please tell us something about yourself.

My name is Sashwanthi Mohan. I did my MBBS in Govt. Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai. My parents are ophthalmologists, and I want to pursue Ophthalmology too. I got a rank of 504 in DNB and 2479 in AIPGMEE. Although I can get MS Ophthalmology, I have decided to take DNB Ophthalmology in one of the best institutes in India, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad.

What do you think is the correct approach to study for PGMEE? Only MCQ's or Theory+MCQ's?

Theory followed my MCQ's is the way to go. We have to go through theory at least a couple of times to crack these exams.

When should the preparation ideally be started?

I think this is subjective. I started in August, and I was able to get a decent rank. Ideally, I think 6-8 months prep is necessary but it depends on each individual.

Please list the books you studied for each subject.

Anatomy: Arvind Arora/ Across
Physiology: Arvind Arora
Biochemistry : Arvind Arora
Pharmacology: Sparsh Gupta
Pathology: Sparsh Gupta
Microbiology: Rachana Chaurasia/ Arvind Arora
FM: Across
SPM: Vivek Jain
Ophthalmology: Arvind Arora/ Ruchi Rai
ENT: Sakshi Arora
General Medicine: Ashish Gupta/ Mudit Khanna
Surgery: SPEED Book/ Ashish Gupta
OBG: Brain Trainr by Speed / Sakshi Arora
Paediatrics: Arvind Arora
Radiology: Arvind Arora
Anaesthesiology: Arvind Arora
Psychiatry: Arvind Arora
Skin: Arvind Arora
Orthopaedics: Arvind Arora

You can also use Across instead of Arvind Arora for all the subjects! But Across is way too vast. I used it a few times though.

AIIMS previous years paper by Ashish Gupta
NBE previous years by Arvind Arora
DNB CET Kalam books (they have stopped printing it but if you can get the 2nd volume the appendix is a life saver!)

Have you attempted PGMEE previously? If yes, what did you do different this year that lead to your success.

No, this was my first attempt.

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

Revision is very, very important. Medicine is so vast. Constant revision is required to remember all the subjects. Also, it should be smart revision. Nobody can know every single detail about medicine. We have to learn what's important to concentrate on.

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

PrepLadder boosted my confidence. I really enjoyed taking the tests, and the questions were always new, which helped me learn more.

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

Although I did have a time table/study plan, I was not able to stick to it. I used to constantly switch between subjects to avoid monotony.

Were you a topper or a mediocre student during MBBS?

Mediocre.

List the most difficult and easiest subjects for you.

Easiest was Pathology and Ophthal.. Most difficult were definitely anatomy & biochemistry- they are really vast and there's a lot of weightage to both the subjects, and so one must be really thorough.

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

Do not avoid doing tests. The more tests you do, the more you can improve, and the more confidence you'll get.

Some last tips for our readers preparing for PGMEE?

Do not lose focus. Revise again and again, even if you think you're thorough with the subject. Do MCQs every day. There will be some bad days, but if you power through, you can crack the PG exams easily. If I can do it, anyone can!