I’m 23F, a doctor, who is planning to clear my PLAB exams and move to UK. Given the current set of scenarios in the Healthcare system here, and the toxic residency culture in govt hospitals in the country, I want to move to UK to practice as a doctor and complete my higher studies from there.

My parents are not okay with the idea of me settling abroad because they’re scared, they think they’ll lose all control over me if I move out and that “I won’t be there for them when they need me the most” if I stay so far away from them.

They are not taking into consideration my dreams and aspirations and my desire to have a better lifestyle and work-life balance for myself. They’d rather have me here in India, unhappy, dissatisfied with my life than me trying to have a better lifestyle abroad.

Although I understand where they come from and the apprehensions they have, I feel that that shouldn’t be something that should hold me back from atleast trying to have the life that I want for myself. But then this comes with a lot of guilt, coz there have been a lot of fights between me and my parents lately regarding this topic, and I have tried to convince them but they just don’t seem to wrap their heads around it. I’m sick and tired of having the same discussion and fights everyday. This makes me want to leave them and move abroad even more.

Also, I’m the first person in my family who has been very academically successful in her life. And I’m apparently the only one in my entire family who’s very ambitious, and it’s very difficult for my parents to understand that. They say that I can just complete my degree and join a govt hospital, that should be good enough. There’s no need to study so much and move abroad and shit. I don’t know how will I upgrade my lifestyle and standard of living if I’m constantly made to feel guilty for having huge aspirations.

That aside, the entire PLAB journey for me to move to UK will cost me anywhere around 8-10 lakh rupees. I’m 23 and i’ve just started earning(been 4 months) and the PLAB pathway will take around 2 years of time before I get a job offer from UK (somewhere around Sept 2026). Idk how i’ll save up enough money in these 2 years, everything on my own, without any financial or emotional support from my parents. It’s causing a lotta stress and making me question my decision. What should I do?