Bakery worker in Ankara becomes doctor at 53

ANKARA

A Turkish man has earned the degree of doctor of medicine at the age of 53, years later after he dropped out of the school.

“In the third year [of medicine school], I dropped out of university due to academic failures. Then I worked at various jobs, I worked at a bakery,” Mustafa Ercüment Alat was quoted as saying by Sabah newspaper.

Alat enrolled back at the Gazi University of Faculty of Medicine in Ankara in 2012 thanks to an amnesty law granting drop-out students the right to apply to their former universities again.

Since he had taken a 25-year break from medicine, Alat restarted his studies in first year at the university.

“After enrolling at the university, I took a class. I was 46 back then. I had great chemistry with my classmates. They loved me and I loved them back. Then there was an exam, in which I scored 73 points [out of 100]. Then I understood that I could do this,” Alat reportedly said.

Alat said he was both working and attending his classes at the same time during the 2012-2018 period.

“While I was going to university, I also worked at a bus terminal for a coach company. My employees have supported me a lot during this period, especially with regards to my shift times. I was at university all day long and then would go to the bus terminal in the evening. I was there all night long. Then I would come back to the university and attend my classes. It was only at night that I would see my home again,” he said, highlighting the importance of “devoutness” to accomplish any dream.

“What I would say to young people is that they should not give up [on their ambitions]. They should not give in, if they really want something, they can do it,” he added.