Dr Manikandan C, AIIMS PG Nov Rank 7 and Marrow Pro student, talks about his preparation strategy
Hi Dr Manikandan, a big congratulations on achieving this great feat! Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am Dr Manikandan C, and I graduated this year. I gave the AIIMS Nov exam 6 months after finishing my internship, and I am happy to say that I got Rank 7. I have not attended any coaching classes and depended solely on Marrow for my preparation, and hence I am extremely grateful to Marrow for the same. I aspire to be Physician and would be choosing Medicine PG
When did you start preparing for the exam?
I started preparing casually during my internship, but serious preparation started 6 months before the exams that is, after my internship got over.
How often did you practice solving MCQs on the Qbank?
I made it a point to solve the Qbank every day after class. I found this was more useful in remembering concepts. Whatever new concepts I found in the Qbank, I added it to my notes.
When do you recommend your juniors to start preparing with Marrow?
As soon as you start your internship. Videos classes for those who have no notes but the Qbank & Test series are a must.
What was your rank in the Marrow AIIMS Mock?
I had a predicted rank on 31 in the Marrow AIIMS Mock exam.
Did you use any guides for your preparation?
I felt Marrow is completely sufficient and never felt any need to use guides. However, I used Devesh Mishra for Pathology for concept clearance along with the Qbank. I found the Qbank particularly useful for SPM. I relied completely on the Qbank for Medicine, Surgery and Minor subjects especially Psychiatry and Radiology. I also used the materials provided by coaching class.
If there is a controversial question you come across, who would you trust?
90% of the times Marrow, unless I have directly got in touch with the faculty. There were quite a few controversies actually and I just followed Marrow.
How would you recommend others to use the Qbank?
Read your notes and solve the related Qbank as much as possible on that day itself. Add extra points from the Qbank explanation to your notes, to use it later for revision.
How many Grand Tests did you give?
I had given 11 grand tests from May to Nov, and I could see that my scores were progressively improving
How often do you recommend giving Grand Tests?
In the Initial stages of preparation, I would recommend giving 2 tests per month and later 3-4 / month. More than comparing with others, you should compare your own ranks.
As you mentioned, QBank & Tests were your primary mode of preparation. Did you find videos and pearls helpful as well?
Because of the time constraint, I couldn’t cover all the videos. But I did watch the weekly featured videos by fast-forwarding and definitely benefitted from those. Pearls were helpful as well, especially in connection with MCQ explanations. However, I couldn’t cover even half the Pearls because of the high volume and time constraints.
What was your strategy in the last few days?
I solved ECG questions from the Mini-Tests, revised my notes and solved only Custom Modules in the last week.
Can you share a few pointers about this AIIMS exam?
I found this year’s exam tougher than last year’s. AIIMS tests knowledge, mugged up information does not help. So conceptual explanations in Marrow helped a lot. The time restraint in Marrow was also very helpful with the actual exam.
How many questions did you attempt?
I attempted194. I would say you should attempt as many questions as possible.
What do you think is the best feature of Marrow?
I found the daily update (MCQ of the day) very very useful. Even if I am revising a different subject, the varied MCQ or video which appeared forced my brain to think.
Thank you for this interview, Dr. Manikandan! All the very best for your future endeavours.
