Anh, born in 2000, has chosen Gynecology & Obstetrics (OB & GYN) for the residency program. With a 26.75 out of 30 score on the residency exam, she was the first candidate to have the right to choose a residency specialty.

Modest about her achievements, Anh said the high score was a big surprise to her. “There are many excellent candidates. I am just a little bit luckier than they are,” she said.

Six years ago, as a student at Tran Phu High School for the Gifted in Hai Phong, she won first prize at the national biology competition and was one of three Vietnamese students winning gold medals at IBO in Iran. At that time, Anh wanted to enroll without having to attend the entrance exam for the Hanoi University of Medicine.

When Anh was in the last year at secondary school, a teacher told Ha that her daughter was good at biology. After that, Anh’s parents supported the girl’s dream of becoming a doctor.

When she was at high school, she could take field trips to Quang Ninh and Tam Dao, learning how to identify plants and the use of each variety. She was curious and eager to understand the world around her.

“Learning through pictures and field trips was the best way of learning. Practice can better explain everything than theoretical knowledge,” Anh said.

As expected, Anh successfully enrolled in the Hanoi University of Medicine. She said she never regretted her decision to become a student at the medical school. After six years of studying, she got a GPA of 8.37/10, one of nearly 9 percent of students graduating with distinction with a bachelor’s degree in 2024.

When studying at the medical school, Minh Anh decided that she would be an OB & GYN doctor. “I want to enjoy the moments when I can take care of pregnant women and newborns. These are the great moments when I see premature babies and healthy twins born, even though their parents have underlying conditions. I can get involved in a happy process,” Anh said, when asked why she chose the specialty.

However, Anh understands that she will have a thorny path. The exam for a seat to become a resident doctor was stiff. In order to have an opportunity to become OB & GYN doctor as targeted, Anh had to be among 20 candidates out of 950 examinees.

Of five students with high scores, three chose to study OB & GYN.

Anticipating that the residency exam would be difficult, Anh had to follow a methodical method to review for the exam. The basic knowledge she obtained during the six years of study at school was extremely important. 

“I feel lucky as I got in-depth knowledge in biology right when I was at high school. The knowledge laid down a firm foundation for me to study at medical school and to prepare for the residency exam,” Anh said.

Two weeks before the exam were the ‘sprinting period’, when Anh had to study eight subjects within a day. This allowed Anh to adapt to the pressure.

Finally, she got the highest score at the exam with 950 examinees.

Anh chose OB & GYN as a major because she believes that there are still many things to explore and research. She hopes that the residency period will be an opportunity for her to accumulate knowledge, professional skills and foreign languages, preparing for her future work.

"One of the things I'm interested in is the opportunity to study and work abroad. If I have the opportunity, I still want to study abroad for a few years, then return to contribute to the medical field in Vietnam," said the new valedictorian of the residency exam at Hanoi Medical University.

Thuy Nga