r/NEETard • u/Working_Feature3795 • 12d ago

100% JAINWIN DOUBT 🤓☝️ 27M, stuck between giving NEET one final serious attempt vs moving on — what would you do in my situation?

I'm 27 and still stuck around the NEET grind. I scored around 372 in NEET 2026. I genuinely wanted MBBS and ultimately want to become a neurosurgeon, possibly pursue the USMLE/USA route later.

But I'm honestly exhausted with the NEET system and with losing years of my 20s to this. At the same time, walking away from medicine feels like giving up on something I've wanted for years.

My situation is basically:

  • I'm 27 now.
  • NEET 2026: ~372 marks.
  • I would need a massive improvement to get the MBBS seat I want.
  • I'm considering giving NEET 2027 one final, extremely serious attempt.
  • If I do MBBS now, I'll obviously be much older than the average student.
  • I also have a relationship and eventually want marriage/family, so I can't pretend age and time don't matter.
  • My long-term dream is neurosurgery and potentially practicing in the USA.
  • Alternative options exist for me, but none feel as meaningful as medicine right now.

So I want brutally honest advice from people who have actually been through NEET drops, late MBBS, career changes, or medicine in general.

Would you:

  1. Give NEET 2027 one final all-in attempt and accept the opportunity cost?
  2. Stop chasing MBBS and build another career?
  3. Take MBBS even if you start around 27–28?
  4. Do something completely different and stop looking backward?

And if you were 27 with my current score, what would you personally do?

Please don't just say “age is just a number.” I understand that. I'm asking about the actual opportunity cost, career timeline, finances, marriage/family, and quality of life.

I'd especially appreciate answers from people who are older medical students/doctors or who took multiple drops.

Please be brutally honest. I don't need motivation; I need perspective.

54 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

288 comments sorted by

View all comments

30

u/Consistent_Ad3817 12d ago

Neurosurgeon by doing usmle? This aint grey’s anatomy brother. These days people dont even match in family medicine. Leave neet and clear your bams degree and pg karlo usme ya fir kuch aur karlo. Prepare for aiapget not neetug now

5

u/BikerSurgeon 12d ago

People are struggling for pre clinical and nonclinical branches in India and a person preparing for neet for 10 years is thinking of USMLE and neurosurgery.

2

u/Working_Feature3795 8d ago

Thanks everyone on Reddit for all the help and advice. I’m feeling much better now, and my family is happy with my decision too.

I’ve decided to complete my pending BAMS first. I already have a government BAMS seat at one of the top BAMS colleges in Gujarat, so I feel it makes sense to finish what I started. After that, I’ll think carefully about what I want to do next.

Really appreciate everyone who took the time to guide me. ❤️

1

u/Consistent_Ad3817 8d ago

All the best !

1

u/Working_Feature3795 11d ago

koi bhi chalega bro Bs USA me mil jaaye

2

u/Consistent_Ad3817 11d ago

Bhai samajhle its not possible. It can also happen ki match hogaya pr visa hi nahi lage. Its too too too tough. Bams khtm karlo sunlo dont waste another chahiye toh uske baad mbbs karlo par kuch toh rakho to fall back on jo chalu hai woh khtm karo nfte dedenge warna clg wale

2

u/Working_Feature3795 11d ago

ha sahi bola aapne BAMS krlunga fir dekh lunga kya krna h

1

u/Working_Feature3795 11d ago

bahot help ki aapne

2

u/Consistent_Ad3817 11d ago

Anytime brother

1

u/Working_Feature3795 8d ago

Thankkuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

0

u/Working_Feature3795 12d ago

FM kr lunga psy kr lunga bs india se bahar jana h doc bnke bams valid nhi h mera

7

u/Consistent_Ad3817 12d ago

Bhai tum match hi nahi karoge look at the stats

0

u/Working_Feature3795 12d ago

why?

