MBBS for Chennai man at 51. Govt earlier attempted age bar

A. Suresh Kumar, 51, has secured an MBBS seat at Government Medical College, Nagapattinam. His admission after the NEET age limit was removed has renewed attention on older entrants to medical education.At an age when most doctors are well into their careers, a 51-year-old from Tamil Nadu is preparing to start his own. A. Suresh Kumar has secured an MBBS seat at Government Medical College, Nagapattinam, turning a childhood dream into an unlikely second-career plan.“Medicine is a marathon, not a sprint,” pointed out Hyderabad-based neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar, capturing both the inspiration and the challenge of entering medical school at 51.Suresh, a father of two, completed a Diploma in Pharmacy in 1996 before working as a medical representative, reports suggest. He later acquired a BBA and PhD and is now a vice-president at a diagnostic company. But becoming a doctor remained an unfinished ambition.He appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test ( NEET)-UG, the entrance test for admission into medical colleges across India, for the second time this year and scored 192 marks, securing a seat under the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category. A 2019 road accident had left him with a 40% disability.His first NEET attempt was in 2022, after the upper age limit for medical entrance had been removed. Since then, he had been studying biology from his sons' textbooks and revising previous years' question papers. He now hopes eventually to pursue postgraduate training in transplant medicine. There have been a handful of other examples of people in their 50s and even 60s, mostly in southern states, entering medical colleges to pursue degrees in medicine.PAST ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE LIMITSuresh's journey would have been far harder had the earlier NEET age restrictions remained.In 2016, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) which earlier conducted All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), before NEET-UG came into being, introduced an upper age limit of 25 years for general-category candidates and 30 for reserved-category candidates.The move was challenged in the Supreme Court, and the restrictions were subsequently kept in abeyance while the legal battle continued. In March 2022, the National Medical Commission (NMC) formally removed the upper age limit for NEET-UG.The debate was never simply about whether older candidates could take an examination. Critics questioned whether medical education, involving years of demanding academic work, clinical postings and, for those pursuing it, postgraduate training, was practical as a late-career choice.It is estimated that around 3,000-4,000 candidates above 25 appear for NEET annually, against roughly 15-17 lakh candidates overall. The argument for removing the restriction was that such a small pool should not automatically be barred from pursuing medicine.Suresh is now an unusual example of what that policy change can mean in practice.THE ROAD BEYOND MBBSDr Kumar says pursuing medicine in one's 50s demonstrates “lifelong learning, grit, and passion”, but cautions that entering medical college at 51 is very different from starting at 18.Long hours, sleep deprivation and the physical demands of clinical training can be challenging, making good health and strong family support important.Medical education expert Dr Thomas Chacko also believes older aspirants can be accommodated, provided they do not significantly reduce opportunities for younger candidates. With life expectancy increasing, he says, age alone should not shut the door on learning and service.But he points out that MBBS is only the beginning for many doctors. Specialisation can add several more years, making the journey particularly long for someone entering medical school in their 50s. He suggests fields such as geriatrics and palliative care could eventually offer more suitable options.Dr Chacko also proposes pre-admission counselling or even a period of “pre-medical shadowing” with practising doctors, as is done in the US, so middle-aged aspirants can experience the realities of medical training before committing to it.For Suresh, however, the decision appears settled.Reports have quoted him saying that he has established his career and family and now wants to fulfil the dream he has carried since childhood. He has even expressed willingness to work without a salary if posted to a remote or hilly area.- EndsPublished On: Aug 14, 2026 13:59 IST