Inside the Minds of Rank 1 & 3 Toppers | Dr. Deepak Marwah

Summary

Dr. Deepak Marwah interviews Dr. Monish Khanna, who secured All India Rank 1, and Dr. Kajal Pathak, who secured Rank 3, in NEET PG 2026. Both describe the hard work behind their results, including setbacks, burnout, family support, and the habits that helped them prepare consistently.

Their preparation journeys

• Monish said his NEET PG 2025 attempt was not his main attempt; he had planned to focus on his internship first. After that exam, he began serious preparation and committed to showing up every day. Even on difficult days, he aimed to study for at least four hours.
• His subsequent INI-CET results gave him confidence, but he did not perform as well as he hoped in the May INI-CET. He restarted preparation and learned that a strong preparation period does not guarantee exam-day performance.
• Kajal prepared at home after her internship, supported by her parents. She said their care and encouragement helped her sustain an intense study routine during her final months of preparation.
• Both described their results as emotional and difficult to believe at first. They checked their roll numbers repeatedly before accepting their ranks.

Practical lessons and methods

• Be consistent, even when circumstances are difficult.

  • Kajal tried to stay in touch with her preparation during busy internship duties. If she could not study much, she would do at least 20 questions, review earlier questions, or read her notes.
  • Monish aimed to study for at least four hours even on his lowest days.

• Use Grand Tests (GTs) to identify and revisit high-value material.

  • Kajal began taking GTs during final year, before she had completed every subject.
  • She noticed that certain topics appeared repeatedly in GTs and past-year questions, and that some questions were confusing or absent from her notes.
  • She recorded these questions and topics in a diary, keeping roughly one page per GT, then revised them before subsequent tests.
  • She felt that reviewing these targeted topics helped improve her GT scores.

• Settle on a resource and revise it repeatedly.

  • After NEET PG 2025, Monish restarted his notes from scratch and finished them by December.
  • After that, he stuck to the same source rather than repeatedly changing materials, emphasizing “one source, multiple revisions.”
  • The interview also stresses being honest about whether a source or subject is working. If a major weakness becomes clear, address it deliberately, but avoid disruptive, last-minute changes.

• Build a sound foundation in basic subjects.

  • Monish advised students restarting preparation to work through first- and second-year subjects before moving on to later subjects, especially if their basics are weak.
  • He singled out physiology as an underrated subject: understanding its concepts can make medicine easier to learn.
  • He also suggested that being able to understand physiology graphs is a useful sign of conceptual strength.
  • He described struggling with renal medicine until he revisited the underlying physiology.

• Recognize and manage burnout.

  • Monish said burnout affected his May INI-CET performance. Shortly before the exam, he struggled to read questions efficiently, lost time, and left several questions incomplete.
  • He concluded that students should learn their own limits rather than copy someone else’s study hours. Kajal could study 14–15 hours a day during a focused period, but he said that pace would quickly burn him out.
  • After that experience, he generally kept his study time to around eight hours a day, increasing gradually and adjusting as the exam approached. He reduced his hours in the final days to stay calm and focused.
  • His key advice was to show up consistently, understand one’s own capacity, and prioritize performance on exam day—not simply maximize daily hours.

• Seek emotional support.

  • Monish said his parents and sister helped him through low periods, while he hesitated to lean on friends who were facing the same pressures.
  • Dr. Marwah encouraged students away from home to stay connected with family as a way to unwind and receive support.

• Choose a study schedule that suits you.

  • Both toppers said they were more active at night and generally began studying around 8:30–9:00 a.m.
  • Monish said some people naturally study better at night and should not change an established routine without reason. The interview does not present night study as universally preferable.
  • Their sleep and study habits differed, reinforcing the broader point that routines should fit the individual.

Other takeaways

• Neither topper presented themselves as exceptional from the outset; both discussed uncertainty, disappointing results, and difficult days.
• Kajal said she had initially imagined a rank under 500 or 200, not Rank 3. Monish described checking his result repeatedly before believing Rank 1 was his.
• Both were unsure about specialty choices—medicine or radiology—and Kajal noted that people’s experiences of a specialty can differ. The discussion suggests that such decisions require personal reflection rather than relying only on other people’s opinions.
• In a rapid-fire segment, Kajal named obstetrics and gynecology as her favorite subject and psychiatry as a difficult one. Monish named microbiology as a favorite and pharmacology as a difficult one. Both said they were most active at night.

Speakers and sources featured

• Dr. Deepak Marwah — interviewer and host
• Dr. Monish Khanna — NEET PG 2026 All India Rank 1
• Dr. Kajal Pathak — NEET PG 2026 All India Rank 3

Educators mentioned by the interviewees, but not featured as speakers: Preeti Ma’am (microbiology) and Jambukeshwar Sir (orthopedics).