"I found my way back to medicine, thanks to NTU"
Inarah Farahah is realising her childhood dream of becoming a doctor with newfound confidence
by Brenda Kang
Inarah Farahah still remembers when it clicked. She was ten years old, surfing the internet, when she found the Doctors Without Borders website.
“I read this article about doctors working in low-income areas like Zimbabwe. They were doing so much with so little, and it moved me. I knew then that this is the kind of doctor I want to be,” she says.
But after junior college, that dream of going to medical school didn’t work out.
“I thought the door had closed,” she says.
A new door opens at NTU
Instead, she entered NTU, taking up a double major in biological sciences & psychology.
She didn’t know it then, but NTU helped her build the grit, confidence and empathy she needed to turn her childhood dream into a plan she could really act on.
Through volunteering, leadership roles and her internships during university, Inarah saw real gaps in care – for people with disabilities, seniors and those who communicate differently.
“These experiences showed me my purpose in medicine, which is to stand up for those who are often overlooked,” she says.
Now a postgrad student studying to be a doctor, Inarah says: “I’m thankful NTU gave me the space to learn and grow. I wouldn’t be here without that.”
Finding her voice
In her freshman year, she joined NTU’s Welfare Services Club – her first taste of volunteering.
It opened her eyes to different communities and their needs.
One initiative she’s especially proud of is bringing NTU student tutors and Deaf youth together for meaningful interactions beyond the classroom.
“I still remember how they’d crack jokes and bond over shared moments; it was heartwarming to witness that connection grow,” she says.
Stepping up to lead
By her final year, Inarah had become president of the club, leading over 1,000 NTU student volunteers across 12 projects.
At first, she thought being a leader meant doing it all alone. “But I learnt to trust my team – to lean on people,” she says.
The introvert is proud of how far she’s come.
“I used to be so shy. I’d keep to myself at student events, and my social battery would drain in under two hours,” she recalls.
“But after meeting people from other clubs and going through leadership training, I changed, bit by bit. Now, I’m comfortable even in unfamiliar places. I’ll look for someone I know, or just start talking to a stranger.”
Lessons beyond the classroom
Her growth wasn’t just outside class.
Early on in her undergraduate years, a cancer biology and therapy module with Assoc Prof Melissa Fullwood shifted Inarah’s perspective.
“I wasn’t sure if I was studying the right way, as everything felt so unclear,” she says.
“Assoc Prof Fullwood guided me, and just seeing how confidently she spoke pushed me to carry myself with more self-assurance.”
That encouragement spurred Inarah to try research too. Last year, she completed her final-year project paper on gene mutations linked to a rare form of leukaemia.
She says: “Whether it’s studies, research or service, I’ve become more determined, to push through tough times with grit and intention.”
The kind of doctor she wants to be
These lessons also changed how she views being a doctor. “I don’t just want to treat patients. I want to understand them,” she says.
That means asking about their daily life before prescribing medicine – especially for older patients managing many pills and schedules. “Medicine should help people live well, not feel like a burden,” Inarah explains.
“Doctors need to understand whether what they prescribe fits into a patient’s life.”
She saw this firsthand with her grandparents, who struggled with dementia and other health issues. “My family wanted them to go through certain treatments, but they refused. We thought we knew what was best for them,” she says, “but we didn’t stop to ask what they wanted.”
Making care work for all
Those lessons stayed with her.
“There should be more help for people who don’t speak English or have other needs,” she says.
She realised this during an internship at a school for students with autism and intellectual disabilities.
“To prepare them for COVID-19 vaccinations, we set up mock clinics so they’d know what to expect,” she says. “That’s when I realised how the bright lights, long queues and noise in a hospital setting can overwhelm some people.”
Working closely with teachers and caregivers, she helped guide special needs youth through everyday experiences like mall trips.
“That’s what inclusive care means to me now,” she says. “It’s not just about what’s fast or efficient, but what works for each person.”
A childhood dream, rewritten
Ahead of graduation, Inarah has already begun postgraduate medical training at Duke-NUS Medical School, living out the dream she’s carried since Primary Four.
I've grown so much at NTU. The service projects and leadership roles taught me how to create safe spaces. I want to bring that into healthcare too.
– Inarah
“My psychology major taught me how to form genuine connections by understanding the emotions, needs, and experiences of others. Empathy is more than just feeling for someone; it’s about truly understanding what something is like from their perspective.”
Looking back, she reflects: “My journey didn’t go the way I expected. But honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
And when asked what kind of doctor she hopes to be, she doesn’t miss a beat:
“One who sees her patients – not just their illness, but their story, too.
Read more stories of grad-itude from the Class of 2025 here.
This story was published in the Jul-Aug 2025 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
/theodore-kwan-7-attends-ntu-chemistry-lecture-as-a-guest.tmb-listing.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=ccd9f4c9_1)
/ntu-adm-art-installation-700x432.tmb-listing.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=1da58ff2_1)