Indian-Origin Doctor Who Just Graduated, Is Britain's Youngest

London: An Indian-origin doctor is set to become Britain's youngest physician to start work at a hospital in northeast England. Arpan Doshi graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Sheffield on Monday - aged 21 and 335 days - and is due to start work as a junior doctor in York next month.

He will beat the previous record of the youngest doctor to start work in the UK by 17 days.

"I didn't realise I was the youngest person to qualify until a friend checked on the internet. I haven't even told my parents yet but I know they will be very proud," the Sun quoted India-born Mr Doshi as saying.

Mr Doshi went to a local school in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, until he was 13. Then his mechanical engineer father, Bharat Doshi, got a job in Aix en Provence as part of an international project, and the whole family moved to France.

"The following year I realised that I already knew a lot of what was being taught, so I skipped a year," he said.

He started applying to universities just weeks after his 17th birthday and despite a rejection from one university, three others offered him places. The University of Sheffield was so impressed with his credentials that they gave him a scholarship worth 13,000 pounds.

He received financial support from his parents, took up part-time jobs as a lunch supervisor at a local school and in the careers service to fund his degree.

"My dream is to become a heart surgeon but it is a very competitive field. It is not really a surprise I have ended up as a doctor," he said.

The previous youngest doctor to qualify was Rachael Faye Hill, who received her medical degree from Manchester University when she was 21 and 352 days in 2010.

Arpan Doshi is now set to overtake that record when he starts his two-year training as a junior doctor at York Teaching Hospital in August.