Hong Kong-based Malaysian, 70, excited at chance of being world’s oldest medical graduate
- Retired Malaysian executive Toh Hong-keng is picking up his medical degree from Southwestern University in Cebu
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Hong Kong-based Malaysian graduates with medical degree at age 70
Toh Hong-keng, 70, a retired Malaysian executive based in Hong Kong, recalls gently grasping a baby by the neck to pull it from its mother’s womb during a delivery at a hospital in the Philippines.
“Everything happened so fast. My god. To experience it is … you feel so good about it,” he said, recalling his first time assisting in such a procedure.
One might think Toh was a senior obstetrician, but instead he is potentially the world’s oldest medical graduate after earning his degree from Southwestern University in Cebu on Saturday.
He told the Post that other than learning complicated medical knowledge and frequently taking exams over a five-year period, he had to go through a gruelling one-year hospital placement where he worked a 30-hour shift every three days.
“I am really excited I am graduating. I hope there will be more mature medical students in the future,” said Toh, a father of three adult children and grandfather of two.
