sch of medicine at age 28

HeadstartLatestMoney MentorWork BestieLife GuideAbout HeadstartOne man’s journey to medicine: He pivoted from architecture to nursing to medicineJane NgFollow topic:ST HeadstartSummaryUzer Danial Sukari switched from architecture to nursing after a National Service deployment showed him he enjoyed helping people and healthcare work.His nursing path was delayed by the pandemic, but he worked at the Institute of Mental Health, then excelled at Nanyang Polytechnic with a 3.90 GPA and top student awards.He later entered medicine at NUS and hopes to use his nursing background to become a more patient-centred doctor.AI generatedPublished 5 hours agoUpdated 4 hours agoListenPursuing a medical degree seemed improbable then.“I never thought I could study medicine,” says Danial. However, his interest was ignited while pursuing his nursing diploma, when he discovered a passion for subjects like anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology.“I often found myself reading beyond the syllabus to understand more,” he says, recalling how he spent hours exploring medical journals, textbooks and online resources.Uzer Danial Sukari’s interest in healthcare deepened after he became a nurse. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAHUpon graduation, he began his career as a staff nurse at the neurosurgery ward in Singapore General Hospital.Working alongside doctors on complex cases deepened his curiosity about diagnostic and therapeutic medicine. “It made me realise I wanted to contribute to patient care in a different capacity,” says Danial, who decided to apply to the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in 2025 at age 28.Balancing full-time work and the gruelling application process was not easy. For instance, Danial had to attend his admissions interview after finishing a tiring overnight shift.To make matters worse, a computer crash during his situational judgment test wiped out his responses, forcing him to retake the assessment that afternoon.“I had already accepted the possibility of rejection and was fully prepared to continue my career as a nurse,” says Danial, who is now in his second year of medical school. “I was not prepared for actually getting accepted. Even to this day, it still feels a little surreal.”The day he received the university’s offer in 2025, he received a promotion at work, making his decision to leave his job bittersweet.“I had grown to enjoy nursing and my work. I remember hesitating to tell my supervisors that I was resigning so soon after receiving the promotion,” he remembers.Although he anticipated a demanding workload, the sheer volume of material during his first year of medical school proved to be a steep learning curve. He managed the transition through daily revision.He credits his nursing background as a solid foundation that helps him connect core medical concepts with real-world clinical experience. “Conditions I encountered as a nurse now make much more sense as I learn the underlying mechanisms and pathophysiology,” he says.At 29, Danial is years older than his peers, but he views his non-traditional path as an asset.He hopes to keep the patient-centred approach he developed through nursing.“I want to be a doctor who not only understands the medical condition, but also considers the patient’s circumstances, concerns and priorities,” he says.More on this topicNo to retirement, yes to higher education: Why some seniors are going back to schoolUniversity of the Arts Singapore marks first batch of graduatesJane Ng is a senior correspondent who covers parenting, education and lifestyle stories. She writes a regular column, Minor Issues, where she mulls over her parenting dilemmas. See more onST HeadstartLifestyle interviewsST Smart ParentingParentingMedicineNUSWork Bestie