A PMV Bus Crew tops PNG's medical school

SIMON Koyapo Irra, 33, from Taguru, Lalibu-Pangia in Southern Highlands who topped the UPNG School of Medicine and Health Science class of 2023 is a living testimony of why it is worth chasing your dreams.
Koyapo graduated as the top medical student with a Bachelor of Medicine and Health Science degree after 15 years of studying.
Koyapo’s education journey began at Koyabu, where he completed primary education and was later selected to attend Pangia High School where he did Grade s9 and 10. He was then selected to Ialibu Secondary School to complete Grades 11 and 12.
After completing secondary education in Lalibu Secondary School, Koyapo was selected for the science foundation year at the Pacific Adventist University in 2010.

---

However, due to school fee issues, he declined the offer from PAU and enrolled instead at the UPNG open college (campus where he did the science foundation year. After that, he was selected to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences for the MBBS programme in 2011 with the highest GPA of four.
However, he withdrew from his studies in 2011 because he could not secure enough financial assistance needed to continue his studies. Thus, he ended up becoming a city bus crew in Port Moresby, to save up for his school fees. And in 2013 he reapplied for admission at the medical school and was accepted.
Kayapo would go on to complete his MBBS Two and Three in 2014 with progress conditions. However, he failed part of the course he was undertaking and was excluded from the programme.
Despite the fact that he was excluded, he wrote numerous times to the school administration requesting reconsideration and appealed to repeat year three in 2015.
He was accepted and continued to Year 4 in 2016. Yerars 5 and 6 were clinical years, which according to him were very difficult and he could not complete the procedure booklet and was excluded again.
With no one to support him, Kayapo chose a rather hard road. For almost three years, he was a street vendor at Gerehu Market in Port Moresby, and from time to time, he would help out random public motor vehicles (PMV) buses on Route 9 (Gerehu-4-Mile) Moresby for a K10 or K20 daily allowance. Thoughoutout those years, Koyapo never wavered in his dream of re-entering medical school.
In his words: “I have heard stories of people taking the hard road to chase their dreams and make their dreams become reality, and that was what I wanted for my story.
“I want to be someone else’s story when they need motivation and that drive pushed me to continue to do what I did every day in those three years.”
Despite all odds, he reapplied for admission in 2019 and was selected to continue with Year 4 and 5 Five in 2022.
He graduated with distinction and topped his class in 2023.
On his graduation day, Koyapo shaved his beard, wore a nice long-sleeve shirt, properly tucked into his new pair of shorts.
”Most of my friends did not recognised me from a distance. It came as a surprise to them seeing me all dressed up, but I guess I saved the best for my last walk as a student,” Koyapo recalled.
He thanked his friends and family who stood by him and for always believing in him.
“Although my family did not have much, and even when my relatives living here in Port Moresby could not helped me in the way I wanted, I always knew that they tried.
“This degree is for my family, relatives and friends who never gave up on me. The K1 busfare or a cold water to quence my thirst is all I needed to come this far,” he said.
“My encouragement to others is to never give up on your dreams. Always believe in yourself and stay committed to your dreams.
“Take your setbacks and use them as your strengths when moving forward and never allow them to prevent you from achieving your goals.
“If I can do it, you can too,” said Simon.

The National / PNG Education news

Read other Inspiration Stories

• From Security Guard To Programs Director, Thanks To Australian Awards
  

• Never Give Up : Story Of A School Administrator
• ​A Dream Come True For Young School Administrator