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<\/div>Since he was a child, Dr Ng Jet Kwan had dreamt of becoming a doctor in part because of a former MCA president \u2013 Dr Chua Soi Lek.<\/p><\/div>\n
Chua was Ng\u2019s family doctor and he admired the manner in which the former treated his patients.<\/p>\n
Today, Ng is one step closer to achieving his dream after graduating from the School of Medical Sciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia, at the age of 57, proving that age is no barrier when it comes to learning.<\/p>\n
He has also earned the honourable distinction of becoming USM\u2019s oldest medical graduate.<\/p>\n
Ng\u2019s journey to become a medical graduate took an unconventional route.<\/p>\n
He studied electrical and communications engineering in the UK, where he graduated with first-class honours in 1992 and immediately joined Singapore Telecom as a manager.<\/p>\n
A decade later he decided to join his wife, Jasmine Lim, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter I completed the TCM course at the Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I gained confidence to pursue my ultimate goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s when I decided to try modern medicine,\u201d he said when met at his convocation here.<\/p>\n
So at the age of 51, Ng, who hails from Batu Pahat, Johor, began studying medicine.<\/p>\n
Ng \u2013 who is fondly known as \u201cUncle Jet\u201d by his classmates and lecturers \u2013 will be the first to admit that it was no walk in the park.<\/p>\n
Which is why he is ever grateful to two individuals, namely Dr Kamarul Aryffin Baharuddin, the dean of the university\u2019s school of medicine, and mentor Dr Jefri Malin Abdullah.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout them, it would have been difficult for me. I managed to climb the difficult hill because of my lecturers at USM.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Ng will report for housemanship at USM\u2019s Specialist Hospital in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, and is both excited and a little anxious as the coming two years will be demanding.<\/p>\n
\u201cHousemanship is a very difficult training process for people of our age.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I don\u2019t do it now, I may not have the opportunity to do so later. And I do not want to live in regret.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ng also hopes to specialise in geriatrics one day if \u201ctime and his health\u201d permits, although his long-term goal is to open a clinic that integrates both modern medicine and TCM.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n