Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
In a soulful discussion filled with gratitude, humility, and inspiration, Dr. Thallapalem Chaithanya shared his wholesome journey of preparing for and passing the DNB Anesthesia practical examination with an excellent score.
His ultimate success story not only highlights his pure dedication but also exhibits how eConceptual created such a structured learning approach that helped him turn anxiety into achievement.
Meeting His Mentor
“He said, It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. You are one of my idols. Your wonderful teaching style feels like storytelling; the way you explain things makes us think, imagine, and understand medicine creatively.”
Those were the first words Dr. Thallapalem Chaithanya shared with Dr. Jhanvi Bajaj, while expressing his commendation for her teaching ways that perfectly merge with clarity and curiosity. His curiosity and excitement were very obvious; after all, meeting one’s mentor after achieving success is always an emotional milestone.
Although Dr. Jhanvi Bajaj heartily congratulated him, while also acknowledged that clearing the DNB practicals is not that easy to clear. The discussion that followed was a deep and perspective discussion about all the preparation strategies, useful resources, and lessons for future aspirants.
The Preparation Strategy
When she asked about how he prepared for the practicals, Dr. Thallapalem Chaithanya shared his perfectly structured plan:
“His clear-cut words were,” The only resource I used was eConceptual, along with the Tata Memorial book, and nothing else.”
Overall, after receiving his DNB theory results on August 15th, he found that the practical exam date was scheduled for September 3rd. Later, his batch was shifted to September 23rd, giving him extra time, which he utilised fully.
“He said, I started by watching all OSCE videos on the app and completed 70% of case discussions, which was really helpful. I also revised videos on JVP, pulse, and blood pressure, the basics that sometimes come up unexpectedly in exams.”
He used to revisit videos multiple times because it helps to improve his conceptual clarity and confidence, especially during the final week before the exam.
His Key Strategies That Made the Difference:
- He used to go through with eConceptual’s Case Discussion videos and PYQs, which helped him to understand the real-life anesthesia cases and examiner expectations.
- He depends upon the core anesthesia textbooks just to strengthen the conceptual foundations and communicate theory with eConceptual’s video learning.
- He slightly maintained a perfect balance between theory and practical preparation, which ensures that both exam performance and clinical reasoning skills are improved.
- He managed his valuable time in revision productively and prioritised the repeated review of important topics before the final exam.
The Power of eConceptual’s Learning Ecosystem
Dr. Thallapalem Chaithanya later discovered the eConceptual a year before his exam through Instagram. The app’s interactive interface and comprehensive study resources caught his attention immediately, so he decided to go with it in further studies.
“The most appreciable feature of eConceptual is its books, the Master Solutions series. I used only these for theory and scored 245 out of 400. The explanations are generally reflected with images and color-coded layouts that make the learning process efficient and memorable for me.”
He foregrounded that reading from Master Solutions twice can directly help him cover approximately 80% of his actual exam questions. The visual diagrams and simple flowcharts allowed him to reproduce answers confidently and understand the part perfectly during the written and oral exams.
Download the official Conceptual Anesthesia App now to explore the same resources that helped Dr. Chaithanya achieve his dream!
Practical Exam Experience
Recalling his practical experience, Dr. Chaithanya mentioned two long cases:
- Chronic Liver Disease with Diabetes Mellitus for lower limb debridement
- 80-year-old male for Total Knee Replacement (TKR)
Examiners focused on basic concepts like the dose of buprenorphine and differences between hyperbaric and isobaric drugs. The eConceptual videos prepared me for exactly these kinds of questions.”
He also attended the ISA Target Conference in Hyderabad, where real-time case discussions and viva simulations refined his clinical reasoning.
“The conference taught me one thing: never stay silent. Examiners don’t want to fail you; they just want to see your thought process.”
From Nervous to Confident
When asked if he was nervous before the exam, he smiled:
“No ma’am, I felt confident because I had used the extra time wisely. eConceptual’s videos and books gave me both conceptual clarity and mental calmness.”
He shared how watching even the basic MBBS-level videos helped him prepare for unexpected questions, a reminder that in medicine, fundamentals always matter.
Suggestions for Improvement
Dr. Thallapalem Chaithanya had thoughtful feedback for the eConceptual team:
“It would be great to have a book for OSCEs, since many of us are new to that format. A written guide, along with the videos, will be revised faster.”
He also appreciated the recent updates in the app, including the new drug summaries and simplified simulation diagrams in Master Solutions.
“The diagrams make it easier to remember and revise. It’s almost like visual memory training.”
Words of Gratitude
Throughout the conversation, Dr. Chaithanya’s humility stood out. He thanked his faculty, colleagues, and family, especially his wife, an OBGYN resident who also scored remarkably in her exams.
“My wife stood by me through everything, taking care of our baby while I studied. My parents and in-laws also supported me immensely. Having such a support system made all the difference.”
He also expressed heartfelt gratitude toward his fellow department and mentors for providing a favourable environment to study and grow.
His Thoughts on eConceptual Faculty
In a touching moment, he acknowledged the legendary faculty who made his journey special:
“Dr. Gobind Rai Garg Sir’s pharmacology classes, Dr. Gurushanthi Ma’am’s detailed case discussions, Dr. Gargi Deshpande Ma’am’s cardiac anesthesia sessions, and Dr. Saurabh Dhananjay Sir’s lectures on TBI, each of them helped me at different stages.”
He added that eConceptual’s collaboration-based learning allowed him to prepare seminars and presentations during residency seamlessly.
“Whenever I had to give a seminar, I just searched the topic on my Conceptual Anesthesia app, watched the video, and used the notes. It made my presentations much stronger.”
Message to Juniors
His advice to upcoming residents is simple yet powerful:
“Even if you have a month before exams, start using eConceptual. The combination of books, videos, and updates gives complete coverage.”
He believes printable books with visuals and structure are rare assets in digital learning, and that’s where eConceptual stands apart.
Looking Ahead
Before wrapping up, he requested that Dr. Jhanvi Bajaj make a special video for post-residency guidance for future doctors. So they can also cover fellowships, shadowing, and academic pathways. She promised him that we are already working on such content, including the Super Speciality (SS) Recall Question Bank with video explanations.
Final Thoughts
Dr. Thallapalem Chaithanya’s professional journey demonstrates that success in medicine stems from a combination of compatible conceptual learning, disciplined revision, and the right guidance. With the conceptual anesthesia app’s well-organized resources and expert mentorship, he transformed exam stress into achievement.
Watch the full official interview of Dr. Thallapalem Chaithanya and Dr. Jhanvi Bajaj, a must-watch for every anesthesia resident preparing for DNB or MD practicals.
Click here to watch the interview
