Dr Lanh’s inspirational story: “From a child from the countryside, I did all kinds of jobs to pursue knowledge”
As of now, many still hold the prejudice that all VinUniversity students come from well-to-do families. This is not entirely true. VinUniversity’s most important criteria for its students are real talent and the desire to create change – for themselves, their families, their countries and the world. This is the story of Dr. Nguyen Van Lanh – a resident of VinUniversity Residency Program. His is an inspirational story of unrelenting effort to overcome challenges for success.
At the tender age of 16, when his peers were busy hanging out with friends, Nguyen Van Lanh had to work and care for his sick father. His sister’s meagre income as a factory worker was only enough to cover his tuition fees until the end of middle school.
“It’s fine, I can do whatever it takes to earn money and go to school, as long as it’s decent work”, Lanh told himself. He took on various jobs, such as selling newspapers, laying bricks, collecting trash, drying rice paper,… The summer after 9th grade, Lanh decided to leave his hometown of Tay Ninh for Saigon, working as a trash collector. On days of heavy rain, trashcans were soaked and heavy with water as well as on hot sunny days, he had to use all his might to take out the trash. At night, he slept in the tiny apartment, where many sanitation workers also lived. At the same time, he had to care for his ill-stricken father and use the little time he had to study. He shared that, in class, he was extremely focused and attentive. At home, he did exercises to review his knowledge.
Passing the University of Science & Technology’s entrance exam is a noteworthy feat for many students, but it placed tremendous stress on Lanh. Thinking back to that time, he said: “For me, in high school, I only need to earn enough money to pay for food because tuition fees were covered by the school. But attending university was a different story. There were so many things to take care of – rent, tuition fees, textbook costs, food costs,… Yet I told myself that I had to continue studying no matter what”. He threw himself into work, doing any job, from tutoring and riding motorbike taxi to selling rice paper and slippers,… But life never came easy for Lanh. At the end of his first year at university, his father suddenly passed away. Losing his mental rock, Lanh almost gave in. He criticized himself for going to school and not caring for his father. He lost his motivation to keep on going. Lanh dropped out of the University of Science & Technology, and, later, passed the entrance exam for the University of Agriculture but stopped because he found the environment unsuitable. Inspired by an aunt who was a pharmacist, Lanh decided to pursue Medicine and sat the entrance exam for Tan Tao University.
After graduation from Tan Tao University, acing various exams, most notably the IFOM (International Foundations of Medicine) exam, Lanh surpassed contenders from other leading Medical schools in Vietnam to win the VinUniversity Residency Program’s 100% Scholarship, funded by VinUniversity and Vinmec International Hospital. Elaborating on his decision to pursue Medicine, he said “It was somewhat fate. From the moment I set foot into Medical school, I took an instant liking. I got to interact with many patients. When they come to hospitals, they have a lot of trust for doctors. Many patients have given me encouragements and best wishes. That is why I constantly remind myself to learn and improve, in order to become a good doctor”.
It was a journey of relentless struggle to reach this point. He shared: “At times, I, myself, didn’t understand how I was able to overcome such challenges. From a boy from the countryside, I did all kinds of job to pursue knowledge. There were days when I didn’t know where I was going, what I was aiming for, but I just kept on. Everyday I wake up, I say to myself that tomorrow is a brighter day”.
Absolutely, if you keep walking towards the sun, the shadows will fall behind. Thank you Dr. Nguyen Van Lanh for sharing your story. We hope this will become a source of inspiration for young people on their path to growth. May you always have strong determination and will to follow your dream!
