A journey to graduate as a doctor

SIX years ago, medical student Melvin Nicholas thought his childhood dreams of being a doctor were over.

The Sibu native had seen a promising potential medical career derailed after dropping out of one of the most prestigious medical colleges in Europe, losing a valuable government scholarship in the process.

But today, Melvin’s dreams are back on track after he was one of 53 Quest International University (QIU) students who graduated as doctors.

In his own words, he owes his redemption journey to the personalised hands-on guidance he received at QIU, giving him the support and guidance he needed to let his talent shine.

And to express his gratitude, the 30-year-old wrote a touching message to one of his lecturers Associate Professor Dr Amarjit Singh, thanking him for how he and his colleagues at the Faculty of Medicine went above and beyond to help Melvin succeed.

In the message, Melvin speaks about his initial heartbreak – and how getting the right support helped him achieve his long-time dream.

“The whole journey overseas was not an easy ride. I was a borderline student and I had to keep pushing myself academically. I struggled since Year 1, because I was never a high achiever. In every exam, I would either fail most modules or barely pass. There were so many remedial sessions that I had to attend. Eventually, I had to leave,” he said.

“But when I joined QIU, things changed. The studentlecturer bond is special. Never in my life did I actually think that I could be friends with lecturers. That helped me on a very personal level.”

“This success actually meant more to me than anything else. I am privileged to have met a whole team of lecturers who work tirelessly just to make sure that at the end of the day, we are competent doctors.”

In particular, Melvin thanked Dr Amarjit and his wife Aileen

Lim for their personal brand of education and guidance.

Melvin likened their mentorship to ‘being looked after like my own parents’, highlighting how they guided and protected students while giving them countless words of motivation and positivity.

“All those talks we had whenever we bumped into each other, all those texts we exchanged. I felt valued; I felt that someone actually cares right till the end of my journey in medical school.

“You always say, ‘I’m teaching you all not just for you to pass the exams. I’m going to make great doctors out of you.’ I felt that. It was one of the reasons that drove me to do my best.”

Melvin also paid tribute to his parents, who were always supportive and encouraging since the very beginning, and his host parents when he was abroad who continue to give him spiritual, emotional and psychological support even till this very day.

Meanwhile, Dr Amarjit expressed his joy at seeing another batch of budding doctors prosper under the university’s guidance.

“It’s not enough to just teach; you have to ensure that your students learn. One of our guiding principles at QIU is to make sure that no one gets left behind, and this is what we do for all our students.

“My wife and I look at the students and we observe those who are a bit unsure of themselves or need a bit of help. We take charge of the little needs that they have which are over and above that of just being a student and we get them to stay in line so that they focus on their work.

“That’s the nurturing that I think is worthwhile to make sure that nobody gets left behind.

Looking ahead to an exciting career, Melvin has pledged to make his lecturers and alma mater proud with the quality of his work.

“My one and only goal here was to try again. To make sure I make it this time. And after 10 years of learning medicine, including 5 years here, I’ve made it. They all counted on me to achieve this and now that I made it, I’d really like to thank them for walking with me through this journey”

“I have been given a second chance. A thank you can never do justice to all the effort they put in for us.”

QIU’s MBBS intake is now open. Head to https://qiu.edu. my/mbbs-landing-page/to get started on a medical journey that could see you practicing medicine across Malaysia, South Asia or the United States.