What does it take for an AIIMS doctor to walk away from medicine and come back as the country's #1 IAS officer? This episode is the conversation every MBBS student secretly wants to have but never gets to.
In this episode of The Nachiket Bhatia Show, Dr. Nachiket Bhatia sits down with Dr. Anuj Agnihotri UPSC CSE 2025 All India Rank 1 to unpack the most talked-about pivot in Indian medicine right now. From AIIMS Jodhpur to the top of the UPSC merit list, this is a candid look at what really drives a doctor to leave clinical practice, how Medical Science as an optional actually works, and what the future of medical careers in India looks like beyond NEET PG.
Dr. Anuj Agnihotri completed his MBBS from AIIMS Jodhpur in 2023, cleared UPSC in his third attempt with a total score of 1071 the highest since 2017 and did it all while serving as a DANICS probationer SDM in Delhi.
No full-time coaching. Self-study. 13 hours a day. He represents what every ambitious medical student is quietly asking themselves: is there life beyond the residency grind?
Key Highlights: -Why Anuj chose UPSC over a PG seat and when the decision actually crystallised -The real math behind Medical Science as an optional subject in UPSC Mains -What an MBBS from AIIMS actually gives you in the civil services exam -How he balanced 13-hour study days while serving as an SDM -The honest truth about clinical practice vs. public administration in India -Why his third attempt finally worked and what the first two taught him
About the Host: Dr. Nachiket Bhatia is an angel investor, 3× TEDx speaker, and motivational educator for India's medical community. Recognized in Times 40 Under 40 and featured by Forbes among the Top 10 Most Innovative CEOs (2020), he helps doctors gain clarity beyond exams, careers, and unconventional pathways in medicine.
