"Fell Behind My Worst Expectations": Doctor's Emotional Post Over Pay Cut

NDTV

a day ago

A doctor has opened up about the toll of spending years in academic preparation, only to see a drastic fall in his earnings. Vamsi Krishna, in a social media post, explained how repeated attempts and long years of preparation left him feeling like a "failure".
"It sucks being stuck despite the grind, knowing you're capable of more but still falling short," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Mr Krishna shared that he dropped two years during his undergraduate entrance journey and another two years while preparing for postgraduate medical exams.
During this time, his earnings shrank from Rs 1.57 lakh to Rs 61,300 and further down to Rs 54,500. Despite putting in what he believed was his best effort, he admitted that his results fell short of even his lowest expectations.
"Not for sympathy, but it feels like failure," he admitted.
From 1.57L>61.3k >54.5k.
Dropped 2 yrs for UG, 2 more now.
Gave what I thought was my best, yet fell behind even my worst expectations.
It sucks being stuck despite the grind, knowing you're capable of more but still falling short.
Not for sympathy, but it feels like failure.
— Dr. Vamsi Krishna (@drdoddipalli) August 19, 2025
The raw honesty soon caught the attention of many.
A user wrote, "Please stay strong. I know what it feels like. Degrees are never a measure of one's capability or success. When one door closes, some other door definitely opens. Be patient."
Another wrote, "Hang in there .. maybe change the strategy.. You can do so much better than this.. I have faith in you."
Someone said, "With all honesty. Not going to sugarcoat anything here. Do not get stuck in the loop. Even if you feel you've given your best or at least up to 60-70%, be wise and make a calculated decision of what branches of your interest are available and how you can take that seat."
India's medical education system is said to be one of the toughest in the world. The post came after the declaration of the NEET-PG 2025 results on Tuesday.
The cut-off was set at the 50th percentile for General and EWS candidates, 45th for UR-PwBD, and 40th for SC, ST, and OBC candidates. Individual scorecards will be available for download from August 29, while counselling for the All-India Quota (50%) is expected to begin soon.