World's Youngest Doctor from India - Akrit Jaswal

(23 April 1993) is a child prodigy who has gained fame in his native India as a physician, despite never having attended medical school. He is a Hindu Rajput of Jaswal clan from Himachal Pradesh.

Arkit Jaswal from India, who is a child genius; performing his first surgical operation at the age of 7, and now aged 12 says he is working on a cure for cancer and aids.

He developed really early as a small child (was walking and talking by 10 months icon_eek.gif ) and within another couple of months had learned English aswell. He has skipped school (which actually had a negative effect) and is studying for a science degree.

When he went for an IQ test in London though (he took the test in India, and got 146) it showed his practical skills, like recognising patterns etc, were actualy below the average for his age, and this was propably a result of missing school- he hasn't had a normal upbringing at all. He is actually hailed as a guru in India (he dismisses this, says he is purely a scientist) and people go to him for cures instead of local doctors. So basically his plan now is to go back to a normal life for a few years, playing with his friends etc but all the while still trying to develop a cure for cancer- watch this space!

Akrit developed a passion for science and anatomy at an early age. Doctors at local hospitals took notice and started allowing him to observe surgeries when he was 6 years old. Inspired by what he saw, Akrit read everything he could on the topic. When an impoverished family heard about his amazing abilities, they asked if he would operate on their daughter for free. Her surgery was a success.

After the surgery, Akrit was hailed as a medical genius in India. Neighbors and strangers flocked to him for advice and treatment. At age 11, Akrit was admitted to a Punjab University. He's the youngest student ever to attend an Indian university. That same year, he was also invited to London's famed Imperial College to exchange ideas with scientists on the cutting edge of medical research.

Akrit says he has thousands of medical ideas, but he's currently focused on developing a cure for cancer. "I've developed a concept called oral gene therapy on the basis of my research and my theories", he says, "I'm quite dedicated towards working on this mechanism."

Growing up, Akrit says he used to see cancer patients lying on the side of the road because they couldn't afford treatment or hospitals had no space for them. Now, he wants to use his intellect to ease their suffering. "[I've been] going to hospitals since the age of 6, so I have seen firsthand people suffering from pain," he says. "I get very sad, and so that's the main motive of my passion about medicine, my passion about cancer."

Currently, Akrit is working toward a bachelor's degree in zoology, botany and chemistry. Someday, he hopes to continue his studies at Harvard University. Senthilingam, Meera. "Pass me the scalpel, Mummy". Imperial College Magazine, London. Retrieved on 2007-01-02.

He became India's youngest university student and is currently studying for a BSc in a Punjab University, Chandigarh, India. He possesses books such as Gray's Anatomy, and textbooks on surgery, anaesthesia, anatomy, physiology, Cancer, and others. Akrit claims to have mastered them with his daily habit of studying for an hour.

Akrit may be famous but, will he be the one to unlock the secrets to a cure for cancer. He was invited to Imperial College, London to find out. He will spend two weeks based at Imperial College having his intelligence tested and talking super-mechanisms, genes and therapies with scientists at the cutting-edge of cancer research.

Akrit must convince Professor Mustafa Djamgoz, a world-renowned research biologist, and his colleague Mr Anup Patel, a consultant urological surgeon, that his ideas are realistic and worth pursuing.

The inquisitors become his friends, Mr Patel and Professor Djamgoz are keen to foster Akrit's enthusiasm, keen to protect him from disappointment, and willing to guide him on his way.

Professor Djamgoz says of Akrit: " He is generating ideas based upon what he knows, in an idealistic sort of way, without being in full grip of reality, withou knowing how difficult it is to turn the ideas into practical realities".