Male student in top 22 admitted to study Medicine at Cambridge University

Minh Quan is one of 22 international students admitted to the University of Cambridge's Medicine program, after passing an entrance exam and four rounds of interviews.

Nguyen Le Minh Quan, a former student of Anderson Serangoon Junior College, Singapore, was accepted to study medicine at four schools in the UK, including Cambridge University.

The school is currently ranked 2nd in the world, according to the QS University Rankings 2024. For Medicine, Cambridge only accepts 22 international students each year. Tuition for this major is more than 78,000 USD (nearly 2 billion VND)/year.

Quan is a former student of the Gifted High School, Ho Chi Minh City National University. While in grade 10, he won the ASTAR scholarship from the Singapore government and went to high school here.

Saigon boy is one of only 20 international students admitted to Cambridge — Nguyen Le Minh Quan. Photo: *Character provided*

Born into a family with a tradition in the medical profession, Quan often followed his parents to the hospital since he was a child. Once, Quan witnessed two contrasting stories happening on the same day. In the morning, he met a patient who was happy and joyful to be discharged from the hospital, but in the afternoon, he witnessed the patient's death. Their relatives were sad, their eyes looking far away, uncertain.

"I realized how medical work affects people, so I wanted to learn more," Quan said.

His parents did not want Quan to have a hard time, so at first they advised him to choose another major. But Quan is curious and wants to understand the structure of humans and life. He feels that he is suitable for a job that combines art and science. Doctors not only examine and treat patients but also use art to communicate with patients and diagnose diseases based on scientific foundations. Quan decided to study medicine, aiming to enter Cambridge.

The male student said that at Cambridge, students discuss in small groups of 2-3 people and have teachers to guide them. The school is also strong in research. After three years of undergraduate study, Quan will have three years left to do clinical work at the hospital before becoming a doctor.

Applying in October 2023, Quan had to take the entrance exam for candidates who want to study medicine (Bmat). To prepare for this exam, Quan "plowed" through previous years' questions and searched online for more practice materials. He spent 80% of his time reviewing Bmat and did 20-30 sets of questions.

The Bmat paper test took place in Singapore, lasted 2.5 hours , and consisted of three parts: thinking skills, science knowledge (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) and essay writing. In which, Quan achieved the maximum score of 9/9 in part two.

Quan then went through four rounds of interviews with Cambridge professors. The questions were related to the medical field, not requiring any prior knowledge of the subject but mainly looking at how the candidate thinks, reasoned and expressed his thoughts.

According to Quan, universities in the UK focus on academics, so he soon outlined a study plan to achieve high scores. At school, Quan always achieved good academic results, and was twice recognized for having the highest scores in Biology, Advanced Biology, Economics, and Essay Writing. Quan studied 6 A-level subjects (Singapore's general education program), of which he scored A in 5 subjects. In addition, the male student had an IELTS score of 8.5 and an SAT score of 1590/1600 (a standardized test popular in the US).

The male student also won silver medals in Biology (Singapore Biology Olympiad), Chemistry (Singapore Chemistry Olympiad) and bronze medal in Mathematics (Singapore Mathematical Olympiad).

Quan and his mother at their high school graduation ceremony in Singapore in February. Photo: Character provided — Quan and his mother at their high school graduation ceremony in Singapore in February. Photo: *Character provided*

In addition to academics, Quan built a portfolio of extracurricular activities related to the medical field. Quan contacted hospitals to follow doctors and observe them at work. He and his classmates also collaborated with a charity to organize free health check-ups for migrant workers once a month. From there, Quan wrote a research paper on musculoskeletal diseases in migrant workers.

Quan’s homeroom teacher at Anderson Serangoon Junior College, Hemma Balakrishnan, is proud of her Vietnamese student. She said Quan’s acceptance into the Cambridge medical program was the result of hard work and dedication.

According to her, Quan is eager to learn, has critical thinking, kindness and a positive spirit. In class, he is an outstanding student, active in discussions and demonstrates understanding and logical thinking in presentations. Quan is also a typical student of the school with many excellent academic achievements. Ms. Hemma believes that Quan will become a good doctor.

“My students and I are eagerly looking forward to Quan’s graduation and the positive impact he will make in the healthcare field,” said Ms. Hemma.

Quan is completing his application for scholarships from various foundations and organizations to study at Cambridge. He will go to England to enroll next September.

"I don't have any plans to continue my studies after graduation, but will work right away to gain experience," Quan said.

Dawn

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