IN Pakistani society, excelling in academics, especially being in the top three of your class, often leads to a singular expectation: the pursuit of a medical career. This path is glamorised by those around you, even if it does not resonate with your true desires or capabilities. Despite your reservations, you start to believe this is the ideal route for your life.

As you aim at being among the top 3,000 students applying for the medical entrance exam, you join an academy, convinced that you can achieve what many others cannot. Yet, the harsh truth is that this is just not your small class anymore; you are now competing in a vast sea of applicants. The immense pressure, both mental and physical, can be overwhelming. Your mentors portray the entrance exam as the judgment day. When the results come in, you score between 150 and 170, a commendable feat, but not enough to get you the desired admission.

Suddenly, in the eyes of society, you are labelled a ‘failure’. Many of your peers choose to repeat the exam, while others try to move on to different fields, only to be seen as having ‘failed’ the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT). Those who change paths often wrestle with self-doubt, haunted by their experiences.

Every reminder of their perceived failure brings back the trauma, filling them with anxiety over future tests and challenges. In this pursuit of medicine, many forget their other abilities and passions, overshadowed by the relentless expectations and pressure to study for the exams.

What is often overlooked are the stories of those who cope with setbacks and find success in alternative fields. They redefine their paths despite societal expectations, proving that moving forward can be an achievement in itself. Most of us only hear the success stories, but the truth is that resilience and the courage to forge a new path are just as valid. This untold story reminds us that success is not always about following a predetermined route in life; sometimes, it is about embracing the journey and finding actual fulfilment.

Sumyya Darain
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2024