Inspiring: Doctor father appears in NEET to motivate daughter, both qualify

Prayagraj: The story of a doctor who is also a dedicated and compassionate father taking the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2023 exam for the second time with his daughter to support her in passing her medical entrance exam despite his busy work schedule, has served as a source of inspiration for numerous parents.

The father who served as a source of inspiration is none other than well-known neurosurgeon Dr Prakash Khaitan who appeared for the exam second time at the age of 49 years old.

Setting an inspiring example of not just love and determination, but also showing that age is no barrier to learning, this father and daughter duo decided to sit for the medical entrance exam together but at different exam centres.

Also read- Father-Daughter Candidate Duo Appears For NEET Together In Telangana

While Dr Khaitan appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2023 at an exam centre in Shivkuti, his daughter took the NEET-UG exam at another centre in Jhunsi on May 7. 

Dr. Prakash Khetan is one of the noted Neurosurgeons in Motihari. He pursued an MS (General Surgery) from King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, and an MCh (Neurosurgery) from MLN Medical College in Prayagraj, has received many literary and medical honours including Uttar Pradesh Government’s Saraswat Samman 2004, Atal Akshar Samman 2021 and Kailash Gautam Samman 2017. In 2011, Dr Khaitan made a place for himself in the Guinness Book of World Records by removing 296 cysts from the brain of an eight-year-old girl.

Observing her daughter's struggle to maintain focus on her studies, Dr Khaitan opted for an alternative approach to encourage her daughter's motivation, rather than resorting to the conventional methods of parenting. He decided to appear for the entrance exam with her daughter and passed the exam along with her daughter who scored 90 percentile whereas Dr Khaitan scored 89 percentile. 

Despite his demanding and hectic work schedule, Dr. Khaitan committed every spare moment to studying with her daughter. Ultimately his hard work paid off as his daughter bagged admission to Kasturba Medical College in July this year. 

Speaking about the journey, Dr Khaitan told HT, “My daughter was struggling to retain her interest in studies post Covid-19. I got her admitted to a coaching institute in Kota, Rajasthan, but she was not comfortable with the environment there and returned home. With tough competition for bagging an MBBS seat in India, I decided to motivate my daughter by studying along with her and appearing in the NEET (UG)-2023 exam with her."

“It was after a gap of 30-odd years that I prepared for the medical entrance exam, something which I had done as a student while appearing for CPMT in 1992. I guided Mitali and constantly tried to motivate her to put in the hard work that the entrance exam needs to clear it. I believe the message that I wanted to give to my daughter, and everyone is that there is no age to study. Commitment and hard work can help you succeed no matter how much things change or seem uphill," he added.

Dr. Khaitan's successful approach to motivating and supporting his daughter proved that parents can use various methods to inspire their children without any limitations. His unique parenting approach has set an example for many parents. 

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