Youngest doctor of pharmacy graduated from UNAIR at age 24
UNAIR NEWS – Maria Apriliani Gani is determined to make the most of her youth. Born in Minahasa on April 9, 1999, she officially holds the title of the youngest doctor of pharmacy at the remarkably young age of 24.
In addition to her notable achievement, Maria was successfully awarded as the best doctoral graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy (FF) during the Universitas Airlangga graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 3, 2023, with a perfect GPA of 4.00.
Ever since she pursued her undergraduate studies, Maria has had a keen interest in research. She often participated in prestigious national research competitions like the PKM (Student Creativity Program).
Maria’s dedication to the field of research deserves appreciation. She received the Quality Improvement of Scientific Publications Scholarship (PKPI) scholarship from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbud Ristek). The program allows her to conduct research at the Seoul National University for six months.
Furthermore, Maria was also appointed to perform another research with the University of Rennes, French. She received the Séjour Scientifique de Haut Niveau (SSHN) mobility grant from the French government.
Conducting research abroad was not easy. Maria initially faced difficulties in adapting to the new culture, but she eventually managed to overcome the challenges. Nevertheless, she is extremely grateful for acquiring new knowledge and experiences.
“I got to learn about the new technologies that weren’t available yet in Indonesia. I also learned a lot about positive culture, which I’ve applied some in Indonesia,” she said.
Maria was beyond happy to establish a reputation for herself as one of the nation’s youngest doctors shortly after celebrating her 24th birthday.
“Five days after my 24th birthday, I had the judicium for my dissertation and became a new doctor in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences. I was so happy because it was a special birthday gift,” said the awardee of the PMDSU (Master Education to Doctor for Outstanding Bachelor) scholarship.
In her dissertation, Maria developed nanometer-sized biomaterials for bone defect applications with the aim of addressing the issue of expensive imported bone implant products in Indonesia. She hopes that the findings of her dissertation can contribute to new theories in the field of pharmacy and also be beneficial to the Indonesian society.
Author: Yulia Rohmawati
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
Source: unair.ac.id/en/youngest-doctor-of-pharmacy-graduated-from-unair-at-age-24
