NEET PG PREPARATION DURING INTERNSHIP

This was a frequently asked question, but unfortunately I didn’t know how to answer it since I did not have any personal experience.

So I’m glad that one of the reader’s of this Blog, Madhavi Wavhal, was kind enough to take some time to write about it.

Thanks a lot for the wonderful article, Madhavi!

NEET PG PREPARATION DURING INTERNSHIP

• WHY TO DO IT?

Who am I?

An intern with a modest rank of 2.8k in NEET

Is it possible to crack neet while doing internship? Obviously. I have peers who have cracked neet with 2 digit ranks while pursuing internship.

Am I capable of doing it?

Yes. The fact that you are reading this page itself indicates that you have decided to atleast give it a thought.

Its already mid-May. Isn’t it too late?

As an intern, you’ll be in one of the following situations

1. You haven’t started studying
2. You have started but -

a) just read few subjects haphazardly

b) finished few subjects systematically — notes +-mcqs

c) finished >1/3rd of the subjects.

Those who belong to group C have already given up on their self doubt and decided to crack it this year. Kudos to you! Keep working.

For the rest of us, 7 months remain. Ample amount of time to start and streamline our preparation. I myself started in May since I had peripheral postings first.

Many of us give up in May-June thinking ke it’s too late. But when we look back in December, we realize ke padh lena chahiye tha. It wasn’t worth giving up.

What if I can’t do it?

What is the worst thing that can happen? You will have to drop a year.

You have to start preparing for neet someday. Might as well start it today.

What are the possible outcomes if you prepare this year?

1. You get a rank and a pg seat.
2. You get a decent rank but not enough to get a seat. You have to drop a year.
3. You get a rank which is disproportionate to your study efforts.

What are the benefits of each outcome?

1. You get a seat. Congratulations.
2. You have finished a large portion of your study already. You need to study 19 subjects again. Consolidate your knowledge. Practice MCQs. Learn from your mistakes.
3. Same as point 2. Also, Reassess your strategy. What went wrong? Did you lack mcq practice? Less number of revision? Lack of concepts? Time management issues in exam? Anything else?

Do not shy away from your mistakes ever.

I have a busy internship schedule. Can i avoid mcq practice/ grand tests/ subject wise tests and focus on reading notes?

Never. The main aim of this preparation phase is to train yourself for those 300 questions and 3.5 hrs.

You may know all your notes byheart but won’t be able to apply it in mcqs if you don’t practice them.

Just because you can’t get a good score in a test is not an excuse for not giving it.

Everyone performs horribly in their initial tests. Focus on improving with time.

What should i assess while solving an mcq?

1. Do Iknow this concept?
2. Do I understand this mcq?
3. Do I know how to apply this concept?
4. Time required for solving that mcq.

Internship in my college is heavy. How to manage time?

Apart from on call/ emergency duty days, everyday you’ll be able to study for minimum 4–6 hrs. Make the most of it. Even on heavy duty days, carry short subject notes with you. I have finished fmt dermat by reading inbetween my emerg duties. Atleast give it a try. But don’t panic if you are unable to. Rest of the days are there to finish it.

What else to remember?

Sleep. Eat. Adequately.

While working during internship, focus on what you are doing. This is your only chance to have hands-on experience in multiple fields. Also, you can crack atleast 10–15 questions based on your internship work.

Talk to your residents. Build rapport. Ask doubts.

• HOW TO DO IT?

When to study?

Select a time based on your duty schedules and follow it religiously.

On normal days, I would finish my work. Have lunch. And study afternoon onwards.

You will be asked to accompany patients for investigations during internship. It will take atleast 1/2 to 1 hr. Rather than cribbing about it, utilise that time. Solve mcqs. Revise previously solved mcqs.

Don’t roll your eyes. I agree it seems difficult. But give it a try. You will get used to it over time.

What to study?

Read detailed articles on CostaPG for detailed analysis on how to prepare.

In a nutshell, I would say, join an online question bank and test series. I chose Marrow plan B.

For each subject have one source. Be it notes or book. Decide one and stick to it. Don’t waste your time on reading from 2–3 sources for each subject. Its better to revise one source thrice rather than reading from 3 sources once.

What if I read from 2–3 books/notes for a subject?

1. You will never finish reading 19 subjects
2. If you manage to finish, you won’t be able to revise them
3. The aim is not to get a PHD in each subject. The aim is to revise each subject adequately so as to tackle 300 questions effectively to get a pg seat of your choice.

Is one source sufficient?

No. But that is not a reason to refer to multiple books.

You will gain, say, 80–85% of subject knowledge through it. After that you have to -

1. Revise it atleast 3 times
2. Solve mcqs, subject wise tests, grand tests
3. Add newer points which you learn while solving mcqs to this source.

You have to know something about everything. Not everything about something.

Should I solve mcqs from mcq books? Or is a question bank necessary?

I personally preferred question bank and avoided mcq books because -

1. mcq books have thousands of mcqs. Ranging from your birth years to current years.
2. Adequate amount of explanation is not given.
3. You are unable to revise those mcqs before neet.
4. You have to turn pages to check answer for each question. It’s time consuming + tiring + annoying.
5. Qbanks have recent pattern questions. With adequate explanations.
6. It’s easier to revise q banks as you can bookmark difficult mcqs for future revisions.

Are subject wise books needed?

I chose to do short subjects and PSM from guide books.

That’s all I can think of at present.

Refer CostaPG for detailed analysis on how to prepare. The basic study requirements remain the same, be it your internship attempt or repeat attempt. The main aim of this writeup was to make you oriented to how to balance internship and preparation. Good luck! Hoping to see you on the other side soon! Doubts are welcome!