How I Spent 12 Years in University to Graduate with Just a B.Sc. in Microbiology — Ex-Medical Student Shares Painful but Inspiring Story

For some, a university degree takes four years. For others, maybe five. But for Ini Amah, the journey to graduation was a marathon of disappointments and resilience — twelve long years filled with brilliance, failure, heartbreak, and ultimately, triumph.

Ini’s story is not one of mediocrity. He was a star student. He came first throughout primary school, never went below fourth in secondary school, came second in the 2008 Cowbell Mathematics Competition in Imo State, second again in the state Mathematics Olympiad, and ranked among the top 10 WAEC results in a set of over 300 students. He was the kind of child parents proudly called “Doctor” long before he ever wore a lab coat.

That “Doctor” dream was fueled by Ben Carson’s famous book Gifted Hands, which Ini read at the age of seven. He clung to that dream through multiple JAMB attempts, finally securing admission into Medicine and Surgery in 2013 after briefly studying Microbiology.

But medical school was where destiny played its cruelest joke. He passed his first year, but from second year onward, physiology and especially biochemistry became his stumbling block. In 2016, he faced the First Professional MBBS exam. He failed. He tried again, passed physiology but still failed biochemistry. By 2018, after his third attempt, the verdict beside his name was one word: Withdrawn.

“That day, my world collapsed. I went from Dr. Ini to Brother Ini in one second,” he recalled.

The news broke his mother, who had already begun preparing for his induction. His father, though calmer, could only encourage him. Depression followed. Twice, Ini attempted to take his own life. Twice, he was saved — by the prayers and presence of people who didn’t even know what he was going through.

Still, Ini refused to remain defeated. He applied to other faculties — Pharmacy turned him down, but Microbiology, the very course he once ran from, accepted him back. He started afresh in 200 level in 2018.

This time, armed with the discipline medicine had forced into him, he excelled. He became active in his campus fellowship, studied more smartly, and thrived. By 2024, after twelve years of university life, Ini finally graduated with a 4.34 CGPA in Microbiology.

Looking back, he insists those wasted years were not wasted at all. “It was the first time I ever failed in my life. I went from winning awards to struggling to survive academically. But I didn’t drown. Medicine didn’t make me a doctor, but it made me a beast,” he said, recalling the words of his pastor who once asked him whether his failure would turn him into a chicken or a beast.

Now Ini wears his scars with pride. “Yes, it took me 12 years to graduate, but I can face tomorrow with hope. My path shines brighter and brighter. I’ll never doubt my future again.”

For students struggling with failure, Ini’s story is a reminder that sometimes life will disgrace you publicly, but if you refuse to give up, you can still rise — stronger, wiser, and ready to roar.