Bhubaneswar: Sameer Patro of Bhubaneswar, who secured all-India 30th rank in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Neet), the results of which were declared on Monday, is a happy man.

While being the state topper of Neet was a matter of pride for him, meeting chief minister Naveen Patnaik was no less a deal.

"He asked me whether I would want to come back to the state after finishing my studies and it was a very heart-warming moment for me. I assured him I would definitely do as much as I can for my state and return to Odisha," said Patro, a student of Sai International School here.

"The chief minister wished me luck for my future endeavours and asked about my background and about my plans ahead," said Patro, who had put in a lot of research to prepare for the examination. "I did a lot of background studies. Thereafter, I devised a technical strategy to prepare for the test."

Patro, who wants to study at the Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, said he studied around 12 hours every day for the exam.

Intending to do his postgraduation in neurology, he said: "I want decode processes of the brain and do specialised studies dealing with trauma and suicide cases... In the long run, I will definitely set up a hospital in the state that would offer special services in the field of neurology."

Another candidate from the state, Aarushi Kollana, has secured all-India rank of 50. "I had aspired to become a doctor since childhood and I am happy that I am in the right track," she said.

Out of the 32,301 candidates from the state who applied, only 19,600 have qualified.