Amid NEET exam row, doctor sparks debate on merit vs privilege — ‘I just had better odds’
A doctor sparked social media debate on merit vs privilege amid NEET UG exam row. Detailing how money and privilege play an important role in
A doctor sparked social media debate on merit vs privilege amid NEET UG exam row. Detailing how money and privilege play an important role in determining life chances and diminish the role merit, a doctor contrasted her success with that of her partner and accepted that she 'just had better odds.’ In a post on Instagram, Dr Anitha, who specializes in Internal medicine, revealed that she secured admission in CMC Vellore and Thanjavur medical college in one of the most sought-after course — MBBS — in 2012. However, just the mere qualification of an exam does not determine a candidate's intelligence. ‘Widely different odds of winning in the game’ Describing how every individual's life situation decides their success, she stated, “Two people with the same intelligence shouldn't have widely different odds of winning in the game.” According to her analysis, the odds of her not becoming a doctor were actually zero given the privileged background she came from, making it easier for her than the 99% of the population. Narrating how her privileged background increased her chances of success, she said that her father had reserved a seat at a good private college as a backup even before she cleared class 12.
She further noted that her father was also willing to shell out cash to send her outside the country so that she could pursue a career in medicine she was unable to secure a seat through marks. “I got tuitions in my air conditioned living room - a different teacher for < every subiect. I didn't have to think too much about the logistics of documents or filling up forms - my dad's employees took care of that,” the post said. She compared her situation to that of her husband, who got into Assam Medical College for MBBS in 2007. The life circumstances of her partner were completely different, who prepared for the crucial entrance exam from a one-bedroom house which didn't have electricity and lights until his eleventh grade. Further explaining how logistics were a significant hurdle for a first-generation graduate from his family, she wrote, “He didn't have many of the documents needed,” and had to figure it out himself. Hailing from a minority community, he had to go through the tedious process of visits to government offices to obtain required documents while facilities were just a call away for Dr Anitha.
The post added, “Further, trying again and again wasn't an option for him, he had to immediately do something else because getting into the workforce immediately was a priority. He had one golden chance with 0 margin for error - and if he missed it? He could kiss his dreams goodbye.” Ultimately, her husband managed to obtain MD degree in Dermatology despite limited opportunities and heavy odds against him winning the race. Her insight suggests that she had wide strong safety nets and infinite choices but her partner had just one golden chance. Speaking out on the caste and class privilege which seems invisible, she argued that merit is not the mere existence or nonexistence of real intelligence, but it is more about the system that determines “who is allowed to fail and who has systems that will catch them when they do, pat them on the back and say, try again.” Social media reaction A user wrote, "I love when people talk about their privilege openly like this. Not in a "i feel so guilty" way, but in a "here are the facts and here's the comparison" way." Another user remarked, “I'm a Jain.
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