1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I was born in Vietnam and moved to Texas when I was four years old. Growing up, my mother and sister always taught me the importance of helping others. Even though our neighborhood was in a poor area, the neighbors always helped each other. Our neighborhood consisted mainly of immigrants that came from all parts of the world. When there was a new neighbor, we gave groceries as presents. When there was a holiday, we all gathered at one house to celebrate and to share food. From fixing a light bulb to visiting the elderly, the kids in my neighborhood were all taught how to love and help others.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? My favorite teacher was my Art teacher in fourth grade, Ms. Short. She was so passionate about art, and the way her eyes lighted up when she taught made all the difference. Our elementary school consisted mainly of children from low-income families, so she always brought small snacks for us during our after-school Art program. When Ms. Short found out that my mother could not take me to the Art museum because of financial reasons, she came over to my home and took me to the Art museum where my art done in class was being exhibited. Ms. Short was kind and selfless; an example that every student should have.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why?  When I was seven years old, my father was taken away. My mother became a single mother, and my sister had to move away for college. I suddenly did not feel safe at home. Every time I was sick though, my mother always made time to take me to the doctor either herself or asked someone else to. When I was at the doctor’s office, I always felt safe. I knew that the doctors and the staff there truly cared about me and my well being. I knew that I would start feeling better soon, and my trust in my doctor never faded. Even if the visit was just thirty minutes total, the warm feeling of safety lasted after the visit.

Therefore I would like to provide that same safety and reassurance for others. I would like all my patients to feel safe and taken cared of. Although I had the passion early on, I had no work experience in health care growing up. I decided to attain a health-related bachelors degree first and get more experience so I can better understand the health care system. I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing and worked as a registered nurse for three years to gain more medical experience. Throughout the years, I have loved being in health care. I worked in oncological surgery, cardiovascular, and a transplant unit. After 12 to 15 hour days, I know that if I still enjoyed what I do, that means I truly love health care. I loved being a nurse, but my original and main goal is to become a doctor. I have known this fact for many years now, and I know that with the right hard work and being surrounded by the right supportive people like in PreMed STAR, I can make my dreams come true.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? Honestly, right now there are so many! I am interested in family medicine and internal medicine. I am shadowing an internal medicine physician right now, and everyday is something new. I like dermatology, because I worked at U.T. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and saw how the dermatological conditions can be manifested from either an external or internal pathway. I like nephrology and cardiovascular, because these two systems work so well together to balance the body’s homeostasis. I shadowed a hepatologist and thoroughly liked my experience. I like respiratory, because the conditions of how we breathe and the factors related truly affect our body’s pH and all of our organs. I am currently shadowing a pulmonologist, and I am learning so much.
So currently, I am very open-minded about the different fields of medicine.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? This will sound strange to some, but I find the struggles of the premedical journey very inspiring. The balance of studying for classes, working, finding physicians to shadow, building networks, volunteering, and many, many other things has pushed my mental strength and physical strength to only make me stronger. Any challenge, any obstacle that I endured or am enduring is exciting to me, because I know that in the end, I will be an even more resilient person than the person I was yesterday.

6. What is your favorite book? My favorite book is “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. I read this book in middle school as a class assignment, and I really liked how the main characters develop. The book made me laugh, cry, and feel empathy towards the characters. The book dives into the topics of intelligence, emotions, and the bonding that humans have with each other and to animals.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I like to volunteer as a teacher! With my nursing degree, I was able to have jobs that were also outside the scope of health. Teaching was one of them. I was a site director for a while for an after school program, and I volunteer as a teacher for Junior Achievement. I have volunteered with Junior Achievement for years now, and I love how I can teach students about all their possibilities of careers when they grow up. I purposefully choose schools in underserved areas, because I know that most of these students have less resources to learn about their possibilities. Lots of students in these areas never get to leave the environment of where they live. So I feel very happy to have the opportunity to show them that with studying hard in school and working hard, they can become whatever they want to be.

8. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? I love that PreMed STAR is such a supportive community. Any time I have a question about the MCAT, GPA, which courses to take, how to study, even emotional support through this rough premedical journey – PreMed STAR is always there for me. There are live webinars, articles, and so many other things for a premedical student like myself to learn from. Thank you so much for having PreMed STAR.

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