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Dr. Anika Prabhu Parrikar is a well-known name in Goa. She has done her MBBS and MD in Pulmonary Medicine and recently she secured all India 6th Rank in Institute of National Importance - superspeciality( INI-SS) examination and got admission for superspecialization - DM in Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, (AIIMS) Jodhpur.”

By Rajesh Ghadge

MAKING GOA PROUD!

“I have done my schooling at Rosary High School Miramar,” said Anika. “I had secured first rank in the school in SSC and 42nd Rank in the state. Thereafter I joined the Dempe College of Arts and Science in Miramar in Science stream, and I stood 3rd in college in HSSC and in the entire state I had bagged the 12th Rank! Anika wanted to be a doctor right from 7th Grade. “We did not have any doctors in our family and I always wanted to become a doctor. So, after completing my 12th std I had answered my GCET and made it through this MBBS entrance exam,” said Anika, adding that after completing her MBBS she joined the TB and Chest H o s p i t a l i n S t I n e z t o complete her MD in Pulmonary M e d i c i n e . “ T h e r e , I h a d competed a 3 year course of MD in Pulmonary Medicine and that time there was only one post available as senior resident and since I topped in my exams I managed to get that post, where I completed another 3 years as Senior Resident doctor after my postgraduation.”

Entry Into AIIMS

In April this year, Anika appeared for the exam to get entry into AIIMS. “Getting entry into AIIMS is one of the most difficult tasks of all,” said Anika, adding that there is no portion revealed online and no one knows how these exams are prepared. “There are no question papers and patterns available to go through to practice . However, because of a few other exams and work experience in the last couple of years perhaps, I was already sufficiently prepared! Mostly, students prepare for the AIIMS exam for 1 or 2 years. But due to lack of time & study resources, this was a do-ordie situation for me, which gave me the strength to prepare for this exam and i got the 6th Rank in the country.” After finishing her exams, Anika was asked to choose her center of preference. “Before deciding this I contacted a f e w o f m y f r i e n d s a n d colleagues to get their opinion on which centre to join. As there are a total of seven AIIMS for superspecialization, I put my preference for Jodhpur because i was given good reviews and despite it being far from Goa I decided t o j o i n t h e r e . ” A n i k a w i l l b e d o i n g h e r Doctorate of Medicine (DM) from AIIMS Jodhpur, which is a 3-year course. “The course that I will be doing in Jodhpur will be Doctorate of Medicine in Pulmonary Critical care and S l e e p M e d i c i n e . ” Plans of Returning Back to G o a : Anika said she will be returning back to Goa after completing her 3 years course in Jodhpur. “The plan as of now is to come back to Goa after completing my course,” she said adding that everyone is now asking her post DM plans. “It will all depend on the situation that arises in 3 years-time and my decision will solely depend on the opportunities and facilities available in Goa at that time.” Anika tells us that her patients come first and she is not money minded. “Right from 2007 when I joined GMC for my MBBS and later on in 2014 when I joined as MD in TB Chest Hospital, when it comes t o m y p a t i e n t s , I a m a completely different person. The treatments at GMC and TB Chest Hospital are always free, ” she said adding that since she has been a part of the Government Hospital and College, it is more important to give back to the society, “If I had gone to a private college and hospital, perhaps things would have been different. I think I have built a strong foundation since I have been part of a government hospital and college for my medical s t u d i e s . ” Anika has also been practicing at some of the well-known hospitals in Goa after her contract with GMC hospital. “I have been working with private hospitals situated in Old Goa, Miramar and Panjim and although they wanted me to work full time, due to my studies it was not possible to devote myself fully to any one hospital. I had a few more exams to face too. It was like a double-edged sword. I would either make money working

f u l l t i m e a t t h e p r i v a t e hospitals or I sacrifice the lucrative perks and prepare for the exams, and I chose the second option. I risked my financial stability to make sure that the end outcome remains g o o d . ” T h e W a y A h e a d . . Anika believes that Goa lacks t h e t h e i m p o r t a n t infrastructure in the Pulmonary Medicine field found in bigger cities and many are not even aware what this branch is all about. “In fact, covid raised the awareness about this branch of medicine, amongst the general public. In normal circumstances people would visit their General Physician (GP) in case of any chest/ lung problems. This continued until Covid struck and Pulmonology as a speciality branch became known to everyone, ” said Anika, adding that there is lots to be done in Goa in this segment. “Goa needs to start i n v e s t i n g i n c e r t a i n equipment so that Goans get the benefits. There is a need of strengthening Pulmonary Medicine as a Department for Goans to get free and easy access to various facilites, procedures and treatments in t h e s t a t e o f G o a . ” There is always a fear of not getting a good placement when you come back to Goa and this is keeping the talent away from the state, said Anika. “There are lack of opportunities and salaries in Goa compared to the metros like Mumbai/ Delhi etc. Goans need to travel outside to get t h e d i a g n o s t i c t e s t s o r treatments. But now the things are changing as the state government is taking this as a c h a l l e n g e t o m a k e t h e infrastructure available at G M C i t s e l f . F o r s i m p l e diagnostics and treatments, people have to travel outside the state due to lack of the facilities at home,” she added. “I always wanted to stay in Goa for further study in this field, but due to the lack of f a c i l i t i e s a n d p o s t s i n Pulmonary Medicine in Goa, I had to take the decision to travel outside the state”. “How can we do procedures and tests without the availability of the necessary equipment? That is the reason I decided to do my Doctorate in Pulmonary Medicine and when there are appropriate facilities and infrastructure here, I will come back to Goa to serve the p e o p l e , ” s a i d A n i k a . T h e C o n c l u s i o n Anika feels that it is high time that medical students realise that there is a huge potential in Goa and it's just that many don't know how to go about it. “I, myself, have gone through a delay of 5 years post my MD due to the lack of guidance and according to me, there is a need of connecting the people across the state. Every Goan student has a potential that is hidden and it needs to be explored and exposed. You just need to come forward and give it a try as Goa has ample of hidden talent. The only thing we need is motivation and a proper direction. This is my message to the ones who are planning of answering the exams, like I did,” with these words she concluded.

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