She Pursued Her Dream to Become a Doctor at Age 72!

When 72-year-old Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft was growing up, her mother predicted that Dawn would become a doctor.

She earned an undergraduate degree and considered going to medical school — but chose to put those plans on hold to get married and raise a family, as well as work as a neonatal nurse practitioner. ​

Fast-forward to 2020, Dawn was inspired to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. She and her husband dipped into retirement funds — and Dawn hit the books.

All that hard work and sacrifice recently paid off as Dawn is set to graduate from medical school and begin a three-year residency.

After 45 years of working in hospitals as a nurse, Dawn isn’t just looking for a “trophy” degree. Instead, she’s bringing decades of real-world experience — and amazing passion — to her new role.

“I feel alive when I work in the medical field, she said. “I want to do this because I really enjoy this.”