Career Change Lures Dentistry Student to the Gold Coast
19 Apr 2021 4:04PM
Khairul Alam arrived in Australia in 2014, originally studying for his PhD in Newcastle before accepting an engineering job in Melbourne, but his real passion in life has always been dentistry. For numerous reasons his career path led him down a different road, but during the COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne he began to reassess his life and career priorities.
Dentistry has always been Khairul’s lifelong dream, he even married a dentist, but until now he hasn’t had the opportunity to pursue his goal. It was while he and his young family were in lockdown that he began to explore his options and he heard about Study Gold Coast’s Student Accommodation Grant, which provides up to 10 weeks’ accommodation for students who want to relocate to the Gold Coast to study.
“The grant helps me so much because we have a child and a lot of commitments that my wife and I are currently sharing, which isn’t easy when you’re living in different states. She is hoping to find a job on the Gold Coast and move here to join me as soon as possible”, the Griffith University student explained.
A safe and welcoming city
Khairul knows the Gold Coast very well, as his wife also studied dentistry at Griffith University and they both enjoyed their time here. They loved the ease of life on the Gold Coast and the vibrant multicultural community of the city, which Khairul says is much cheaper than its bigger counterparts.
“I feel very safe here”, says Khairul. “In Melbourne I have to say that unfortunately I didn’t always feel safe on the streets, particularly after dark. I went to the beach here last night and it was just beautiful. Lots of families out, kids playing around – I really appreciate that aspect of the Gold Coast lifestyle.”

Khairul is impressed by Griffith University's exceptional facilities
Exceptional facilities
Khairul is very impressed with Griffith University’s exceptional facilities and the level of personal engagement from his teachers.
“Griffith is ranked in the top 2% of universities in the world and it’s one of the best for dentistry in Australia. The tutors are so organised, which wasn’t my experience previously when I studied engineering. The professors respond to your email enquiries immediately, which again hasn’t been my experience prior to Griffith.
“The grant has really helped me because it has taken the pressure off me finding accommodation for the next 10 weeks. When you’re moving to a new city to study this is incredibly helpful, knowing that you don’t have to worry about finding somewhere to live straight away”, he says.
Find out more about the Student Accommodation Grant here.