Specially-abled girl to become first doctor

Specially-abled Shamsiya Arfin will become the first doctor from the remote Merpanaikkadu village in Tamil Nadu.

Shamsiya cleared the counselling on Friday and got admission to MBBS at the prestigious Government Stanley Medical College, Chennai, one of the oldest medical colleges in the country. The 18-year-old just like her father Muthalif is physically challenged and was in and out of hospitals during her childhood. Her father Muthalif too had suffered a polio attack and is physically disabled.

A student of Merpanaikadu Government Higher Secondary school, Shamsiya said she had studied in Tamil medium, adding that she would not have reached this far without her teachers' help. Thisaigal centre, a NEET coaching centre that provides free coaching to Government school students helped her crack the examination.

The centre even provided free bus services for Shamsiya to attend classes and according to teachers of the centre she always attended classes and were prompt in her studies.