Life and Law Newspaper - The first female valedictorian of the Faculty of Medicine, Dai Nam University: From family carpentry workshop to the dream of "wielding a scalpel" with hands trained in weightlifting.

From the pressure of attending "private schools" to making a courageous choice.

After a challenging six-year journey of study, the first graduating class of the Faculty of Medicine, Dai Nam University, has officially graduated. Among them, Tran Thi Mai Hang became the first female valedictorian of the Faculty of Medicine, Dai Nam University. Hang faced considerable skepticism when she chose a private university to pursue medicine. However, she proved herself with outstanding results after six years of hard work.

With an impressive entrance score of 25.25 in Block B, Tran Thi Mai Hang had every chance of getting into top public medical schools. Her decision to choose Dai Nam University at that time surprised many of her friends and relatives.

Recalling those early days, Mai Hang frankly shared: "Honestly, when standing in front of students from public schools in Hanoi, we used to feel a little inferior. There were times when we wondered if the private school environment was strict enough and provided the necessary conditions for us to train to become good doctors."

However, that self-doubt was quickly replaced by determination. Hang realized that, no matter where she was, the medical field always demanded self-learning and personal effort, which accounted for 80% of success. With close support from experienced lecturers and modern facilities, Mai Hang began her six-year journey of studying with a different mindset.

The biggest turning point in Mai Hang's six-year journey was her clinical placement starting in her third year. From dry theoretical textbooks, Hang was able to directly experience the realities of medical practice at major hospitals.

At that time, Hang was almost overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information. What she learned in theory and what she encountered in practice were vastly different. Hang felt like she had to start learning from scratch. The days spent studying and working shifts at the hospital became a real challenge. Some weeks, the student had to work 4-5 shifts, spending her days at the hospital and her evenings studying.

“There were times when I had exams in four subjects over two days, and some days I had to stay up all night studying before taking the exam the next morning. Sometimes I was very tired and felt like I couldn't take it anymore, but my motivation to continue came from my parents, teachers, and everyone who has always had high expectations of me and provided the best conditions for my studies,” Hang said.

Mai Hang recounted a surgical procedure on a very elderly patient in an extremely critical condition. At that time, the patient's life was measured in weak breaths.

"It was a surgery I'll never forget. At that time, the patient's condition was very serious; it seemed like everyone around, including the family, had given up, preparing for the worst-case scenario because the prognosis was so poor," Hang recalled emotionally.

In the tense atmosphere of the emergency room, as negative responses began to appear, the surgical team decided to make one last attempt. Hang, then a medical intern, witnessed the entire fierce struggle between the doctors and death.

Or consider the case of a patient admitted to the hospital after falling from a height and requiring emergency surgery. Before the operation, the patient was given anesthesia; however, the male patient reacted negatively to the anesthetic (Ketamine), resulting in a semi-conscious state before the major surgery. The patient displayed an unforgettable expression.

Hang shared: " While under anesthesia, I saw the patient crying and laughing at the same time. It was an extremely moving and haunting image for a medical student like me."

That image deeply affected Hang. It helped her realize that behind every hospital bedsheet lay a life, a person yearning to live, even with the smallest glimmer of hope.

Train your physical strength on the weight training floor to stay firm on the operating table.

Sharing about her future career choice, Hang smiled slightly and said that she has decided to become a surgeon, a field often considered the "domain" of men.

Explaining her choice, Hang smiled and mentioned her family tradition: “My family is a carpenter. Since I was little, I grew up surrounded by the sounds of chiseling and sawing my father meticulously transform rough logs into exquisite objects. I love the feeling of working with my hands, I like clarity and tangible results that can be seen immediately. To me, surgery is very similar to carpentry; both require high concentration, skillful hands, and intuitive problem-solving skills in every cut and stitch.”

It was the mindset of a craftswoman that helped Hang naturally approach surgical techniques.

Aware that surgery is a grueling physical "battle" with surgeries lasting 7-8 hours, Mai Hang prepared in an unconventional way: weight training.

“Surgery demands immense physical strength. Without stamina, your hands will tremble after hours standing under the operating room lights. I lift weights to build a ‘steel body,’ so my hands remain steady and my mind stays alert even when the surgery lasts through the night. I don’t want to collapse before the patient’s life is saved,” the new doctor shared.

The secret of the top-scoring female student: Balance and perseverance.

When asked about her method for maintaining her excellent performance and achieving top honors, Mai Hang humbly stated that she didn't have any particularly special secret other than perseverance. She chose to study thoroughly, always trying to connect the theoretical knowledge learned in class with the actual symptoms observed at the hospital.

"The medical field is a marathon, not a sprint. If you don't know how to balance studying and practicing, you can easily get overwhelmed and give up. I always try to maintain a steady pace and never stop being curious about each new case," Hang shared.

Becoming the valedictorian of the first graduating class of the Faculty of Medicine – Dai Nam University is a great honor, but for Tran Mai Hang, this is only the first step on her vast journey in the medical field.

In particular, Mai Hang emphasized the importance of communication skills. Learning to listen to patients, empathize with the pain of their families, and explain the patient's condition scientifically yet in a relatable way helped Hang perfect the image of a young doctor who is not only professionally competent but also possesses warm medical ethics.