Some struggles are visible through a degree or achievement. Yet behind them are long days that are not always easy: less sleep, quiet moments of doubt, and the courage to keep going when both body and mind are asking to stop.
That was the journey of dr. Alya Muthia Nur Amari Natsar, S.Ked., a first-cohort alumna of Thursina IIBS Senior High School. After studying at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muslim Indonesia, Alya successfully completed both her academic and medical profession programs. She is currently waiting for her placement in the Indonesian Doctor Internship Program as the next stage of her journey in healthcare.
Becoming a doctor was not the result of one defining moment. It was built through nearly six years of hard work, small habits repeated every day, and a strong belief that Allah should always be involved in every step of the journey.
Six Years That Truly Felt Long
Many people describe their university years by saying, “It went by so quickly.” For Alya, however, nearly six years of medical education truly felt like a long journey.
Four years of undergraduate study followed by almost two years of clinical training took her through a demanding process, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Through the experience, Alya came to understand that becoming a doctor requires more than the ability to understand medical knowledge.
It also requires perseverance, responsibility, sacrifice, and good character.
During university, Alya also expanded her experience beyond the classroom. She joined the Assistant Fellowship Association as a Histology assistant and became part of the Medical Assistance Team 110 at the Faculty of Medicine, UMI. These experiences gave her the opportunity to grow, work with others, and realise that medical knowledge is ultimately closely connected to serving people.
Choosing to Rise Above Doubt
Clinical training became one of the most challenging parts of her journey. A demanding schedule, exhaustion, and limited sleep became part of her daily life.
Amid the pressure, doubts sometimes came late at night.
“Do I really deserve this degree?” was a question that crossed her mind more than once.
Yet every morning, Alya still chose to get up. She returned to her responsibilities as a young doctor and faced each long day, one after another. Not because the exhaustion had disappeared, but because the dream she was pursuing was greater than the desire to give up.
Alya’s journey shows that courage does not always appear through big decisions. Sometimes, courage is simply the willingness to wake up the next morning and try again.
Three Months Before the Final Test
One of the toughest periods came during the three months leading up to the UKMPPD, the national competency examination for medical profession students. During that period, her days were filled with studying while also completing her clinical responsibilities.
She slept for only around three hours each day. She had to divide her energy between clinical duties and preparation for an examination that would determine an important part of her journey toward becoming a doctor.
In the middle of exhaustion, Alya kept reminding herself, “Just a little more, and you will become a doctor—the dream you have had since childhood.”
That simple sentence gave her the strength to continue. At the same time, she realised that her effort never stood alone. There were prayers she continued to offer, support from her family, and especially the prayers of her parents accompanying every step.
Through her efforts and by Allah’s help, Alya passed the UKMPPD on her first attempt. After a long journey, she finally reached the day when her childhood dream became real: she officially became a doctor.
Perseverance Built Through Daily Habits
Long before entering medical school, Alya had already learned how to live with discipline during her years at Thursina IIBS.
She became accustomed to waking up for Tahajjud prayer and observing voluntary fasting, including Monday–Thursday fasting and Ayyamul Bidh. These practices were not merely part of her school routine. Over time, they developed the perseverance and consistency she would later need throughout medical education.
“Since my time at Thursina, I had been encouraged to perform Tahajjud prayer and voluntary fasting. Those habits taught me to remain consistent in doing good things,” she explained.
That discipline later appeared in different forms: showing up for her duties, completing responsibilities, continuing to study despite exhaustion, and moving forward even when the results were not yet visible.
Knowledge Guided by Adab
Among all the values Alya developed during her time at Thursina, one has remained especially important to her: good manners and adab, particularly in respecting and honouring teachers.
For her, education is not only about how much knowledge a person is able to gain. It is also about maintaining proper respect toward those who have guided and taught us.
“Knowledge is not only about how much we gain, but also about how we maintain our adab toward those who have taught us, so that the knowledge can bring blessings in the future,” Alya said.
This principle became even more meaningful in the world of medicine, where she must continue learning from lecturers, supervising doctors, healthcare workers, patients, and the many experiences she encounters along the way.
Becoming a doctor, after all, is not only about the ability to treat illness. It also requires the humility to keep learning and the willingness to treat every person with dignity and respect.
Involving Allah in Every Step
Now, while waiting to begin her internship, Alya carries all these lessons into the next stage of her journey. The medical degree she has earned is not the end, but the beginning of a wider responsibility to serve others and bring benefit to society.
Alya’s story shows that big dreams are not always achieved through extraordinary steps. More often, they are built through the discipline to finish what can be done today, the courage to face uncertainty, and the perseverance to keep trying.
Above all those efforts, Alya shares one message that has remained an important principle throughout her journey:
“Never forget to always involve Allah in everything you do.”
She also reminds others not to delay what can be completed today. Do it as soon as possible, finish it before the deadline, and use the remaining time to grow and prepare for the next step.
From Thursina to the world of medicine, Alya’s journey reminds us that knowledge requires perseverance, success requires discipline, and both find deeper meaning when they are pursued with adab and complete reliance on Allah.
