– Reshma Ravishanker

From once dismissing the idea of becoming a doctor as a distant dream to becoming the first student from his remote village in West Bengal to clear NEET, Maruf SK Sheikh’s journey is one of resilience, grit, and an unshakable dream born from personal hardship.

Hailing from Gazipur village in West Bengal, Maruf was deeply affected by his mother’s prolonged undiagnosed illness that remained untreated despite all efforts. “My mother had a cancer-like disease, but the local government hospital couldn’t offer a clear diagnosis. We used money saved for my five sisters to seek help at a private hospital but were turned away because of how we looked. They didn’t believe we could afford the treatment,” he recalled.

It was then that a young Maruf, still in school, vowed to become a doctor—so no other family would have to suffer the way he did. But by the end of school, reality hit hard. “Yeh toh humare aukat ke bahar hai MBBS ki padhai karna,” he thought.

Despite studying at the modest Nandabhanga High School, Maruf scored an impressive 97.4 percent in his grade 10 boards. He continued his studies in a government college for classes 11 and 12, unaware at the time that clearing NEET UG was essential for MBBS. He even enrolled in a BSc Mathematics course for a year, as his dreams seemed out of reach.

With his father unwell, his elder sister took charge of the family, working at a diagnostic centre. Teachers stepped in to support Maruf, even arranging a fee exemption for his coaching. A breakthrough came when he discovered affordable online NEET preparation through the Physics Wallah platform. He took a one-year break from his degree to focus entirely on the entrance exam.

But the hurdles didn’t end. “There was a bubbling error on my answer sheet during the exam. The invigilator said nothing could be done. I was heartbroken,” he said. Dejected, he started preparing again for NEET UG 2026—until the results arrived, proving his paper had been accepted. “I couldn’t believe it. I had cleared NEET and was ranked among the top 10,000!”

Today, Maruf awaits counselling for admission to a medical college—a step closer to fulfilling his dream.

Also read: IIT Madras expands ‘School Connect’ programme to schools across India