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Ex-medical Student Now
an Entrepreneur
Former president of the Singapore Medical Students' Association International decided that medical school was not for him.
By Amanda Tay
For the longest time, Mr Julian Low had his eyes set on becoming a doctor. When he discovered his interest in medicine at 14, Mr Low studied really hard, eventually securing a place at the National University of Singapore (NUS) to pursue a degree in medicine in 2016.
“It was my life dream to be a doctor, and [I'd] wanted it since Secondary 2. The reason for that ambition was a mix of nobility, that it helps people in need, aspires to alleviate suffering and overall sounded fulfilling,” Mr Low says.
In his first year, Mr Low took part in the Medical Grand Challenge, a year-long programme that encourages students from various NUS faculties to brainstorm innovative ideas to meet healthcare needs. Alongside his team, Mr Low emerged as the winner and took home the $20,000 cash prize. That experience was the first of subsequent domino pieces that fell, seeding an idea in his head that enterprise may be what he was unknowingly searching for.
Mr Julian Low (second from left) and his team receiving their award on the Finale Night of the Medical Grand Challenge 2017. Photo: Medical Grand Challenge 2017
That same year, Mr Low began working on YouTube with his girlfriend, Ms Celine Leong or better known as MiniMoochi now. Ms Leong had previously confided in him that she hated her course in Pharmacy and wanted to leave to pursue an acting career. But without training or prior experience, YouTube was her next best option. Though Mr Low primarily joined his girlfriend to help her achieve her ambitions, he saw the potential new media had and felt that the venture was worth his effort.
Another year passed and while he enjoyed the duration of his course, the outcome of medical school started becoming less attractive to him. “The day-to-day is memorising drugs, working on procedures, trying to talk to patients, that kind of stuff. All the skills were geared towards a clinician or a doctor … the best medical students are those who spend the most time memorising information and regurgitating that information again, and I didn’t like that,” Mr Low says.
Realisation hit him the hardest in his third year of medical school while he was the President of the Singapore Medical Students' Association International and had the opportunity to interact with international medical students. “Their views and concerns were very different,” Mr Low says. “They are concerned with and advocate for larger issues such as antibiotic resistance, domestic abuse, refugee rights, infectious disease control and they work very closely with their countries’ institutions.”
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Mr Low never believed students could get involved with high-level projects and meeting those international students gave him the courage to be more ambitious.
I think it’s important to know that no one knows how the world works. You create your own paths and once you know what you want to do, you can will things into existence
- Mr Low
Motivated by the events leading up until then, Mr Low decided that a gap year was very much needed for him to explore his choices and also to help Ms Leong with YouTube when things were slightly uncertain.
Three years into medical school, a gap year and a mind made up later, Mr Low broke news to his parents that he wanted to drop out of school to chase his aspirations of entrepreneurship, only to find that they were unsupportive of his decisions. “They freaked out like crazy. They couldn’t accept it at all. No matter how logically I explained it to them, they didn’t care. They just wanted a doctor,” he says.
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When he told his friends, Mr Low was met with ambivalent responses. While some provided encouragement for his choices, others expressed their concerns. “As much as I wanted to support him the best I can, [I] was worried for him as he was going to embark on a more uncertain journey ahead and I did not want him making the wrong decision,” says Mr Shaun Moh, Mr Low’s best friend from medical school.
Mr Low did not let their doubts deter him and proceeded to channel his focus onto the MiniMoochi YouTube channel, which at that time was steadily gaining traction in the local YouTube scene.
When he turned 22, Mr Low helped Ms Leong with expanding the MiniMoochi YouTube channel into a company—Moochi Creative Studios. The move allowed them to obtain more work opportunities and to get onto more platforms.
Ms Leong says, “MiniMoochi wouldn't have been able to last for this long if it weren't for him. Not only did he provide the technical manpower but the emotional support as well.”
Mr Low also started another company called Interhealth Innovators that is dedicated to helping pre-medical students gain exposure in the healthcare industry in Singapore. Through the company’s mentorship programme, students can work on innovation projects and network with professionals in the field.
Now at 23, Mr Low continues to devote his many work hours to both of his companies and has plans to evolve them further. “I think it’s important to know that no one knows how the world works. You create your own paths and once you know what you want to do, you can will things into existence,” Mr Low says.
13 July 2020
About the Author
Amanda Tay
Amanda swears by her cup of tea either before early lectures or tutorial classes to start her day right.
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