2 PhDs, MBA: 51-year-old clears NEET after 34 years to fulfil his dream of becoming a doctor

Dubai: A 51-year-old man from Tamil Nadu has gone viral after clearing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), 34 years after completing his Class 12, to finally pursue his long-held dream of becoming a doctor.

A Suresh Kumar, a native of Velankanni in Nagapattinam district, has already earned two PhDs and an MBA and built a career spanning the pharmaceutical and diagnostic sectors. Yet, he says, becoming a doctor remained an ambition he could never let go.

On Thursday, Kumar was allotted a seat at Nagapattinam Medical College, close to his home, bringing the long-awaited dream within reach.

Kumar completed Class 12 in 1992 and had hoped to study medicine. Family responsibilities, however, led him to pursue pharmacy instead. He went on to establish a successful professional career but continued to feel that medicine was his true calling.

The opportunity to appear for NEET after age restrictions were removed encouraged him to try again.

“Despite working, I spent the nights studying and even tutored my son in biology to stay in touch with the subject,” Kumar told reporters in Chennai.

His wife played a key role in his preparation, encouraging him to leave his job and maintain a disciplined study schedule. After work, Kumar would study from about 10 pm until midnight, while his wife would wake him at 4 am and prepare refreshments.

He also worked through previous years’ question papers and assessed his preparation between 2023 and 2025.

His first attempt was unsuccessful after he chose to write the examination in Tamil. For his second attempt, he switched to English, a language he had used throughout his 34-year professional career, and succeeded.

Kumar qualified through a special quota following a road accident that left him with a lasting mobility-related injury. Now preparing to join medical college alongside students far younger than him, Kumar says he is excited about the next chapter.

He believes his journey carries a simple message: age should not stand in the way of pursuing an unfulfilled ambition.

“I did not want to leave the world with the regret of an unfulfilled dream,” he said.

At 51, Kumar is now ready to exchange his professional experience for a medical college classroom — proving that some dreams can take decades, but they never have to expire.

With inputs from Agencies Social network