Medicine to Engineering

Son Pranav wanted to be a doctor.He did not study mathematics that well thinking that he will get into a medical college.However, when it was clear that he would not get a seat in medical college in Maharashtra, we proposed him to study again for an entrance test for next year.At first he said yes but then changed his mind and decided to seek admission in engineering college.With far less marks in mathematics, 70 out of 100, he was at a wrong side.Inspite of this, his rank of 10315 out of 52000+ , he managed to get Chemical Engineering seat in a Mumbai college.

When Pranav took a science stream, I asked him what he wanted to do: medicine or engineering?He said that he was not sure:medicine or engg.In engg. his interest was Chemical engg,Bio-tech engg and Aeronautical engg. As time passed he said that he wanted to do medicine.We told him that we are not at all averse to medicine but for entry into medicine he will have to study a lot as there are very few seats available in medicine,almost 1/15th of engg. seats.He was studying hard for med entrance but somehow his 94 percentile score in med entrance did not assure him a med seat as yet.

So, now when he said that he would rather go for engg. we thought it good that he has atleast taken a decision, rather swift one, in a way good decision.In medicine a basic degree is not sufficient and one has to do atleast a post-graduate course,although super speciality is desirable, to reach a respectable position.And at all entry level there is filtering and hence we felt med is a uncertain arena.

Although he got a Chem Engg seat in Mumbai,he was uncertain what branch of fngg. he would study.While studying for med entrance he had not at all decided about engg. and hence not formed any idea of a particular branch of engg. But then slowly he started formulating his idea- shorlisting engg. branches or rather eliminating branches of engg. which he would not study.By now he has formed his idea- Electronics & Tele-Communication,Mechanical.About Computer Science and Engg. he says that since he knows computer programming so well that he would rather do engg degree in branch other than computers and still he would be updating his knowledge about everything in computers so that he will have a dual specialisation! That's fine.

When we saw Sinhgad Institute of Technology (SIT) at Lonavala we all were very much impressed by the campus.He filled in this institute with EXTC (Electronics and Telecommunication) and Mechanical (Mech) engg. as few of the top options after VJTI (states' premier technical institution) in the option form of Governments' Centralised Admission Process (CAP).It was thru CAP that he got a Chem engg seat.He could not get at SIT as SIT falls under Pune University whereas we stay under the jurisdiction of Mumbai University.Under the CAP, 70% of the seats are allocated to students residing in the respective university area and 30% are open to entire state.

When there are vaccant seats available, one can approach individual college for a seat. We are proud that son Pranav said that he would like to seek admission on merit only and he refrained us from approaching colleges asking for donations.We approached SIT and filled up form for vaccant seats making amply clear that we are interested in vaccant seats only and not in management seats, where some donation is sought.Again we were proud to find his name listed at rank 4 in the 100 vaccant seats.This is in short how Pranav got admission into seemingly good college albeit in Pune University.

Govt. of Maharashtra has declared to carry second round of admission for vaccant seats in Govt. aided colleges and probably other unaided colleges which is 3 days away.But Pranav is so satisfied with environment of SIT that he is bit reluctant to leave SIT. We have assured him that we shall think of taking admission only in the top 2-3 top-rated govt. colleges (chances are pretty dim); otherwise he will stay back in SIT.

I am writing all this so that by any chance he sees this blog down the time he will understand what went thru our (pop and mom) minds.

Goodluck Pranav