Hafiz Leaves Medical School at Unair to Pursue Dream of Becoming a Police Officer

Muhammad Hafiz Ridwan has been accepted as a student at the Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University (Unair) through the National Selection Based on Achievement (SNBP) pathway. However, he chose to continue participating in the 2026 Police Academy (Akpol) cadet selection process up to the central level in Semarang, Central Java.

The Akpol candidate, sponsored by the Metro Jaya Regional Police, emphasised that he is ready to give up his medical school place if his dream of entering the police officer training school is realised. For the 18-year-old, the dream of becoming a police officer has been growing since he wore a kindergarten uniform.

‘I am actually already registered as a student at FK Unair. But if I am accepted at Akpol, I will leave FK Unair,’ Hafiz told detikcom at the selection site on Saturday (25/7/2026).

The eldest of four siblings is an alumnus of Kemala Bhayangkari 19 Kindergarten in South Jakarta and Kemala Bhayangkari 1 Primary School in Surabaya. His father is a police officer who started his career from the non-commissioned officer (bintara) rank.

‘Since I was little, I attended Kemala Bhayangkari 19 Kindergarten in South Jakarta, so I was used to wearing the grey uniform that looks like a police uniform on certain days. In primary school, I also went to SD Kemala Bhayangkari 1 Surabaya. And I once took part in a police cadet marching competition and won second place across Surabaya City,’ he said, smiling as he recalled his childhood.

Those childhood memories grew stronger as Hafiz watched his father provide counselling and psychological support to the community. Hafiz sees his father as a resilient figure who kept improving himself until he earned a doctoral degree.

‘Seeing my father as a police officer, the desire to become a police officer slowly grew in me. Watching him handle disaster victims and provide counselling, I saw his work as very noble because he helps people in distress. My father started as a bintara, but he kept studying until he got his doctorate,’ Hafiz recounted proudly.

‘He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Psychology, and a Doctorate in Police Science. Now my father holds the rank of AKBP and serves at the East Java Regional Police,’ he added.

Before settling on his ambition to become a police officer, the SMAN 28 Jakarta alumnus had once dreamed of becoming a pilot, a civil engineer, a footballer, an accountant, and a doctor. In fact, his mother and grandmother had strongly hoped he would choose the medical profession.

‘My mother wanted me to be a doctor because it was also her dream. My grandmother also wanted me to be a doctor,’ he said.

Hafiz explained that the desire to become a police officer continued to haunt him when he entered senior high school. Since then, he has used almost all his free time to prepare for the Akpol selection process.

‘From Year 10, I started training in psychology, physical fitness, and academics. At the regional level, I ranked fourth, but at the central level, I dropped a bit. I also don’t know why, the tests felt very difficult,’ Hafiz said.

‘Since Year 10, I have been doing physical training four times a week, such as running and other physical exercises. I did psychology training every school holiday. In Year 11, I was fully occupied as the Student Council President. It was only in Year 12 that I took tutoring for the UTBK and Akpol,’ said the winner of the Gold Medal at the 2024 World Science Environmental and Engineering Competition at Pancasila University and the Gold Medal at the 2025 World Science Environmental and Engineering Competition in the online category.

Despite being accustomed to achieving, Hafiz feels that the Akpol selection process imposes a far heavier mental burden than scientific competitions.

‘In an olympiad, we are chasing a medal. Here, we are chasing a dream. It feels like life and death are at stake, so the pressure is much greater,’ he said.

He experienced firsthand how the difficulty level of the central selection increased drastically compared to the regional selection. According to him, the questions tested no longer relied on memorisation but required deep analytical skills.

‘Mathematics was the most noticeable. The questions were no longer basic, but more developed and required analysis,’ he said.

Hafiz was briefly devastated when his Academic Potential Test (TPA) score only reached 68. However, he refused to dwell on the disappointment.

‘Yesterday I was disappointed with my score. But because the physical test was scheduled only three days after the academic test, I had to find a way to motivate myself to bounce back. Alhamdulillah, my physical test score was the highest in the Metro Jaya Regional Police. My physical fitness score was 93.20. That lifted my spirits again,’ he concluded.