At 57, former engineer Dr Ng Jet Kwan has become Malaysia’s oldest medical graduate, a milestone achieved through persistence, patience and decades of ambition.
Commonly known as Uncle Jet, Ng always dreamed of becoming a doctor, but opportunities were scarce in the 1990s. With only a handful of universities offering medical programmes, competition was intense. Coming from a hawker family, financial constraints added further complications.
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He chose engineering instead, but his desire for medicine never faded.
"Some dreams don’t disappear, they wait for the right chapter in life," he reflected.
After raising and supporting his children through their studies, Ng finally returned to his own. At 51, he enrolled in Universiti Sains Malaysia, determined to pursue the dream he had set aside in youth. His daughter is now a resident doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States, while his son practices law in Australia accomplishments he proudly mentions before humbly turning the spotlight back to his own late but meaningful beginning.
He credited the lecturers at USM’s School of Medical Sciences, including his mentor Prof Datuk Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah, for guiding him along the way. Studying in Kelantan introduced new challenges, especially adjusting to the dialect, but the warmth of his classmates eased the transition.
"Learning has no age limit," he said. "What matters is the willingness to start."
Ng has begun his housemanship at Hospital Pakar USM in general surgery and hopes to open his own clinic after completing his training. He also expressed gratitude for national policies that allow older individuals to enter medical courses, a door that once seemed closed but opened when he dared to try again.
Before his medical degree, he spent five years studying traditional Chinese medicine in Singapore.
His story stands as a lesson to anyone afraid of starting late.
"It took me decades, but I got here. If you truly want something, don’t count your age, count your effort."
Dreams delayed are not dreams denied. Sometimes, they simply bloom in their own time.
