Surpassing 226 other contestants from medical schools all over the country, Do The Bon, a General Practitioner student at DTU, won first prize in a medical scholarship contest.
The essay-writing contest for medical students is an annual event organized by the Thai Nguyen University of Medicine & Pharmacy, under the guidance of the Ministries of Health and Education & Training. The program is also supported by the Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Improving Access, Curriculum & Teaching in Medical Education & Emerging Diseases (IMPACT MED) Alliance and a collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Harvard University.
The topic this year was the role and the mission of medical students in public health issues during the turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Essays by students from the various universities provided different viewpoints on the pandemic and the role of medical students. Many sketched portraits of doctors devoted to their profession of caring for people’s health.
The Bon presents his essay in English at conference
With his essay on “Medical Students Respond to Medical Challenges in the 21st Century”, The Bon expounded his views on the qualities, personality traits and talents of skilled doctors, which was highly appreciated by the judges.
His essay starts with the life-or-death story of a British pilot who contracted the Sars-CoV-2 virus. When his condition became critical, many of Vietnam’s leading medical experts held consultations and online meetings, day and night, to come up with the optimal treatment to save him. “In this pandemic or in any other, the only mission of a doctor is still to save people’s lives,” Bon affirmed. “Without regard to nationality, skin color or origin, doctors must dedicate themselves to saving and curing their patients.”
The Bon receives his prize
When Covid-19 first broke out in Vietnam, Bon was doing a two-month internship at Hue Central Hospital. Witnessing the medical staff’s devotion to their work, the young student became even more acutely aware of the duty of those working in medicine.
The Bon still remembers the advice of a doctor who also teaches at that hospital: “Doctors study all their lives, but even an entire lifetime is not enough!” The words show the humbleness and the spirit of lifelong learning that became the motivation for medical students to work on their ongoing education. In the discussion section, The Bon clearly stated his opinion: “‘White coat warriors’ aren’t superheroes. They don’t bear the responsibility to save the world. All they do stems from an enthusiastic heart and the desire to improve people’s health. It was the devotion of Vietnamese doctors that pulled back patient 91 from the line separating life from death. It was the joint efforts of doctors in all parts of the country that controlled and stopped the second wave of the pandemic in Danang and Quang Nam.”
The Bon’s essay “Medical Students Respond to Medical Challenges in the 21st Century” won first prize; a second prize went to Minh Duc from the University of Medicine & Pharmacy in HCMC; three third prizes were awarded to Hai My, from the Hue University of Medicine & Pharmacy, Le Thai Hoan, from the Thai Binh University of Medicine & Pharmacy, and Bui My Anh, from the Thai Nguyen University of Medicine & Pharmacy.
“Winning first prize in a contest with so many skilled and talented medical students was more than I had ever dreamed of,” said The Bon, about his feelings winning the contest. “I’m very happy and feel grateful for the devotion and enthusiasm of the DTU teachers and the doctors at Hue Central Hospital. With their help, I was able to complete my essay and learn a lesson about giving. The two main things we all have to give are knowledge and goodness. To become a doctor, I won’t stop working on that.”
(Media Center)