"Revision is the key",says Dr. Malav Thakkar (PGI May 2018: Rank 23)

PrepLadder congratulates Dr. Malav Thakkar on securing Rank 23 in PGI May 2018. We wish him all the best for her career and future ahead.

In this exclusive interview with PrepLadder, he shares the plan that worked best for her to help you achieve your dream PG seat. Hello, please tell us something about yourself. Hi I am Malav Thakkar. I did my MBBS from BJMC, Ahmedabad. I secured Rank 23 in PGI May 2018. What do you think is the correct approach to study for PG entrance exams? Only MCQ's or Theory+MCQ's? Theory + MCQ’s especially for an exam like PGI where we need to practice a lot of MCQ’s. When should the preparation ideally be started? Sooner the better but it's better to prepare with internship if time permits. Please list the books you studied for each subject. Anatomy- BDC Physiology-Guyton Biochemistry- Vasudevan Pathology- Robbins Pharmacology-  kdt Medicine Harrison Surgery-  Bailey Have you attempted any PG exam previously? If yes, what were your ranks then and what did you do different this time that lead to your success? Nov 2017 Jipmer Rank-189 NEET PG Rank 1795 AIIMS May 2018 Rank -342 PGI May 2018 Rank-23 For PGI you need a different approach to understand its pattern and get the speed that is required to finish the paper. I did previous year mcqs right from the starting of my preparation. How big is the role of practice and revision while preparing for PG entrance and how much time should be dedicated for it? Revision is the key. Reading the same thing again and again is much more important than reading new things Practicing mcqs is equally important because we have to apply our knowledge to solve it and make correlations and extrapolate our knowledge. Did PrepLadder play a part in your success? If yes, how? Yes, I gave the PrepLadder PGI Mock and I got rank 10 which raised my confidence that I can also achieve this dream. Did you use a time table/study plan to keep your preparation on track? Yes, having a good timetable on hand is the most important thing according to me. We can make small changes according to our time constraints but we should try and follow it as much as possible. Were you a topper or a mediocre student during MBBS? Mediocre List the most difficult and easiest subjects for you. Most difficult were Ortho, Physiology, Biochemistry Most easy- Short subjects One mistake that you believe everyone must avoid while preparing for PG entrance exams. Don't run to collect material from everywhere. There is no point in gathering information to a level which our brains can't memorize. Read less and have faith that you can crack any exam from what you have read. How many options did you attempt in PGI exam? Share some details about your exam taking strategy. I have attempted 499 options in PGI exam. I would recommend a 3 step approach: (i) Finish paper on time - which can be done only by practicing mocks 2) (ii) Be confident enough to decide your choices as true or false- confidence comes only by reading the same thing multiple times (iii) Decide the risk vs. benefit ratio for the choices in which you are not 100% confident. Some last tips for our readers preparing for PG? There is no elevator to success; you have to climb the stairs. So be persistent and you will surely reach to your destination one day We thank Dr. Thakkar for sharing his success story. Best Wishes for PG Entrance With Love, Team PrepLadder