Canacona: Abhida Barretto’s achievement has stirred pride across Canacona. A resident of Muthal-Sadolxem, the 23-year-old has obtained an MBBS degree from Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, and a commission into the Indian Army as a lieutenant and medical officer.Her story began far from any military tradition. Barretto comes from a non-military background, yet a moment from her school years stayed with her — seeing an army officer in uniform and feeling a pull toward that life of discipline and purpose. The idea took clearer shape in Class XII, when her teachers introduced her to AFMC, a route that offered her the chance to practise medicine while serving the nation.That goal sharpened her focus during entrance preparation, when she went on to secure Goa’s first rank in NEET 2021. The achievement was celebrated back home, with Canacona Municipal Council felicitating her.With options open at leading institutions such as AIIMS and JIPMER, Barretto still chose AFMC, deciding that her career would be defined not only by where she studied, but by the kind of service she wanted her work to stand for.At AFMC, she built a record that matched the promise of her entrance result. She earned the Maj Gen N D P Karani Trophy in 2025 and graduated as the second-best female student. She also collected gold medals in anatomy, physiology, pediatrics, and pharmacology.Now selected for an internship in Jammu, Barretto is preparing for the next phase of her journey in uniform. Back in Canacona, the congratulations continue — less as routine praise, and more as a shared sense that one of their own has carried local ambition onto a national stage.
