KOTA BHARU, May 13 (Sin Chew Daily) — With a strong determination, 57-year-old Tan Beng Geok, matron of Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital, spends 11 years to complete her doctorate studies.

Born in Balik Pulau, Penang, and now residing in Kelantan, Tan counts herself fortunate as she has the faithful backing of her husband and two sons to pursue her dream.

She works as the matron at the hospital, runs the family and still finds time to complete her coursework.

Tan decided to take up the degree course in nursing back in 2007.

At the age of 44, she wanted to upgrade herself and started her doctorate studies in 2014.

"When I was pursuing the doctorate degree, I only slept for four hours a day in order to have sufficient time to complete my coursework. I kept motivating myself not to give up easily," she said. 

Tan shared this in conjunction with the International Nurses Day celebration organized by the hospital.

She said she had to make sure she could cope with her work, family and studies through proper time management and a healthy diet.

As a matron for 33 years, Tan said it was very challenging to take care of patients. One must be patient and willing to listen to patients and their families.