CHENNAI: SM Suryalakshmi, is now one step closer to her dream -- joining the prestigious Madras Medical College, Chennai. Thanks to the 7.5 per cent reservation for government school students for MBBS and BDS admissions and free coaching offered by Government Kilpauk Medical College Alumni Association for NEET, this teenager secured seventh rank -- with 536 marks in NEET -- in the merit list for government school students quota released by Health Minister C Vijayabaskar on Monday.
“I am very happy and excited. I thank CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and all others who took efforts to ensure reservation for government school students,” Suryalakshmi says. A daughter of daily wage labourer S Murali Krishnan, employed in a flour mill, and M Poongodi, a housewife, Suryalakshmi, completed Class 12 in 2019 at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Porur, in English medium.
Cracking NEET was a quite a task and the free coaching offered by the KMC Alumni Association did help big time, says Suryalakshmi, who secured only 368 marks in NEET last year. “Joining Madras Medical College is my dream. I want to visit government schools and help students who are preparing for NEET. It is hard work that helped me” she beams.
Says Dr Prasad Manne, secretary, KMC Alumni Association, “I feel as if my own daughter has got the seat. She is the first student trained by our alumni who is likely to get a medical seat. This year we also trained differently abled students.”