Didn’t score well? NEET Way Forward

The NEET way forward focuses on alternative options available after unexpected NEET results. Every year millions of medical aspirants take the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) to pursue undergraduate medical courses in top colleges of the country. Given the fierce competition and toughness of question papers, only a few achieve top scores to get into their dream medical college.

Many students are left heartbroken with low scores on the NEET exam wondering about the next step. Know tips from experts on what to do when one doesn’t score well in NEET and what is the best NEET way forward.

NEET Way Forward

Clearing the NEET exam is a daunting task due to the rigorous nature of this exam. Nowadays, top rankers scoring perfect 720 have led many to consider previous good scores insufficient in current times to get admission into a decent medical college. For a majority of aspirants, anything below 500 is a bad score.

Therefore, it is essential to understand what needs to be done if someone falls on the bad score side given that NEET 2024 is a few months away. Aspirants must toil hard to ace NEET targeting 600+ marks to get a top medical college for MBBS. At the same time, they must also accept the harsh realities of NEET to be prepared for undesired outcomes.

NEET Way Forward - Analyze Result

The National Testing Agency (NTA) publishes the NEET score as soon as the NEET Cutoff and results are announced. Aspirants eagerly wait for the results to know the results of their months of hard work. When the NEET score is not up to the expectation the aspirants must reflect on their results. Analyzing achieved scores is an essential task NEET as students must know areas where they didn't fair well.

Medical aspirants need to check the subjects where they didn't score well so that they can decide on the scope of improvement in the next NEET exam. This will also help them make a different strategy based on the NEET result . Students can consult their teachers, experts, or seniors for help in analyzing their NEET exam results.

NEET Way Forward -  Work on Improvement

The next task for those who have decided to appear in the NEET exam once again is to work on the improvement scope. For this check the high and low-scoring areas and plan a strategy focusing on the subjects where you didn't score well. The NEET way forward for droppers is to enroll in a course sidewise to avoid wasting one more year in sole preparation for this exam.

Aspirants can consult their mentors while devising a study plan for the next NEET exam. Many a time students face difficulties in working on improvement after getting demotivated seeing not-so-good NEET results. Mentors help you get over the result and focus on improving your score by guiding you through the preparation cycle.

Here are some tips to improve your NEET score:

• Make a suitable and effective study plan for the next year till NEET.
• Complete all the chapters in the NEET syllabus and focus on completing NCERTs.
• Make a habit of solving topic-wise questions regularly and take frequent NEET mock tests.
• After taking a NEET mock test analyse your paper and note down all your mistakes.
• If you can not evaluate your improvement, enrolling in the best coaching can help.

NEET Way Forward -  Explore Other Careers

For those who feel exhausted appearing in NEET and seeing minimal improvement in their score, it's advisable to consider alternative career options. In current times there are plenty of career options in the health field for medical aspirants such as Cardiovascular Technologist, Pharmacy, physiotherapist, Nutritionist, and many more.

Many of these fields are in high demand nowadays and due to comparably less competition these fields offer the best opportunities with minimal investment compared to NEET. It is an individual decision to go for any career but medical aspirants may look for another career after giving their dedicated time to the NEET exam.

NEET Way Forward - Alternative Exams

There are many other exam options available to pursue a different course such as CUET UG. These exams are the gateway to top-ranking universities such as DU, JNU, and BHU for science and humanity courses. Many top scorers prefer to pursue courses in emerging domains of psychology, microbiology, and allied fields from top-ranked universities.

Aspirants may appear in state-level exams to get into related medicine courses in their respective states. NEET way forward for those looking to explore other careers is to explore alternative exams for courses like BHMS, BAMS, and BUMS. Also, paramedical courses are available in the medical field for healthcare enthusiasts.

NEET Way Forward - Study Abroad

In case medical aspirants want to pursue the MBBS course only then they may opt for studying abroad. Many foreign universities particularly in Europe accept Indian students for medicine courses and offer scholarships for those with great academic records. Also, these foreign universities often welcome any score in the NEET exam and do not have higher score requirements.

Aspirants may search for universities abroad and check their ranking, fee, score requirements, and other criteria. Those who have dreams of becoming doctors should not limit themselves to the NEET exam after constantly not scoring well in this exam. After pursuing a medical degree in a foreign university, the aspirants may either practice in the same country or appear in the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) to get a license to practice in India.

In essence, the NEET way forward is not limited to retaking the exam repeatedly. It involves exploring diverse pathways to realize your dream of a medical career.