Life is a game, it said.
And Hari Raman decided that he will play his way even when he was dealt a bad hand.
Born for agricultural workers in Purushanur, a village in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, he defied all odds to become a doctor, using his passion for the game to open the way to his dream profession.
Today, the 25-year-old doctor and enthusiast game dishes out medical advice and pro tips for gamers with equal ease on her YouTube channel, which has 20.4 lakh subscribers.
“I always dreamed of becoming a doctor.
But I come from a poor family, my parents and L Vijaya S Lakshminarayanan is a farm laborer, “he said, adding that her mother always supported her dreams.
“He wanted to send me to private school but when he approached my uncle to get a loan, he refused, and asked him to put me in a government school and not wasting money.” However, Vijaya did not give up, managed to get a loan and put the day in AKT Matriculation Academy High School, Kallakurichi.
“Since I have to travel three hours by bus, I had to stay in the dormitory,” said Dr.
Day, who scored 94% in grade 12.
“I worked hard for MBBS entrance exams but could not secure seats so in 2015 I tried again and GMERS got a seat at the Medical College in Gujarat.
” Although his classmates and teachers help, was still felt lonely and missed speak Tamil.
“Other students can go out and have fun but I could not afford anything.
I have to support myself but it’s hard to do part-time work while studying, “says Dr.
Day, who then thought of starting a gaming channel on YouTube.
Thus, in his second year, he began PVS Gaming.
“It’s named after my village, my mother and grandfather S Selvaraj, who helped pay my fees.
They are the ones who helped me grow, “said Day, who began uploading one video every day.
“Because I know the game well, I told the audience how to play, what not to do, etc in Tamil,” he said.
His relaxed manner, simple language and the ability to connect with audiences see his growing customer base.
“Six months after I started, I get ₹ 8,000,” says Dr.
Day.
But life is still difficult.
Today was told he could not appear for the exam last year because he did not pay the fee.
“They gave me a day to pay and told me I should write a test six months later if I can not do it.
I cried because I wanted to finish my lecture on time, “he said.
That’s when his friends came to his rescue, pooling money to pay his costs.
“In a few weeks, I was able to pay them but I will be forever grateful for their help,” he said.
Dr.
Day, who graduated this year, now works as a medical officer in Villupuram government hospital.
But even pulling long hours in the hospital, he continued to run his channel.
During a pandemic, it is also used to Dispense information about Covid-19 security protocols and, more recently, to combat vaccine doubts among people.
“I am doing a video game but responsible and tell my followers, many of whom are children and young adults, to limit it to a few hours and focus on the study,” says Dr.
Day.
“When Covid-19 breaks, I made a video to help spread information and dispel myths.
There is plenty of vaccine skepticism among the people, so I talked about the importance of getting vaccinated.
” He hopes to become a pediatrician.
“I love children and want to help them, so I want to do my PG.
And I also want to tell young people that they can achieve what they want.
Dedicated, focus on what you want, always say ‘I can’, and stay positive, “he said.