Every year, lakhs of students prepare for one of India's toughest entrance examinations, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG). For many, securing an MBBS seat represents the culmination of years of sacrifice, coaching classes, and relentless preparation. Families celebrate, social media fills with congratulatory messages, and young aspirants feel they have reached the finish line.
But ask any doctor, and they'll tell you the same thing: NEET is only the beginning.
The years that follow are defined by long hospital shifts, sleepless nights, emotionally difficult conversations, constant learning, and the immense responsibility of caring for another human being. Medical school teaches anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. Residency teaches resilience, empathy, and decision-making under pressure.
On this journey from classroom to clinic, textbooks gradually give way to real patients, and the transition is often far more challenging than any examination.
Speaking to NDTV, young physicians from across India reflected on the realities of becoming a doctor, sharing lessons they wish every aspiring medical student knew before stepping into a hospital.
'The Real Test Begins After Medical School'
For Dr Naman Bansal, Associate Consultant in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Therapeutic Endoscopy at RG Hospitals, New Delhi, clearing NEET was a proud milestone, but not the hardest one.
"Clearing NEET is undoubtedly challenging, but the real test begins after entering medical school. The responsibility of caring for patients, continuous learning, and the emotional demands of the profession make the journey far more challenging than the entrance examination itself."
He believes the biggest surprise for most young doctors comes when they realise that medicine extends well beyond academic excellence.
"Every patient is different, every decision carries responsibility, and every day teaches you something new."
When Theory Meets Reality
Similarly, Dr. Aayush Gupta, Consultant in Internal Medicine at Sarvodaya Hospital, Faridabad, says the biggest reality check came during residency.
"Clearing NEET feels like reaching the summit until you enter medical school and realise it was only the base camp. MBBS teaches you medicine; residency teaches you responsibility."
One particular shift transformed the way he viewed the profession.
"Multiple critically ill patients arrived together. I quickly realised medicine isn't just recalling textbook facts. It's prioritising, communicating, leading a team, and making timely decisions despite uncertainty."
It was, he says, the moment he truly became a doctor.
No Classroom Can Replicate A Busy Hospital
Both physicians agree that India's medical curriculum provides a strong scientific foundation, but practical learning happens at the bedside.
Dr Bansal explains, "The curriculum is academically robust, but no classroom can fully prepare you for the pace, unpredictability, and emotional intensity of a busy Indian hospital. Many lessons are learned through experience."
Dr Gupta echoes the sentiment. "Much of becoming a doctor is learned through mentorship, reflection, and experience."
Medical education experts have long advocated competency-based medical education (CBME), introduced by the National Medical Commission (NMC), which aims to strengthen communication, ethics, professionalism and practical clinical skills alongside scientific knowledge.
Life Inside A 36-Hour Shift
One of the greatest misconceptions about medicine is that hospital work ends after-ward rounds.
In reality, junior doctors often work continuous 24- to 36-hour shifts involving emergency admissions, ICU care, procedures, patient reviews, and documentation.
Dr Bansal describes a typical shift as one requiring relentless focus. "The day begins with ward rounds and often continues through emergency cases, procedures, ICU care and patient reviews with very little rest. Teamwork, communication and staying focused despite fatigue are critical."
Dr Gupta agrees. "The responsibility keeps you alert even when you're tired because every decision affects a real human life."
The Emotional Side Of Medicine
Medicine isn't only physically exhausting, it is emotionally demanding. Delivering bad news, losing patients and supporting grieving families can leave lasting impressions on young physicians.
Recalling his first independent difficult conversation, Dr. Bansal says, "It was emotionally overwhelming. Delivering bad news requires empathy, patience and honesty, and it remains one of the most challenging responsibilities for any doctor."
Dr. Gupta says no doctor ever forgets that first conversation. "Compassion, honesty and even silence are often as important as medical knowledge. Delivering bad news isn't about finding perfect words. It's about being genuinely present."
Research from the World Health Organization (WHO) and studies published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry have repeatedly highlighted the high prevalence of burnout, anxiety and emotional stress among healthcare professionals, particularly during training years.
Looking After The Doctor Too
The emotional demands of medicine make mental well-being essential. Dr. Bansal admits the profession can be mentally exhausting. "Support from colleagues, family and mentors, along with maintaining emotional balance, becomes just as important as clinical knowledge."
Dr. Gupta believes every young doctor experiences periods of self-doubt. "Perfection is impossible, but continuous learning is essential." Both stress the importance of seeking support rather than struggling alone.
Safety Matters Too
Beyond clinical responsibilities, doctors today increasingly face concerns about workplace safety. Dr. Bansal believes physicians perform best when they feel protected and respected. "Doctors perform their best when they feel protected, respected, and supported by both institutions and society."
Dr Gupta similarly notes, "Violence against healthcare workers is a real concern. Every doctor deserves a safe workplace."
Several professional bodies, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA), have repeatedly called for stronger measures to protect healthcare professionals from workplace violence.
Balancing Ideal Medicine With Reality
Another challenge young doctors quickly encounter is balancing evidence-based medicine with patients' financial and logistical realities.
As Dr Bansal explains, "Our responsibility is to recommend the best possible treatment while understanding each patient's financial and logistical circumstances."
Dr Gupta agrees that transparency and shared decision-making remain central to ethical care.
Is It Worth It?
Medicine is often criticised for delayed financial rewards compared to other professions.
Do young doctors ever wonder whether they should have chosen differently?
Occasionally, says Dr. Gupta. "You do wonder about friends whose careers progressed faster financially. But medicine offers something uniquely meaningful, the privilege of entering people's lives during their most vulnerable moments."
For Dr. Bansal, gratitude remains the greatest reward. "Receiving heartfelt thanks from a patient and their family after recovery is something that stays with you forever."
Advice For Every NEET Aspirant
Both doctors share remarkably similar advice for students dreaming of white coats.
Dr Bansal says, "Don't pursue medicine only for the prestige of becoming a doctor. Choose it because you genuinely want to serve people, continuously learn and accept the responsibilities that come with caring for human lives."
Dr Gupta adds, "Don't chase the MBBS seat, prepare for the life that follows it. The degree opens the door; earning a patient's trust is the real destination."
For millions of Indian students, NEET may feel like the biggest hurdle of their lives. But for those who eventually become doctors, it is only the first chapter of a much longer story.
The real education begins in crowded wards, emergency rooms and intensive care units, where resilience is built one night shift at a time, compassion is learned through difficult conversations, and confidence grows with every patient cared for.
Behind every doctor's white coat lies years of sacrifice that extend far beyond examinations. And while the journey is demanding, those who have walked it agree on one thing: there is no greater privilege than helping another human being heal.