Leaving Law to study Medicine and the secret to "getting to the top"

Once dropped out of law school because of his passion for medicine.

Nutritionist Chu Hong Ngoc, born in 2001, is working at a famous Nutrition clinic in Hanoi . Dr. Ngoc graduated with a Bachelor of Nutrition from Hanoi Medical University in 2024 with an impressive score of 8.43/10, becoming the valedictorian of Hanoi Medical University.

Sharing with PV Dan Viet about the opportunity to come to this profession, Dr. Ngoc said: "Since I was young, I have wanted to study medicine. However, knowing that the field of study is very difficult and feeling that I am not capable enough, I did not have the courage to study. In 2019, I was admitted and studied at Hanoi Law University. However, when there were only 3 months left before the 2020 high school graduation exam, I decided to take a risk and retake the exam. My initial goal was to try my hand once so that I would have no regrets.

Coming to Nutrition was a fate. For me, this is a completely new field of study, but the more I study and learn, the more interested and passionate I become about this field. Up to now, I have no regrets about choosing this field of study."

Nutritionist Chu Hong Ngoc. Photo: NVCC

Having been admitted to her favorite major, Hong Ngoc set a goal to achieve the best results: "Right from the beginning with the first basic subjects, I always focused to be able to keep up with my friends. Some of the knowledge that my friends at specialized schools had learned or come into contact with was completely new to me. The subjects required 2 or 3 textbooks, which made me overwhelmed. The teachers taught half a book in one session, so I had to be diligent, read in advance, and study in advance.

I also always take on the role of group leader in all group exercises: not only will I improve my soft skills but I will also be the one who has the most knowledge about those exercises. The ability to self-study is also very useful during my university studies. I have had the habit of self-study since previous levels (in almost 12 years of studying, I rarely went to extra classes but studied at home. I also studied online at home for university entrance exams). To study a subject well, I often set a goal of studying the core knowledge thoroughly, understanding the essence so that I can easily remember and reason, connecting with other knowledge".

In addition, realizing that medical students in the new era do not only need to study but also need to cultivate other skills, Hong Ngoc also participates in many extracurricular activities inside and outside the school, works as a class officer, participates in scientific research to be active, learn more things and create new opportunities for herself.

"Despite being a valedictorian, I don't spend too much time studying. I still spend time on my hobbies like playing games, selling crochet products, going out, shopping, and doing arts like drawing, playing the piano... so studying isn't stressful," Hong Ngoc shared.

From this way of learning, Hong Ngoc has achieved many achievements at university: Scholarship to encourage studying at school for 7/8 semesters for students with excellent achievements in Class work, Youth Union, Student Association in the 2020-2021 school year; Students with excellent union activities in the 2021-2022, 2022-2023 school year. Participated in a number of competitions on "Innovative Startup" and applied to the medical industry: Social Inovation Launch 2021, Medical and Pharmaceutical Innovations 2022, ... "Students with scientific articles published in prestigious international journals" in the 2022-2023 school year.

Girls studying medicine are more limited than boys, but that does not mean they are inferior.

"You don't always succeed when you try, but you must always try so that you don't regret when you fail." I used to lack the courage and regret. This is a quote that I accidentally read right when I started reviewing for the exam and have kept it as my motto until now. I like this quote because it is partly true for me" - valedictorian of Hanoi Medical University in 2024 Chu Hong Ngoc.

Talking about the most impressive things during the learning process, for Dr. Ngoc, it was probably the trips of the "bachelor of nutrition": "In addition to studying at the hospital, we also visited and studied at food factories, and went to community practice at commune and district health stations".

According to Dr. Ngoc, girls studying and working in the medical field are also more limited than boys. Anyone who studies medicine should also participate in night shifts at the hospital. During the day, she goes to school and stays up all night at the hospital. Hong Ngoc's first memory is not being able to sleep even though they take turns. "It's quite hard for girls to study medicine, there's a lot of work, staying up late, and little time to take care of themselves. The demeanor of female interns when interacting with patients is also more limited than that of men. Patients can tell they're interns just by looking at them, so it's difficult to understand their condition. Sometimes, they even have family members tease them," Dr. Ngoc shared.

Chu Hong Ngoc is the valedictorian of Hanoi Medical University in 2024. Photo: NVCC

However, such small difficulties did not make Hong Ngoc love her job less. On the contrary, she tried even harder to achieve her desired goals. Revealing about the October 20 anniversary, Hong Ngoc said that it was a very thoughtful event organized by the male classmates for the female students. That was an unforgettable memory for her.

Sharing about her work, Dr. Hong Ngoc advised: "Currently, Vietnam is suffering from the burden of stunted nutrition, overweight and obesity while parents do not understand the nutritional regimen correctly. Some families say that it is okay for their children to be a little short, as long as they are agile. However, in reality, the children are close to malnutrition.... At that time, nutritionists need to be patient, analyze for parents and monitor for many months."

As a doctor who interacts with children every day, the secret to being loved by young patients is to always have a big smile and keep the clinic full of teddy bears and candy. When the children cry, the doctor diverts their attention to something else so that the children feel more comfortable when interacting with the doctor.

Revealing his upcoming plans, the valedictorian of Hanoi Medical University in 2024 said: "Continue to do my job well, improve my foreign language skills and have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to study abroad to improve my qualifications."

Source: https://danviet.vn/nu-bac-si-10x-la-thu-khoa-dai-hoc-y-ha-noi-bo-nganh-luat-re-sang-nganh-y-va-bi-quyet-hoc-dung-dau-20241020065107425.htm