Dr BC Roy wasn’t just a doctor. He was a force.
When he first applied to Calcutta Medical College, he was rejected. Most people would’ve taken the hint and walked away. But not him. He went further and aimed for something even bigger - St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, one of the most elite institutions in the world.
Back then, Indians weren’t exactly welcome with open arms.
He applied.
Rejected.
He applied again.
Rejected.
He kept applying. Not once. Not twice. But thirty times.
People told him to stop. That it was impossible. That a young Indian man had no place in a British institution of that stature. But he wasn’t listening.
On the thirty-first attempt, they finally gave in. Maybe they saw his persistence. Maybe they were just tired of saying no. Either way, he got in.
Now here’s where it gets crazy. Within just two years, he cracked both MRCP and FRCS. That’s the kind of thing even top UK students struggled to do. And this man from Bengal did it while proving every doubter wrong.
Fast forward a few years. He returned to St Bartholomew’s. Not as a student.
He came back as an examiner.
The same halls that once rejected him, the same rooms that closed their doors on him, were now welcoming him in as the one asking the questions.
No outrage. No ego. Just quiet brilliance and unmatched dignity.
That’s not just a comeback story.
That’s legend material.
And the best part He didn’t stop there. He came back to India, treated the poor for free, built hospitals, mentored generations, and still made time to become the Chief Minister of Bengal.
How many people can say that