Introduction

So, the results of the PMT exams are out...Weren't able to make to the cutoff for MBBS...cant afford to drop another year preparing for medical and not to forget facing the awkward questionnaire of over-enthusiastic relatives like 'kya padh rahi ho/rahe ho beta? or something like 'kitne saal hue 12th pass kiye?'

    You have a few choices left after this-

• You can entirely drop off your aim of becoming a doctor and enroll for a bachelor's course in science.
• Can get yourselves enrolled in a biotechnology course
• Can go for paramedical courses
• Can go for dental or alternative medicine like ayurveda or homeopathy.

If you belong to a family like mine where the mindset is like'Doctor banne se achha kuchh nahiin hota' or something worse like'agar biotech kiya to bahar jakar naukri nahiin kar paogi shaadi aur bacchon ke baad' or something more chauvinist like 'doctor ban gayi to doctor ladke se shadi ho jayegi'. (I know guys all this is pathetic but its true and no offences intended but folks like these still exist), the first three options are eliminated naturally.

There may be off course other reasons for you to not proceed with the first three options which I dont want to list here which would make this a lengthy post which already its going to be.

So, somehow you got yourselves in the BAMS course. Maybe because you had to add the Dr. title before your name anyhow . May be because you had read in the news that Narendra Modi had said somewhere something like 'Bhaiyon aur behnon ab Ayurveda ke bhi achhe din aane wale hain' . Or may be because some of your uncle had suggested stuff like 'beta ayurveda mein aajkal bahut scope hai.' May be because you thought its easy or simply because you had  no choices left.

Whatever had been the reason, you have got admission in an Ayurvedic college.Its your first day of the college and you are surrounded by folks like 'yaar mera to mbbs me 2 number se reh gaya'.You may also come across some brave souls like 'main to yahan rehkar phir se ek saal mbbs ki preparation karne wali/karne wala hun' or some confused denizens with a genuine issue like 'yahan to sanskrit me padhai hoti hai..kuchh samajh me nahiin aata'

All this further contributes to your pain of not being able to get a seat in MBBS. Your vulnerable mind is surrounded with a lot of negativism and worries,

Well, I know I sounded like a cheeky advertisement which goes like 'Kya aap pareshan hain and all that stuff ' but to get my point clear I wanted to tell you that I am one amongst you.

I have myself gone through all the pain, negativity, episodes of panic before and after I got myself enrolled in the BAMS course.

Its a great science, an ancient marvel which I took like a month to realize after getting admission which was pretty early because I was enthusiastic about Ayurveda since I was young.

But I have seen students who remain confused about this science even months after joining the course due to reasons like their unfamiliarity with Sanskrit, difficulty to mug up the Ayurvedic terms, inability to memorize the Sanskrit shlokas etc.

I am no expert and am still studying.I am still learning and have a huge deal of stuff to learn. But having completed 2 years of my BAMS and having done a little bit of research in this field, I can surely say that I can help you if you are a newly enrolled student in BAMS course And are unable to figure out things and lectures going on in front of you.

Its my journey more than yours, I would be extremely delighted to let you know what worked for me and what didn't, how I coped up with the language issues and how did I manage to develop my trust in Ayurveda,

P.S-As I have already stated that I am no expert.May be your college teacher or an Ayurvedic doctor can help you better. But all the stuff I write hereafter are extracts from my ongoing voyage of learning this beautiful science of Ayurveda.