Hi Students,

Im Dr. Nikhil Nasta, an Ophthalmologist from Mumbai. I was an Asst. Professor at a medical college for seven years before I started my practice. For those of you looking to enter Opthalmology as a career, let me share my journey so you get a first hand experience of the process. 

Right after my Std 12 Boards, I applied for engineering and medical. Medical admissions, as is the norm were delayed and delayed and more delayed. I secured a seat in BE Mech and finished 9 months there, thats a semester and a half. Then, when the seats for medical opened, I got a free seat at DYPMC on a waitlist. I was ecstatic, but my family did not want me to switch from engineering. They felt it was three years more to go to finish my engineering vs starting my MBBS and thus having to wait for five and a half years before I got my medical degree.

After many serious debates at home, I insisted and took up the seat. The thing here is that you have to be really passionate about your career choice as it defines you as a person later in life and is the key to your overall satisfaction. During MBBS my mind would fluctuate a lot depending on which posting I was doing. So I wanted to be a gynecologist, then orthopaedic, then paediatrician and so on as I completed the postings one by one. At the beginning of my internship, I had zeroed down on three PG choices, via  an exclusion process. First I decided broadly that I wanted to take a surgery field, so the paramedical fields like pathology and microbiology were out. Then I decided no  gynaecology or medical fields which need hospital duties and night duties like cardio and paediatrics. So essentially a surgical field, one that gives more money and no emergencies - so either ENT or Eye. Since I liked the Eye more, I selected that.

Now during the PG admission, I was getting a Diploma in Eye in Bombay vs MS in Belgaum. I was also getting any choice of MD seat in Bombay that I wanted. But I stuck to my choice and did not fluctuate from what I had decided, much against my parents' wishes who were keen to have me in Bombay. I refused the Diploma and chose a Degree course in Belgaum. 

After that I finished a couple of fellowships and worked at a few charitable hospitals till I was confident of my surgical skills. What I am trying to highlight for you all in this journey is that I had a strong unshakeable conviction about my career choice! Hailing from a non medical background, my parents had many doubts about my decisions. The guides for me were my mentors, my seniors, my teachers and my self research which was very very strong. I knew what I was headed for and how long my path would be. I could prepare for the hurdles and the challenges and my focus never once shifted from my goal.

If you guys have the same amount of dedication and persistence, then go ahead and make your dreams a reality. Keep your eyes and ears open and store the information you gather. Keep working hard, take advice from the best in the field. This will prepare you to go ahead on the path to a successful career.