Lucknow: Success in medicine depends less on memorising textbooks and more on understanding concepts, staying consistent and treating patients with empathy, top rank holders of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) said after being honoured at the university’s convocation on Monday.The standout performer was Deepti Sharma, 22, from Muzaffarnagar, who became only the seventh student in KGMU’s history to secure its three highest honours — the Chancellor’s Gold Medal, the University Gold Medal and the Hewett Gold Medal. The Hewett Gold Medal is awarded to the MBBS final professional topper, while the Chancellor’s Gold Medal recognises the best all-round graduate. The University Honours Gold Medal is given for overall academic performance.Sharma, who cleared NEET UG in her first attempt, said she maintained a disciplined routine and prioritised health alongside academics. She studied five to six hours daily apart from classes and practised judo occasionally for physical and mental well-being. She also said reading fiction helped her unwind. “It’s important to take care of your health while focusing on studies,” she said.In all, she received 19 awards, including 13 gold medals, two silver medals, a Certificate of Honour and the Silver Jubilee Re-Union (1949-1954) MBBS Batch Book Prize.Explaining her approach, Sharma said she focused on conceptual clarity rather than rote learning. “Multiple revisions and consistency helped me retain what I studied,” she said, adding that empathy is central to the profession. In dentistry, Abhilasha Ghosh, 22, from Kolkata, topped the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme and collected 12 academic honours, including the Dr HD Gupta Memorial Gold Medal and Cash Prize. She credited regular classroom learning for her performance. “My success mantra was attending regular classes. Concepts are understood much better in the classroom than through online PDFs,” she said. She also acknowledged the support of her father, retired military doctor Dr Arindam Ghosh.Among MBBS graduates, Nidhi Singh, 23, from Etawah, received the Dr RML Mehrotra Memorial Gold Medal. The daughter of Dasharath Singh and homemaker Sulekha Singh, she described her parents as her biggest motivation. “MBBS is a demanding course that requires continuous effort. Consistency is the key that helped me achieve this rank,” she said.Another awardee, Aniket Chandra Saxena, 25, from Farrukhabad, received the Dr Pradeep Jayana Gold Medal as the Best Intern in the Faculty of Dental Sciences, along with six other honours.Saxena said academic success was not determined by where a student sits in class. “I was always a backbencher, but I made sure I absorbed as much as I could during lectures. Listen carefully to your professors and don’t study under pressure,” he said.