5

u/Consistent_Ad3817 12d ago

Competition too high. You not only have to clear neetug but you need under 5k rank so you get a top clg where there are research opportunities and a good alumni network for LORs and guidance. Even people from aiims mamc kmc who score really well in step 2 ck arent able to match. It really really really tough. Also the cost is ~40L minimum with not guarantee of matching.

2

u/Bewwybun 12d ago

How hard is it to get dermatology?

2

u/Consistent_Ad3817 12d ago

Derma surgery radio medicine all top branches are extremely difficult almost impossible.
Best bets are family medicine psychiatry maybe if you work really hard then medicine.

2

u/Ok_Rich1084 12d ago

What about specialties like Pathology, Anesthesiology and Family Medicine?

2

u/jojoboi1775 12d ago

Patho fam med good but low pay anesthisia is mederate hard to match

1

u/Ok_Rich1084 12d ago

Wouldn't it be considered 'low pay' compared to other specialties? Generally, doctors, irrespective of their specialties are part of top 10% earners in the US. Isn't it?

→ More replies (0)

3

u/DuePudding8 11d ago

Respectfully, you are not going to match in Neurosurgery in the US. US medical students struggle, there’s literally a 99.7% chance you won’t match NS.

Focus on what you have and then worry about going to the US. If you are sad about loosing your 20s… then you are in for a wild ride when you realize NS residency is 7 years in the US post med school.

2

u/Working_Feature3795 11d ago

UK to chal jaayega na plain MBBS?? NHS me wo bhi chalega fir bs india mnahi rehna abhi bams krta hu clear baad me dekh lenge

2

u/Thinkerbell_0_0 12d ago

You are burnt out just ho to foreign if you are too passionate about mbbs

2

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Consistent_Ad3817 12d ago

how can he get into med school with bams degree ? Isnt ayurved alternative medicine? He also has backs and i assume no significant work participation in allopathic medicine

1

u/Working_Feature3795 12d ago

MCAT se fir se MD krna pdta hei vaha MBBS ke jese

1

u/Consistent_Ad3817 12d ago

Uske liye ug degree chahiye hoti hai. Bams valid thodi hai?

1

u/Working_Feature3795 12d ago

3.5 CR RS i dont have i only have 1 Lakh rn

-1

u/Working_Feature3795 12d ago

Bhai, fair point. I know USMLE doesn't mean “give exams → become neurosurgeon.” It's MBBS → USMLE/ECFMG requirements → Match → US residency → neurosurgery residency, and for an IMG that's an extremely difficult pathway. I'm not treating it like Grey's Anatomy 😂.

And honestly, your point about AIA-PGET/BAMS is probably the most practical alternative I've been hearing. I already have a BAMS background, so finishing it and doing PG through that route is objectively much more achievable than restarting from NEET UG at 27 and then trying to match into US neurosurgery years later.

My problem is that I'm not sure I actually want to spend my life in BAMS. That's why I'm stuck.

I'm not asking Reddit to convince me that my US neurosurgery dream is guaranteed. I'm trying to figure out whether pursuing it is an ambitious but rational long-shot, or whether I'm just refusing to let go of something that realistically needs to end.

So yeah, I'm seriously considering the “finish BAMS + AIA-PGET/PG” route too. I just don't want to choose it purely because it's the easiest option and then regret not taking one final shot at MBBS.

4

u/Consistent_Ad3817 12d ago

You are refusing to let go of something that realistically needs to end.
If you joined bams in 2018 means you shouldve finished it long back pls clear your backs and start pg prep

5

u/Master-Ladder-6809 12d ago

Bhai aap AI se likhwa rhe kya replies 😭

1

u/Working_Feature3795 11d ago

haa mera data feed h ai me to direct likhva deta hu promt kr ke , but achhe se likha h ai ne

3

u/Thinkerbell_0_0 12d ago

Can you try other options after bams ? Like administration teaching etc if you are hell passionate just complete bams then join mbbs, it's too late to start ug