Last Updated:August 14, 2026, 13:05 IST

Suresh Kumar appeared for NEET UG and scored 192 marks out of 720. Following a road accident, he qualified under the PwD category and was allotted an MBBS seat.

Suresh Kumar holds two PhDs, an MBA and a senior position in the diagnostics industry. (Representational image/File)

Age is just number and 51-year-old Suresh Kumar from Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district just proved that right. Despite family responsibilities and a busy schedule, Kumar never gave up on his childhood dream of becoming a doctor.

Kumar holds two PhDs, an MBA and a senior position in the diagnostics industry. He completed class 12 in 1992 and wanted to pursue medicine. However, family responsibilities prevented him from joining an MBBS course. Instead, he chose pharmacy and continued building his career. He completed a Diploma in Pharmacy, followed by a BBA, MBA and two PhDs. He later rose to the position of Vice President at a reputed diagnostics company.

When the upper age limit for NEET UG was removed, Kumar saw an opportunity to pursue the dream he had left behind decades ago. He decided to give the medical entrance exam while continuing his full-time job.

Balancing work, family and NEET preparation was challenging. Kumar worked during the day and studied from around 10 pm to midnight. He also taught biology to his son to stay familiar with the subject. His wife played an important role in supporting his preparation and would wake him up at 4 am so he could follow his study schedule.

“Despite working, I spent the nights studying and even tutored my son in biology to stay in touch with the subject,” he told PTI.

Kumar appeared for NEET UG and scored 192 marks out of 720. Following a road accident, he qualified under the PwD category and was allotted an MBBS seat at Nagapattinam Government Medical College.

Kumar believes age should never become a reason to give up on a dream. He is now looking forward to joining medical college alongside students much younger than him. He has also expressed his willingness to serve patients in remote and hilly areas, even without expecting a salary.

“At 51, I maintain a high level of physical fitness and believe that age is just a number,” Kumar told reporters.

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Could more older students pursue medicine after this news?

The Supreme Court’s decision in 2020 to remove the upper age limit for NEET-UG could encourage more older students to pursue medicine. This change allowed individuals like A. Suresh Kumar, who passed the NEET-UG at 51, to fulfil their long-held dreams of becoming doctors.

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