Dr Arun Sharma, who is at present working as senior resident general (surgery) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has brought laurels to the state by topping the AIIMS examination for MCh superspeciality in minimal access surgery. The result of the examination was declared by premier health institution recently.

Arun had qualified the written test and appeared for the interview on April 23. There were a total of three seats in AIIMS for MCh (an advanced qualification in surgery).

He did his MBBS from Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences, Jammu, and MS in Surgery from the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar.

Talking to The Tribune from New Delhi, Arun said: “I will be trained over three years in advanced minimal access procedures such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, bariatric surgery and other complex procuedures such as laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and laparoscopic hernia repair.”

“In fact, minimal access surgery is something I always wanted to pursue after completing my MS in Surgery from the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar. More than 600 top surgeons from across the country appeared in the AIIMS written test on April 7, 2018. I have become the first doctor from the state to top in the branch of minimal access surgery,” Arun said.

Originally hailing from Mela village in Hiranagar of Kathua, Arun attributes his success to his hard work. “AIIMS is the only institute in the country which offers this course and the seats are limited. On numerous occasions, the thought of switching to some other branch crossed my mind but my hard work, perseverance, blessings of Almighty, my parents and the well-wishers and of course the lady luck made me successful,” said the newly married doctor.