"They thought I was crazy" Pensioner graduates in medicine at the age of 70
A pensioner from Malaysia didn't want to be bored in retirement. So he went back to university. Now the man is 70 and one of the oldest students to have completed a medical degree.
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- After retiring, a 65-year-old man went back to university and studied medicine.
- Now the 70-year-old pensioner has graduated.
- Despite many adversities, giving up was not an option for him.
"My family and friends were surprised at first. Some of my friends thought I was crazy": But that didn't stop Toh Hong Keng from going back to university as a pensioner - and studying medicine. Keng is now 70 and has his degree in the bag. The man from Malaysia, who lives in Hong Kong, is one of the oldest people in the world to have completed a medical degree, reports CNN.
Toh Hong Keng studied for five years and even went abroad to do so: At the age of 65, he packed his bags and relocated to the Philippines. Southwestern University PHINMA on the island of Cebu is one of the few universities with no age limit for medical students.
When he sat in the lecture hall, his fellow students were certainly surprised. Contrary to their assumptions, the grey-haired older man was not a professor, but a first-year student like themselves.
Setbacks and 30-hour shifts
"It wasn't always easy," admits the recent graduate. "At 65 to 70 years old, my memory, eyesight, hearing and body are no longer as good as they were when I was younger." The grandfather of two has thought about giving up more than once, but has always resisted special treatment.
Even for someone with several degrees, the material was not easy. After failing an exam in pediatrics in his third year, Toh was put on hold. In his final year, he had to complete an internship in private and public hospitals, with some shifts lasting a tiring 30 hours.
Just no boredom in retirement
Before studying medicine, Toh Hong Keng had worked in technical sales for decades. However, retirement with long lunch breaks and golf was out of the question for him. Instead, he preferred anatomy textbooks, flashcards, reading glasses and lots of large cups of coffee. "If you dream of becoming a doctor, you can do it at any age," Toh advises.
But after five years of intensive study, that should be it: At the moment, Toh says it is not an option for him to continue studying to be able to practise as a doctor one day. This would require a long internship and further medical examinations. Instead, he plans to work as a consultant for a friend's company that deals with allergy and immunodiagnostics in Hong Kong.