SHASHWAT GUPTA RAY
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PANJIM: Five years ago, when Canacona’s Abhida Eshana Barretto emerged as Goa’s NEET topper with an All India Rank (AIR) of 905, she spoke confidently of her dream—to study at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, and one day serve the nation as an Army doctor.
Today, that dream has become a reality.
Abhida has been commissioned into the Army Medical Corps (AMC) as a Lieutenant through the Short Service Commission (SSC) after graduating with distinction from one of the country’s most prestigious medical institutions, capping years of academic excellence, discipline and unwavering determination.
Her success at AFMC was not merely about earning a medical degree. According to her father, Abel Barreto, she consistently ranked among the institution’s best students.
“Both my daughter and I maintain exceptionally high standards for her performance,” Abel told O Heraldo.
“She recently shared that she ranked second overall during her first four years of study and finished third in her final year, graduating as the second-best student in her class. We have always set very high goals for her, and she has been fully committed to achieving them. This is a remarkable accomplishment, and we are incredibly proud of her hard work and dedication,” he beamed.
The foundation for that success, however, was laid much earlier.
Although medicine had always been a childhood aspiration, Abel recalls that it was only towards the end of Class XI that Abhida made a firm decision to pursue it with complete focus. The family rallied behind her by enrolling her in coaching classes, researching medical colleges and ensuring she had every opportunity to prepare.
The timing, however, could hardly have been more challenging.
With the Covid lockdown disrupting conventional learning in 2021, her preparation shifted entirely online. Yet, instead of allowing the circumstances to become a setback, Abhida turned them into an opportunity.
“Despite these challenges, she remained highly motivated, constantly solving practice papers while we focused on keeping her spirits high. Our efforts paid off when the results were announced, and she secured the first rank in Goa in 2021. During her research into various medical colleges, she decided that AFMC was the place she wanted to be,” Abel said.
For Abhida, AFMC was never just another medical college. Even though she secured admission offers from several institutions, the Pune-based academy remained her clear first choice because it combined the demands of medicine with the discipline of military service.
Her decision, however, was not an easy one for her family.
The prospect of sending their 18-year-old daughter hundreds of kilometres away weighed heavily on her parents.
“When she decided to go so far away at just 18 years of age, it was difficult to accept at first. But then I asked myself, ‘Why am I saying no? She wants to go, and who am I to stop her?'” Abel recalled.
That moment of reflection changed everything. Supported by her family, Abhida embraced the challenge she believed would best test her temperament, abilities and resilience.
Now wearing the rank of Lieutenant, she is preparing for the next chapter of her journey. She will begin her internship at the 166 Military Hospital in Satwari, Jammu Cantonment, a posting she chose after researching the institution’s reputation for offering exposure to a wide and diverse range of medical cases.
“Her decision was based on her research, which showed that this hospital is highly regarded and offers exposure to a wide variety of patient cases. Looking ahead, she hopes to specialise in oncology (cancer),” Abel said.
Looking back, he believes his daughter’s journey offers an important lesson for parents.
Appealing to families to support their children’s ambitions, Abel said parents should allow them the freedom to pursue careers of their own choice.
“Only then will they truly excel,” he said.
For Lt Abhida Barretto, the journey that began with a teenage dream, weathered a pandemic and demanded years of relentless effort has culminated in a commission into the Indian Army — while marking the beginning of a career dedicated to caring for those who serve the nation.
