Born and raised in Bao Loc city (Lam Dong), Thu Phuong chose to study at university in Ho Chi Minh City. But after only one year of studying, the young girl realized she did not belong here. The female student asked to leave school to retake the exam and was accepted into the Foreign Economics major at Foreign Trade University, "packing" and going to the North.
At the same time, Thu Phuong also received an email informing her that she had won a full scholarship in Nursing from the Institute of Health Sciences, Vin University (VinUni). After much hesitation, her family encouraged Phuong to choose to study two majors at the same time, not wanting to miss any opportunities that came her way.
Nguyen Do Thu Phuong was accepted into the master's program at Harvard Medical University.
“People often wonder why I chose to study two unrelated fields at the same time, one in the field of economics and the other in medicine. Indeed, when I decided to apply for a Nursing scholarship at VinUni, I didn't think that much. I just think that I like taking care of people, so choosing to study Nursing is appropriate." Thu Phuong said.
According to Phuong, nursing is a difficult profession, with a tight schedule as you have to constantly travel between school and hospital, each place being dozens of kilometers apart, not to mention the medical terminology in many places that are difficult to understand.
“At first, I was quite pressured and felt tired, trying to complete two different study programs at two schools at the same time. Meanwhile, nursing is a very strenuous field, you practice at the hospital and go to school regularly, you don't have time to rest." female student said.
While she was disoriented, the young girl accidentally participated in a volunteer trip to work as an English teacher for Mong ethnic children in Sa Pa (Lao Cai).
After more than two months of teaching and living with the children, Phuong realized that the highlands were lacking in many ways. The dirty images of children are deeply ingrained in the mind, causing female students to worry about the question "how can they go to school, learn and have fun".
After the trip, the female student from Lam Dong gradually regained balance and more clearly defined the goals she needed to pursue. She studied diligently, completed her subjects well at both schools, and also researched and decided to apply for a master's degree in Global Health Distribution at Harvard Medical University. She wishes to study further and experience more to bring that knowledge to help the community, children, and people in the highlands.
Thu Phuong during a volunteer trip in Sapa (Lao Cai).
In addition to her outstanding academic achievements, Thu Phuong made a good impression on the admission board of Harvard Medical University with her essay "Reconnection" about reality, the desire to change the environment and life conditions. life for Mong ethnic students.
In the essay, the female student expressed her desire to use the knowledge she learned at Harvard to return to Vietnam to participate in mental health projects, using her voice to call for resources to help the community.
“One of the factors that make an essay successful is personal emotions and experiences. With the main essay applying to the global medical distribution industry, it only took me 1,5 days to complete," female student said.
The top universities in the world always want to find candidates with clear goals, life experiences and most importantly, understand where they are and what they want for the future. Therefore, female students advise you to always try your best, be yourself in your essays and do what you really love.
After completing the 2-year program at Harvard Medical School, Phuong plans to return to Vietnam to apply the knowledge she has learned in life and carry out a number of community projects. The girl born in 2001 thinks that the core of contributing to the community must first come from helping people near her.
“After completing health care projects in my hometown, I will expand them to the entire community. Among them, there is a village in Sa Pa - where I volunteered more than 3 years ago.", said the female student.
Currently, Phuong has just completed her studies at Foreign Trade University with an excellent GPA of 8,7/10. She is also trying to complete some final subjects at the Institute of Health Sciences, VinUni, and is expected to graduate next June. According to the roadmap, Phuong will start studying abroad from August 6.
