This is the story of Archana Vijayan, an MBBS student who faced many challenges before getting a seat at the Kottayam Medical College.
Archana, who hails from Kerela was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) when she was only 2 years old. Archana knew that it is quite difficult for differently abled people to get a job in the medical field but she always wanted to become a doctor and hence fought all the hurdles to pursue MBBS.
Archana’s Early Days
Archana’s childhood was quite challenging as she could not even sit properly and had to go for regular physiotherapy sessions. Her mother left her job to take care of her and her father who is a postman used to pick up Archana and drop her to school every day as he wanted to make sure that Archana gets the best education.
In school, her teachers and friends were very supportive, hence mobility was never an issue in school for Archana. And when she scored well in exams, the reluctance to accept her vanished.
Archana faced first discrimination due to a disability when she wasn’t allowed to opt Science stream post-completion of her 10th class. She secured a good rank in medical entrance exams but got a seat for Ayurveda. Archana didn’t give up and after her third attempt, she got the medical seat that she wanted. She went to Trivandrum for counselling but the panel insulted her a lot saying she can’t be a doctor because of her disability.
Archana was insulted the second time as well. The third time, however, she went in front of a Medical Board and they gave her a medical certificate. Archana knew what to do next, the very next day she joined Kottayam Government Medical College to pursue MBBS.
Currently, Archana is in her Final Year of MBBS and living her dreams of becoming a doctor.
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Archana’s Love For Singing
Archana loves to sing and has performed at various events in Kerala including the State Youth Festival. She has also sung a debut with popular playback singer Haricharan for the movie Backpackers. She also participates in different concerts.
Archana also published a book containing 22 poems when she was in her 9th standard. She also loves to write about different social issues and creativities through her social media accounts.
Archana’s story is inspiring for many and a perfect example of ‘A determined mind and a strong will can definitely bear endless possibilities.’
