Love At First Scrub

Falling in love with medicine and biomedical sciences rarely happens in a single moment. More often, it unfolds gradually. Three of our students — Goh Jia En (Stage 2, Biomedical Sciences), Rania Ezellya (Year 4, MBBS), and Nadine Aisha Zahra (Year 4, MBBS) — reflect on their evolving love stories with medicine and how a spark grew into purpose.

Curious Love

For some students at NUMed, the love affair begins long before medical school.

Jia En remembers being curious about how the world, particularly the human body, works. That childhood curiosity followed her to NUMed, where Stage 1 modules in biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology helped her see the links between the underlying mechanisms of the human body and real life.  “It was then that biomedical sciences stopped feeling like memorisation and became a way of understanding people,” she explained. 

Rania describes her relationship with medicine as “more of a slow burn than love at first sight.” She had always been curious, but studying medicine gave that curiosity structure and purpose.

Nadine shares a similar sentiment: there was no single defining moment;  just a collection of meaningful experiences that gradually shaped her commitment.

What unites these journeys is a gradual realisation that the field of health sciences offers a rare privilege to make a difference.

Personal Love

Jia En recalls recognising that the learning process in her programme mirrors the “art of deduction” she admired in the Sherlock Holmes series. Lectures and labs became exercises in linking mechanisms to symptoms.

“This made biomedical sciences feel less like memorisation and more like problem-solving with real-world impact, and that was when I began to truly enjoy and appreciate the field,” she shared.

As students move further along their studies, that connection deepens. For many medical students, clinical experience underscores this.

According to Nadine, “My appreciation for medicine has grown steadily with increased clinical exposure. Hearing a heart murmur for the first time made theory tangible. Listening to an elderly patient reinforced how powerful empathy can be.”

For Rania, the a-ha moment came during her first clinical placement when she clerked her first patient. “At the end, the patient genuinely thanked me for simply listening. That was the moment it clicked. Medicine isn’t just about memorising the human body or exam answers; it is about the people you meet and the stories you hear.”

Unconditional Love

Clinical years often test students’ resilience. Long hours and emotional fatigue can be challenging. Yet it is these demanding moments that deepen their sense of purpose.

Rania recalls a one-year-old child with a congenital heart condition. “It was her birthday and despite everything they were going through, the family celebrated quietly and even handed us cake. It was bittersweet and reminded me how resilience and love exist even in hospital corridors.”

Another patient, recovering from a mastectomy, gifted her a breast cancer awareness bracelet. They even shared a brief prayer. It was a simple yet deeply meaningful and memorable connection.

There were adrenaline-filled milestones too. These included inserting her first catheter and placing an NG tube in the emergency department. “It was intense, slightly terrifying, but incredibly rewarding,” noted Rania.

Growing Love

As knowledge grows, so do interests.

“I find myself falling deeper in love with medicine as time goes by,” added Rania. “When information once memorised for exams became real patients with real stories, the late-night revision sessions became about understanding people I was privileged to care for.”

Over time, her interests expanded beyond hospital walls toward public health, where she seeks to understand not only individual illness, but also prevention, equity, and community wellbeing.

NUMed often plays Cupid in nurturing this interest.

For one, Nadine credits the university’s early clinical exposure and strong emphasis on communication skills for fanning her passion. “Being introduced to patient interactions early on made it easier to build rapport and confidence when speaking to patients. As a result, hospital sessions felt more meaningful.”

Rania echoes this. “The early clinical exposure allowed me to connect classroom learning with real patients very quickly, something that deeply resonates with me as someone who values human interaction and hands-on experience.”

Besides that, wide speciality exposure, Student Selected Components (SSCs), and electives offered space to explore evolving interests.

Beyond academics, societies, sports, and volunteerism added another layer of growth.

Forever Love

In the end, medicine is not a fairytale romance. It is a long-term partnership.

There are exhausting days, doubt. and emotional weight. But there is also gratitude, humility, and pride.

Over time, curiosity turns into commitment.

And that slow burn? It becomes a steady flame sustaining a lifelong passion.