Mackay’s Pranav Sivanujan eyes medical career after topping ATAR results
Queensland whizz graduate Pranav Sivanujan has joined the club of top scoring ATAR students. He is now looking to find a university to kickstart his future career.
Mackay
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With a sister for a dentist and a father who is a doctor, it is no surprise to hear that Pranav Sivanujan wants to study medicine.
The Whitsunday Anglican School graduate, 17, was one of 33 in the state to achieve the highest possible ATAR score of 99.95.
Pranav found out about his score on the day the scores were released but not through the website.
“From about 8.15am, my friends were SMS-ing me, congratulating me, even though the results weren’t supposed to be out until 9am,” he said.
Given the heavy traffic on the ATAR website’s server - with results only available online via a private login - Pranav took about 15 minutes of trying to get in until he succeeded and could confirm his score.
“There was a lot or surprise, of shock; a lot of emotion. Then I started to get sick from it,” he said of his reaction.
Then Pranav showed his mother the screen display of his score and there was even more emotion.
“She almost had hysterics,” Pranav said. Then he called his father and sister and the excitement grew.
As for Pranav’s future, he says emergency medicine is proving attractive.
“Emergency medicine has my interest,” he said. “I’m quite set on emergency (medicine).”
“I’ve applied interstate, nationally, but it’s really competitive.
“I’m keeping my options open. I’m not sure where to go.”
He did flag Monash as a possible university.
Placement offers are scheduled to come out on January 12.
He conceded it would be ideal to stay in Queensland, and closer to family, but was mindful of the competition to secure a place at university.
Pranav remained grateful for the support he received while at Whitsunday Anglican.
“What really helped me was the support I received from the teachers, their push for me to succeed,” he said.
“They sacrificed their lunch breaks and stayed after school.”
Sixty per cent of the school’s eligible Whitsunday Anglican School Year 12 school leavers received an ATAR score of 90.00 or above.
The school stated Pranav was its first student to score the maximum under the recently introduced ATAR system.
Of the other students, 48 per cent achieved an ATAR result of 95.00 or above, and 26 per cent of students achieved 99.00 or higher.
School principal Andrew Wheaton said the results were testament to the Year 12 students’ hard work and academic growth at the school.
“These are outstanding results. The school is very proud of you all,” he said.
He also congratulated the teachers who supported the students, the parents and the wider community.
“Our graduating Year 12 class of 2022 has left a wonderful legacy,” Mr Wheaton said.
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