Minh Quan is one of 22 international students admitted to Cambridge University's School of Medicine, after passing the entrance test and four rounds of interviews.
Nguyen Le Minh Quan, a former student of Anderson Serangoon Junior College, Singapore, was accepted to study medicine at four schools in the UK, including Cambridge University.
The school is currently ranked 2nd in the world, according to university rankings QS 2024. For the medical field, Cambridge only accepts 22 international students each year. Tuition for this major is more than 78.000 USD (nearly 2 billion VND)/year.
Quan is a former student of High School for the Gifted, Ho Chi Minh City National University. While in 10th grade, the male student won an ASTAR scholarship from the Singapore government and went here to study high school.
Nguyen Le Minh Quan. Photo: Provided by the character
Born into a family with a medical tradition, from a young age, Quan often followed his parents to the hospital. Once, Quan witnessed two opposing stories happening on the same day. In the morning, I met a patient who was joyful and happy to be discharged from the hospital, but in the afternoon, I witnessed the patient's death. Their loved ones are sad, their eyes look distant and uncertain.
"I realized how the medical profession affects people, so I wanted to learn more," Quan said.
His parents did not want Quan to work hard, so at first they advised him to choose another major. But Quan is a curious person who wants to understand human structure and life. Male students find themselves suitable for jobs that connect art and science. Doctors not only examine and treat diseases but also use the art of communicating with patients and diagnose diseases based on science. Quan decided to study medicine and set his sights on going to Cambridge.
The male student said that in Cambridge, students discuss in small groups of 2-3 people and have instructors. The school is also strong in research. After three years of bachelor's degree, Quan will have the remaining three years of clinical practice at the hospital, before becoming a doctor.
Submitting his application in October 10, Quan must pass the entrance exam for candidates wanting to study medicine (Bmat). To prepare for this exam, Quan "pumped" questions from previous years and went online to find more materials to practice. I spent 2023% of my time reviewing for Bmat and did 80-20 sets of questions.
The Bmat paper test takes place in Singapore, lasting 2,5 hours, includes three parts: thinking skills, scientific knowledge (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) and essay writing. In particular, Quan achieved the maximum score of 9/9 in part two.
Quan then went through four rounds of interviews with Cambridge professors. Questions related to the field of medicine do not require prior knowledge of expertise but mainly examine how candidates think, reason and express their thoughts.
According to Quan, universities in the UK focus on academics, so he soon outlined a study plan to achieve high scores. At school, Quan always achieved good academic results and was twice honored for having the highest scores in Biology, Advanced Biology, Economics, and essay writing in the school. Quan studied 6 A-level subjects (Singapore's high school program), of which 5 subjects received an A grade. In addition, the male student had IELTS 8.5 and SAT (a popular standardized test in the US) reaching 1590/1600.
The male student also won silver medals in Biology (Singapore Biology Olympiad), Chemistry (Singapore Chemistry Olympiad) and bronze in Mathematics (Singapore Mathematical Olympiad).
Quan and his mother at the high school graduation ceremony in Singapore in February. Photo: Provided by the character
In addition to academics, Quan built a profile of extracurricular activities related to the field of medicine. Quan contacted the hospital to follow the doctors and observe them at work. I and my classmates also cooperate with a charity fund to organize free health checks for migrant workers once a month. Since then, Quan wrote a research article on musculoskeletal diseases in immigrant workers.
Ms. Hemma Balakrishnan, Quan's homeroom teacher at Anderson Serangoon Junior College, is proud of her Vietnamese students. Ms. Hemma said Quan's acceptance into Cambridge's medical program was the result of hard work and effort.
According to her, Quan is eager to learn, has critical thinking, kindness and a positive spirit. In class, I am an outstanding student, active in discussions and demonstrating understanding and logical thinking in presentations. Quan is also a typical student of the school with many excellent academic achievements. Ms. Hemma believes Quan will become a good doctor.
“The students and I are eagerly looking forward to Quan's graduation and the positive impact he will make in the medical field,” Ms. Hemma said.
Quan is completing his application for scholarships from foundations and organizations to study at Cambridge. Next September, he will go to England to study.
"I don't have any plans to go to higher education after graduation, but will go to work to gain experience," Quan said.
Vnexpress.net
