Meet woman who left medical studies to crack USPC exam, became IPS then IAS, secured AIR...

Some people change careers during their lifetimes, but this doesn't necessarily mean they are confused; rather, it shows that they are more driven and risk-takers who can succeed by taking calculated chances. 
Mudra Gairola, an IAS officer, is one such inspirational tale.

Mudra is originally from Karnprayag, which is in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. She has been a top student since she was a young child, earning 97% and 96% respectively in the 10th and 12th grade board exams. Kiran Bedi, the first female IPS officer in India, also gave her a felicitation at school. 

She then pursued a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme at a medical college in Mumbai, where she graduated with a gold medal. She subsequently relocated to Delhi and enrolled in MDS, but her father had always hoped that she would join the IAS. When he took the UPSC exam in 1973, he was not successful. 

During this time, Mudra Gairola left MDS to start preparing for the UPSC exam in order to fulfil her father's long-lost dream. She attempted the UPSC Civil Services exam for the first time in 2018 but was unsuccessful. In the following two tries, she also failed to break through. She eventually passed the UPSC in 2021, ranking 165th, and went on to become an IPS officer. She eventually passed the UPSC in 2022 with a 53rd rank, but her obsession with the IAS dream drove her to attempt the exam five times before passing.