Arpan Doshi, an Indian-origin doctor, is set to become the UK's youngest physician to start work at a hospital in north-east England. Doshi graduated with his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Sheffield on Monday – aged 21 and 335 days – and is due to start work as a junior doctor in York next month.
He will beat the previous record for the youngest doctor to start work in the country by 17 days.
"I didn't realise I was the youngest person to qualify until a friend checked on the internet. I haven't even told my parents yet but I know they will be very proud," the Sun quoted Doshi as saying. Arpan originally went to a local school in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, until he was 13. Then his mechanical engineer father, Bharat, got a job in Aix-en-Provence as part of an international Fusion project and the whole family moved to France.
Arpan, who speaks English, Hindi and Gujarati, continued his education at an English speaking International School. "The following year I realised that I already knew a lot of what was being taught so I skipped a year," he recalled. He started applying to universities just weeks after his 17th birthday and despite a rejection from one university, three others offered him places.
The University of Sheffield was so impressed with his credentials that they gave him a scholarship worth 13,000 pounds (SGD23,145). He received financial support from his parents and also took part-time jobs as a lunch supervisor at a local school and in the careers service to fund his degree.
"My dream is to become a heart surgeon but it is a very competitive field. It is not really a surprise I have ended up as a doctor," said Doshi.