A desire to serve the community

More than just an excellent academic record, Thao Linh's journey shines with the aspiration to transform knowledge into value that serves the community.

Nguyen Hoang Thao Linh (born in 2002, from Ho Chi Minh City) recently graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Monash University (Australia) with a perfect GPA of 4.0. She currently holds the position of teaching assistant and student advisor, responsible for teaching anatomy and laboratory skills to students in biomedical and health science programs at the university.

Go to grow

As soon as she became a freshman in Biomedical Sciences at Monash University, Linh started tutoring high school students and fellow students from many different countries.

Thao Linh's (seated, third from the left) achievement today is the culmination of a long and persistent journey of effort.

Previously, she had dreamed of studying this field abroad, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced Linh to put her dream on hold. She enrolled at the University of Technology - Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, majoring in Chemical Engineering, but still harbored a desire to explore the world to understand, empathize with, and experience different cultures. Linh decided to apply and was awarded the Monash International Study Grant scholarship for promising international students. Biomedical science plays a vital role in improving human health through research into the body's mechanisms, developing methods for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and improving the quality of life.

During her studies at Monash, Linh diligently pursued research, gaining valuable scientific experiences and opening exciting doors, such as participating in a drug trial for polycystic kidney disease. With her outstanding abilities, Linh was awarded the Winter Research Scholarship and soon had the opportunity for a long-term internship at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash.

Thao Linh (right in the photo) knew how to seize opportunities to improve her skills even while still in university.

Linh's research topics focused on testing drugs on cells and animals, monitoring changes, toxicity, and efficacy. She impressed her professors with her outstanding performance in specialized skills such as: handling clinical samples, molecular biology methods like PCR, immunohistochemical staining, and flow cytometry analysis.

Besides her work in the laboratory, Linh also interned at Victorian Heart Hospital. There, she directly assisted doctors in examinations, translated for Vietnamese patients, and participated in analyzing electrocardiograms. That place brought her many emotions as she witnessed patients' recovery, but it also troubled her as she had to confront the loss and the lingering guilt.

Opening the door to the future

Alongside her studies, Linh is constantly contributing to community service. She is a passionate volunteer at Teddy Bear Hospital, a program that helps preschool and elementary school children become familiar with the hospital environment through games and simulated experiences, thereby reducing their fear of going to the doctor.

Linh also contributed to a healthcare innovation project called MedHack. Her team came up with an idea to minimize antibiotic resistance, aiming to increase treatment effectiveness and reduce the risk of death from septic shock.

Linh's learning journey and accumulation of practical experience demonstrate a seamless combination of research capabilities, clinical support, and soft skills.

As the International Student Advisor at Monash, Linh organizes many engaging activities. The "Family Feud" event is where she has helped many young people from across the continent connect more deeply with faculty, find direction in their research, and work in laboratories. "Having struggled to find my own path, I now feel proud to help others take the first steps to open the door to their future," Linh shared.

There were times when Linh was rejected for scholarships, her emails went unanswered, and opportunities slipped away simply because of a lack of experience. However, each failure honed her critical thinking and adaptability. Linh recounted: "The biggest lesson I learned is never to be afraid of making mistakes, dare to ask questions when you don't understand, know how to organize your work efficiently, and prioritize what's essential. Thanks to this, I've maintained a balance between studying, research, and social activities for many years."

For Linh, teaching is about combining two elements: logic and people. She fulfills her passion for research while simultaneously spreading knowledge and her commitment to the biomedical field. As a teaching assistant and student advisor, Linh is no longer intimidated by classroom teaching because her previous teaching experience at the SOS Children's Village in Hue helps her easily understand the psychology of learners and create an engaging atmosphere. "When teaching, each student is a different audience. What's important is how to communicate positively with the listeners, not just stick to one format," Linh shared. Besides knowledge, Linh emphasizes teamwork skills and flexible communication.

Currently, Linh continues to expand her skills, learning Chinese, exploring the pharmaceutical industry, and researching quality management. With her honors degree, Linh is eligible to directly enroll in a doctoral program without needing a master's degree, but she hasn't made a decision yet because she knows that theory must go hand in hand with practice.

According to Linh, self-learning is the fastest way to adapt to a constantly changing world. However, self-learning also faces obstacles if the knowledge required is too broad and not bound by time constraints, demanding a high level of self-discipline. "Only when you truly want to learn and strive to improve every day will you easily overcome challenges," Linh emphasized.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/khat-vong-phung-su-cong-dong-196250920193221543.htm