Despite societal pressure to marry and avoid higher education, Sheetal Gupta’s parents supported her dreams. Her father sold all his properties to fund her medical education, and she finally became a doctor last year.
In a recent conversation with SheThePeople, Sheetal Gupta shared that she was inspired to become a doctor after witnessing her mother's struggles with asthma. Now 25 and preparing for a postgraduate degree, Dr Gupta also shared that she aims to become a cardiologist and encourages others to break limiting rules to achieve their goals.
Here’s her story in her own words.
Society Said "Get Married," But Parental Support Made Her a Doctor
“Growing up, I saw my mom struggling with asthma every single night. She’d cry, ‘I can’t breathe.’ We’d panic and look for help, but no doctor would be available at night. That's when I decided to become a doctor.
Coming from a background where women were not allowed to have an opinion, it was a struggle for me to take a stand for myself. My relatives would say, ‘ladki ko itna kyu padhana.’ We are five sisters, and I am the fourth one. My elder sister was married at the age of 20. She never got to pursue her education.
So it was very tough for me to go and tell my father that I wanted to become a doctor. All I could have done was study hard and gain good marks. I was not able to clear my NEET on the first attempt.
People used to say, ‘Why are you wasting time on this? You should get married now.’ But my parents were always supportive, and soon I got NEET in my second year. I couldn’t get into a government college, but my dad said, ‘Tum padhai karo, paise ka main dekh lunga.’
I started with my medical college, and that's when I got to know that my father sold all the properties he had in Mumbai without even telling me about it.
I was very disheartened to know that he spent all his life's earnings on me, but it also motivated me to give my best.
Finally, in 2023, I became a doctor, and my parents were on cloud 9. People who earlier would say, ‘no one is going to marry you. No guy would allow you to open a clinic of your own after marriage,’ now come up to me for prescriptions. That's the power of education and hard work.
I am currently 25 and preparing for my postgraduate degree. I am planning to become a cardiologist in the future. To everyone who wants to achieve something in their life, believe in yourself and don’t be scared to do what it takes. Remember, women who follow the rules seldom make history, so break some rules, especially the ones that limit you!”
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