Father and son – special peers in medical school

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Clip of father studying at Medical University with his daughter (Video: NVCC).

Last year, her daughter Thanh Binh (born in 2005) passed the entrance exam to Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, majoring in Preventive Medicine. In the same year, Mr. Thanh (born in 1980), the girl's father, was admitted to the Medical Faculty under the university transfer program.

For nearly two years, Mr. Thanh and Binh have become classmates, helping and even competing with each other in their studies.

New medical student at age 43

Born into a poor farming family in Thuy Binh commune, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province, at the age of 4, Mr. Nguyen Viet Thanh unfortunately contracted polio, the sequelae of which left one leg disabled, making it difficult to move. However, that did not discourage the man from studying, because he always believed that knowledge would help him escape hunger and poverty.

During high school, to earn money to pay for tuition, Mr. Thanh helped his mother weave baskets outside of class. When he passed the university entrance exam, his family's financial situation did not allow it, so he chose to study at the intermediate level at Thai Binh Medical College, earned a degree in general medicine and went to work early. After that, he got married, and together with his wife, focused on business, raising 3 children.

When the economy was stable, the man once put aside his dream of studying in the university to prioritize his wife to study 3 degrees: university of education, college of pharmacy and general medicine. When his wife almost finished her studies, Mr. Thanh had the idea of returning.

With the spirit of "it's never too late to learn" and encouragement from his family, in 2023, he applied for admission to Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Thanh and his daughter Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh. (Photo: NVCC)

Before becoming a new medical student at the age of 43, Mr. Thanh was the head of the commune health station. However, to create the best conditions for his studies, after receiving the admission notice, he resigned from his position and became an employee. For him, going to university is a way to help himself improve his knowledge and skills to serve the people, and also to fulfill his unfinished childhood dream.

“At first, I was quite hesitant because of my age and because I was studying with students the same age as my children. There were times when I felt self-conscious and afraid that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the program,” Mr. Thanh recalled. With perseverance and effort, after more than a year, the student in his 40s gradually integrated, feeling more comfortable and confident when going to school.

In particular, after each exam at school, Mr. Thanh always compared his scores to see how much better or worse his score was than others in the class, using that as motivation to strive. The oldest student in the class could not help but be proud, as his scores in most subjects were always in the middle of the class.

To save money, Mr. Thanh rented a room for his daughter Thanh Binh near the school while he himself traveled the 30 km by bus. In addition to his classes, he went to the medical station 1-2 times a week, then returned home to help his wife. There were late nights when someone in the commune was sick and had difficulty moving, Mr. Thanh did not hesitate to go to their house to examine them.

“I usually wake up at 4am to study and review. There are days when my father and I study in the same shift, we go home at noon, cook lunch, and then return to school for the afternoon shift. It’s rushed but also fun,” Mr. Thanh said.

Mr. Thanh with his wife and daughter. (Photo: NVCC)

Compete in studying with your daughter

Being in the same class as her father also made Thanh Binh a little apprehensive. She was afraid that she would not be able to be free when her parents were around. However, this feeling quickly disappeared when the father and daughter officially entered the study race.

Thanh Binh said that except for the time he was at work, he always saw his father studying, studying anytime, anywhere. When it was almost time to go to bed, Mr. Thanh would turn on the recorded lecture, listen to it over and over again to memorize the lesson, until he fell asleep.

According to the female student, one of the advantages of studying with her father is having an extra friend, a free tutor at home. Thanh Binh often helps her father with English. In return, her father gives her a lot of guidance in anatomy practice.

Once, Thanh Binh was asked by her father to help him with his English and promised that if he could get a score of 5 or higher, she would give him 500,000 VND in pocket money. The female student immediately prepared a study plan and some tips for her father to study for the exam. In the end, Mr. Thanh got a higher score than his daughter.

“We are in the same class so we study and compete together. This may seem strange to many people, but for me, this is an interesting experience that not everyone can have,” Thanh Binh said, adding that she admires her father ’s studious spirit. This is also a source of motivation for her to strive to follow.

In her eyes, Mr. Thanh is also an exemplary father, always gentle and loving to his wife and children. He never drinks alcohol, and after work he quickly returns home to help his family. Everyone in the village respects and praises his father, making the girl even more proud.

Thanh Binh and his father both have the same dream: after graduating and having a medical certificate, they will open a clinic to provide free or low-cost medical care to help people in difficult circumstances.

It is known that the female student’s mother is about to graduate from the general medical school and is planning to apply for university admission with her husband and daughter. Although the economic burden is still heavy, Thanh Binh’s family still strives every day to pursue their dream of knowledge, to become good doctors, and to help save people.

Kim Nhung

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/bo-va-con-doi-ban-dong-nien-dac-biet-cua-truong-y-ar914232.html