I graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Indonesia Jakarta in 1979. At the time when I graduated, it was my goal to serve in remote areas. Upon my arrival in Banda Aceh, I straight away reported for duty to the Head of Health Office, that time it was under the leading of Dr. H. Yuliddin Away, MPH, and he advised me to work in remote areas. I finally chose Blang Pidie Sub-district, South Aceh District. It took 3 days from Banda Aceh to Blang Pidie, crossing 4 bridges to get on the raft, 1 had to wait over the night on the banks of the river, waiting for the water to recede. This was such an experience which I will never forget for my entire life, and this would probably not be experienced by the latest generations today.

               During the mid-1980s, I met Prof. H. Dr. Ibrahim Hasan, MBA who served as the Rector of Unsyiah, and he suggested to me to join, becoming a lecturer, because the university was about to open the Faculty of Medicine. In 1982 I continued study, a master's degree in Microbiology at Faculty of Medicine University of Airlangga in Surabaya. Upon completing it, I was appointed a lecturer and assigned to be the head of Department of Microbiology at  Faculty of Medicine Unsyiah. After having worked for about 8 years, I was then entrusted to be the Deputy Dean 2, administering the financial issues at the Faculty of Medicine Unsyiah.

               In 2004, when the Rector was held by Prof. Abdi A. Wahab, PhD., he entrusted me to design the founding of Faculty of Dentistry in Unsyiah, even though I was still teaching in microbiology at the Faculty of Medicine Unsyiah. Finally, with supports and contributions from all involving parties, the application for the founding of Faculty of Dentistry was finally approved in 2006. It started as Program Studi (PRODI) Kedokteran Gigi at Faculty of Medicine University of Syiah Kuala, initially. After running for 8 years as a PRODI Kedokteran Gigi, under the Faculty of Medicine, in 2014 with the approval letter from the Ministry of Education, we then managed to become an independent faculty, i.e: Faculty Dentistry University of Syiah Kuala, and I was chosen by Rector of Unsyiah to serve as the first dean.