Dental surgeon shares unforgettable experience that defines her career

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THROUGHOUT her study life, the only time dental surgeon Datuk Dr Marina Lalitha David had faced a failure was when she missed her most favourite and strongest subject, anatomy, during the final year examination of her first-year entry into college in India in 1978.

 

During an exclusive interview with Buletin Mutiara today, Dr Marina, 66, described that experience as an unforgettable yet a key moment that helped her graduate with first-class honours in dental surgery studies.

 

“As a student, the one very common practice we carry is studying last minute for examinations.

 

“It was three days before my anatomy paper, and I was studying day and night as I was determined to do well considering it was my favourite and strongest subject in college.

 

“When the day arrived, it was 5am, and the exam was at 9am. I opened my room’s door and went to my friend’s room next to mine to ask her to wake me up at 6am so that I could wrap up my revision before going for the exam.

 

“So, I closed my eyes and slept. The next thing I know I slept long enough that it was already 9.35am. My heart stopped for a moment.

 

“Without wasting any time, I quickly changed, took my hall pass, stationeries and everything necessary, and ran to the hall.

 

“I begged so many times but the invigilators refused to let me in. They ordered that I leave the area at once as they thought I was being disruptive to the other students.

 

“So, I lost six months and my parents were uninformed about it because if my mum comes to know, she would have buried me alive for sure.

 

“That was the only time I failed as a student. Hereafter, I changed and became more serious with my time management.

 

“Every single thing about this bitter event can’t be erased. I can even remember what I was wearing, which was a brown blouse with stripes,” Dr Marina said during the interview at her clinic in Bayan Baru today.

 

She then went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Manipal University in Banglore, India in 1982.

 

Dr Marina had a very strict mum, whom she describes as the person who inspired and influenced her in her journey of becoming a dental surgeon.

 

“My mother was a very ambitious person as she wanted to become a nurse. That was why she was unhappy when she married my dad because she was not ready to become a housewife.

 

“My father was a guard working for the railways in Kuala Lumpur back then. My mother thought his monthly earnings were not enough to sustain the family.

 

“So, she decided to make an earning for herself while being a housewife. She sewed clothes, baked cakes and conducted tuition classes for primary school students.

 

“She never liked wasting time. My brother and I grew up hearing our mum telling us that in anything we do in life, we have to look at the time.

 

“She told us it was irrelevant to take the whole day to do jobs that can be completed fast. She lived up to her words because she was a great multitasker.

 

“If people enter my clinic, they will realise there are clocks almost at every corner possible. I realised I was doing something unconsciously.

 

“This had shed light on me that there will always be something we carry from our childhood, regardless of how old we grow.

 

“Meanwhile, after I got married, I entered another phase of my life where my husband and children became my strongest supporters.

 

“If your family members aren’t supportive as how you want them to be, it is difficult to take on roles outside your career.

 

“I am blessed with a husband who understands me thoroughly considering my active participation in community-related initiatives.

 

“My first area of serving was in the church after coming to Penang in 1985 upon getting married in 1984.

 

“From making sandwiches for pre-school students who attended catechism classes at church, I was slowly absorbed to become a catechism teacher for Form Four and Five students,” Dr Marina said.

 

Besides her work at the church, Dr Marina also offered her service as a dental surgeon on a voluntary basis at the Vietnamese refugee camp in Sungai Besi for a year before getting an offer by the Health Ministry to be posted at the government hospital in Muar, Johor.

 

She worked there from 1983 to 1985.

 

Dr Marina was also one of the first few individuals who was heavily involved in the setting up of the Penang Women Development Corporation (PWDC) in 2011.

 

She also recalled a memorable experience of having worked with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow’s wife Tan Lean Kee on the setting up of the state’s first-ever child care committee some time back.

 

“Madam Tan had the experience of managing kindergartens, so her assistance came in timely during the time we were setting the committee up,” she added.

 

Separately, being someone very successful all these years, Dr Marina’s life was not short of a tragic incident which took place last year when she had a terrible fall off her bed at home.

 

“I slipped, fell and broke all the bones on my right leg.

 

“My right leg is internally filled with screws and nails. I thought I would never walk again, but by God’s miracle and the care I received from my loved ones, doctors and nurses, here I am not only surviving, but also able to walk as normal again.

 

“I had the craziest of thoughts during my days at the hospital, such as wanting to commit suicide because I felt at one point, I was being nothing but a burden to the people around me.

 

“When I told this to the doctor, my husband who was also there, was shocked and told me to never have such thoughts again.

 

“Life has its many ups and downs for me, but I choose to stay strong and keep going. That’s what matters in the end,” Dr Marina said.

 

When asked about her plans, she said she is currently studying hypnotherapy, which she plans to apply in her operations to ease stress, fear and anxiety among her patients.

 

Dr Marina has four sons. Two of them are medical doctors, while one is a pilot and the other a dentist, who is working with her at her clinic.

 

Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi