Record 121 Graduate From Duke-NUS Medical School

With no background in science, Dr Faith Wong pursued her calling of becoming a doctor at the age of 40.

- Chin Hui Shan

With no background in science, Dr Faith Wong pursued her calling of becoming a doctor at the age of 40. The mother of one previously graduated with a degree in model-making from Arts University Bournemouth and then worked in the animation industry.

She had suffered depression as a teenager, which was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar disorder, and the experience led her to want to become a doctor.

On May 31, the now 44-year-old fulfilled that wish and was among 121 graduates from Duke-NUS Medical School at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium at Academia located at the Singapore General Hospital Campus. This was the largest number of graduates for a class in its 20-year history.

Dr Wong was among the 41 per cent of the 72 doctor of medicine graduates who made mid-career switches from fields such as law, public relations, accounting and mental health support. The other 49 of the 121 graduated with PhDs or master's degrees.

When she was 16, Dr Wong suffered from depression, but it was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar disorder. What kept her going was her Catholic faith, therapies and healthcare workers who never gave up on her.

She was a senior peer support specialist at the Institute of Mental Health and left in 2021 to attend medical school.

She said: "I found myself deeply reflecting and praying about how best to serve others with this second lease of life. The answer that came to me, very clearly and consistently, was to become a doctor."