This girl was born to be the top student…

Ngo Thu Ha is both the valedictorian of the 2025 medical school graduating class at Hanoi Medical University and the top scorer in many other exams during her high school years. One of the secrets to this young woman's success is knowing what she likes early on.

At the recent 2025 medical graduation ceremony of Hanoi Medical University, the valedictorian title was awarded to Ngo Thu Ha, with a final course GPA of 8.42/10.

Notably, six years ago (in 2019), Ha was the top-scoring student in the entrance exam for Hanoi Medical University, and also the top-scoring student nationwide in Block B, with a total score of 29.8 points in the B00 combination (chemistry and biology both scored 10, mathematics scored 9.8).

Newly graduated doctor Ngo Thu Ha (third from the right) was honored as valedictorian on her graduation day. PHOTO: HUU LINH

Throughout my school life, I was always the top student…

Ha was born and raised in a family where neither parent worked in medicine (her mother was a teacher, and her father was a retired police officer), but she developed a special affection for the medical profession early on. Even as a primary school student, Ha dreamed of becoming a doctor. However, she excelled in mathematics, making her entry into a specialized mathematics program a natural progression. Furthermore, in the 2016 entrance exam for 10th grade, Ha was the top student in the specialized mathematics class at Hung Vuong High School for the Gifted in Phu Tho province .

Throughout her three years of high school, Ha consistently maintained her excellent performance in mathematics, achieving many high-ranking results such as second prize in the Hanoi Open Mathematics Competition (HOMC), a silver medal in the competition for outstanding students from specialized high schools in the coastal and northern delta regions, and first prize in the provincial-level mathematics competition for outstanding students for two consecutive years.

On her journey to achieving her dream of getting into medical school, Ha's biggest obstacle turned out to be... biology. She found the subject uninteresting, describing it as "difficult to understand, full of theory, and with few exercises."

But then Ha found an effective learning method, her studies gradually improved, and she became passionate about it and no longer found it difficult. In the 2018-2019 school year, Ha participated in the assessment exams organized by the Phu Tho Department of Education and Training and the school three times, and all three times she was the top scorer in Block B (all above 28 points).

When Ha entered university, many of her classmates were admitted directly because they had won national academic awards. Therefore, when she first started, Ha felt overwhelmed by their intelligence and extensive knowledge. But she also recognized the opportunity to learn from these talented friends.

"Initially, I couldn't keep up with my classmates. But my goal was simply to excel academically, not to compete for the top spot, so I didn't feel worried. Later, I realized that most students only excel in one specialized subject like chemistry or biology… while university offers many subjects. Thanks to my consistently high grades across all subjects, I still ended up being the valedictorian of the entire cohort," Ha shared.

During her first three years at Hanoi Medical University, Ha received a certificate of merit as the top student of the academic year from the university's rector every year. Over six years of study, Ha received 8 out of 12 academic achievement scholarships from the university, and 5 scholarships from businesses.

They only get a little over 6 hours of sleep each day.

When asked about her secret to academic success, Ha said that first and foremost, it's about diligence, with a very clear motivation for studying: "I'm not studying for the title of valedictorian, but simply because I want to prepare myself with the best possible foundation of knowledge and skills so that I can become a good doctor in the future."

Every day, Ha usually stays up until midnight or even later to study; the next day, she has to wake up at 6:30 a.m. to prepare for lectures or go to the hospital. During exam periods, she only gets 3-4 hours of sleep each day. Sometimes, during night shifts at the hospital, she only manages to snatch a few hours of sleep. Therefore, after every exam, Ha always rewards herself with a full 10 hours of sleep!

Ha shared: "But all medical students work hard like that, not just me. The daily routine is so long that perhaps our bodies adapt, and we don't feel tired or get sick easily. There are many times when I feel tired and discouraged, but when I go to clinical training and get to experience the hospital environment, I realize that my efforts today are very meaningful because in the future I can contribute a small part of my strength to help patients, and that gives me the motivation to keep trying."

Ha added: "I have a group of friends who study together to exchange and supplement each other's knowledge. Besides that, I also use learning support apps like Anki to quickly review the material."

Ha recently took the residency exam at Hanoi Medical University, achieving 14th place in the medical field. With this ranking, Ha has the opportunity to choose any specialty she likes. However, she is more interested in oncology and ENT specialties rather than the top-ranked fields among medical students, such as obstetrics or surgery. "I'm quite meticulous and a perfectionist, so these fields suit my personality best," Ha said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/co-gai-sinh-ra-de-lam-thu-khoa-185250831170410931.htm