The relentless dedication of Moolgaon’s Rafiq Patel helps his three sons achieve their dreams of becoming doctors despite financial struggles
Team Clarion
MOOLAGAON — In a remarkable story of perseverance and determination, Rafiq Patel, a sugar mill worker from Moolagaon in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, has successfully guided his three sons to become doctors, defying severe financial hardships and numerous challenges along the way.
Rafiq, alongside his wife Rehana, has set a powerful example of selflessness and hard work, seeing his sons Azharuddin (31), Mohsin (29), and Ramiz (27) achieve what many would have thought impossible. The significance of their success is heightened by the fact that all three brothers studied MBBS using the same set of textbooks — a gift from a village organisation for the eldest, Azharuddin.
“The encouragement and support from my parents were key to our success,” said Dr Mohsin Patel, the second of the three brothers. “Our maternal uncle, Sheikh Haju, a teacher in Aurangabad, guided us through our studies at every stage, helping us stay focused.”
Rafiq’s sons completed their early education in Moolagaon, attending the Zilla Parishad School, New English School, and later Maulana Azad College in Aurangabad for their higher secondary education. Despite their family’s lack of higher education, the Patels were determined to change their fate. All three brothers managed to secure government quota seats in medical colleges and eventually graduated with MBBS degrees.
Dr Azharuddin completed his MBBS in 2018 from BJ Medical College in Pune, Dr Mohsin followed in 2019, graduating from Government Medical College in Aurangabad, and Dr Ramiz completed his degree in 2021 from Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College in Nanded.
“My elder brother, Azharuddin, was the first to study MBBS. When he received a set of textbooks from the village organisation, we used the same set for our studies,” Dr Mohsin said.
The brothers’ academic achievements are nothing short of extraordinary. Dr Azharuddin secured 92% in his SSC exams and 83% in his HSC exams. Dr Mohsin scored 94% in SSC and 77% in HSC, while Dr Ramiz achieved 91% and 81%, respectively. These results are a testament to their focus and commitment, with all three continuing to build upon their successes.
Currently, Dr Azharuddin is a medical officer at IGG Medical College in Nagpur, Dr Mohsin works at a health centre in Ahmednagar, and Dr Ramiz is preparing for the NET exam in hopes of furthering his education with a post-graduate degree.
Reflecting on the impact of his mother’s road accident in 2006, Dr Mohsin shared, “It was after my mother was injured in a severe accident and treated for 42 days that my elder brother decided to pursue medicine. That moment sparked the desire in us to help others, and that’s when we knew we wanted to become doctors.”
Their journey is a powerful reminder that with dedication and focus, even the most difficult circumstances can be overcome. As Dr Azharuddin put it, “If we focus and put in the effort, success is never far away. We gave up distractions like mobile phones and stayed dedicated to our studies, and that made all the difference.”
