BENGALURU: From farmlands and thriving through debts, future medicos from rural Karnataka paint the lived reality of thousands of village children chasing the dream of becoming doctors. For many of them, daily survival is as challenging as mastering an overwhelming medical syllabus. “Some days, we don’t even have enough money to pay our mess fees,” says Abishek M S a fourth-year medical student from Tumkur. “And medical education leaves no time for part-time work.”
Coming from agricultural and economically weaker households, many students juggle family debts, rising living costs, and intense academic pressure. With long class hours, night duties, and constant examinations, earning alongside studying is not an option. Yet, despite these barriers, their aspiration to serve as doctors keeps them going.
Financial support schemes, they say, are not merely scholarships but survival mechanisms. They help students afford food, accommodation, study materials, and most importantly, relieve the emotional burden of being dependent on families already under strain. “It reduces pressure on our parents and lets us focus on learning,” says Priyanka C, a fourth year student who is a step closer to her dream of becoming a well trained surgeon.
Students from villages argue that those who grow up witnessing healthcare gaps firsthand are best positioned to address them. “Students from rural and economically weaker backgrounds understand the realities of healthcare access better than anyone else,” says Dr. Devi Shetty. “When they become doctors, they are far more likely to serve communities where doctors are desperately needed. Enabling them to study MBBS is one of the most effective ways to strengthen healthcare in rural India.”