Walking through every step of the university journey with their mother…

Preparing for the university entrance exam while pregnant, then walking onto the graduation stage with her two children to receive her medical degree after six years of studying medicine. The journey of newly graduated doctor Truong Le Minh Thu (Class K20, Phan Chau Trinh University) is an inspiring story of perseverance and dedication.
 

It was not only a newly graduated doctor stepping onto the stage to receive her diploma. Two little children walked alongside their mother, one eight years old and the other six. Their mother bent down to hold their hands tightly before smiling and walking toward the honorary stage. It was not only the moment marking Thu's official graduation as a doctor after six years of dedicated study, but also the happy ending to a journey that the three of them had shared together. Preparing for the university entrance exam while carrying her child Few people know that when Minh Thu became a medical student at the age of 26, her second child was only two months old. Her path to medicine was unlike that of many of her classmates. Before that, Thu had studied medicine, then pursued a degree in pharmacy. Life led her to marriage and the birth of her two children. There were moments when she thought her dream of becoming a doctor would remain unfinished, yet she never stopped striving. In 2020, Minh Thu decided to take the university entrance exam again. At that time, she was pregnant. Just two months after giving birth, she entered the examination room carrying all the hopes of a young mother. Later, when asked how she had prepared for the exam, Thu simply smiled and said, "Whenever my baby slept, I studied." The words sounded simple, but behind them were countless sleepless nights. There was no quiet study corner, no uninterrupted revision sessions like many other candidates enjoyed—only textbooks opened amid a baby's cries, between moments of lulling her child to sleep and unfinished family meals. Her perseverance paid off with a score of over 25 in the Mathematics–Chemistry–Biology combination, earning her admission to Phan Chau Trinh University. “At first, before learning more about the schools, I hesitated between Phan Chau Trinh University and others. In the end, I chose PCTU because of its excellent facilities, highly qualified lecturers, and because it specializes exclusively in health sciences,” Thu shared. Six years of being a mother, six years of becoming a doctor.

Her six years in medical school were also six years of learning how to balance two roles: medical student and mother. During the day, she attended lectures and completed clinical practice at hospitals. In the evening, she returned home to care for her young children. There were nights when she was on hospital duty and did not know whom she could ask to look after them.
“At that time, my lecturers were very understanding and allowed me to arrange my duty schedule. My classmates also helped by swapping shifts whenever I needed to stay home with my children. Their kindness is one of the memories I will always cherish,” Thu said.
Her second year at university was the most difficult period. The combined pressures of studying, finances, family responsibilities, and raising children weighed heavily on the young mother. There were moments when she seriously considered giving up because there simply was not enough time. But whenever she looked at her two young children and thought about her dream, she reminded herself that she had to keep moving forward.
Throughout that journey, her greatest source of quiet support was her mother. She covered much of the family's living expenses and cared for the grandchildren so that her daughter could focus on her studies.
Looking back on six years of medical school, Minh Thu remembers most vividly the long overnight hospital shifts and the three-week clinical placement in Nam Giang. It was her first time working with ethnic minority communities in remote mountainous areas where healthcare knowledge remained limited. There, she realized that being a doctor is not only about treating illnesses but also about bringing knowledge and compassion to the community.
During her clinical training, she also experienced her first encounter with a critically ill patient at the Oncology Hospital. That moment made her realize that she needed to study harder and become more dedicated so that one day she would have the knowledge and competence to stand confidently before her patients with professionalism and responsibility.
Beyond the classroom and hospital, Minh Thu found balance through running. What began as a way to lose weight and improve her health gradually became a means of relieving stress, strengthening her determination, and recharging after demanding days of study. To her, anyone who wishes to care for the health of others must first know how to care for their own health.
Her children grew up alongside their mother's dream

Two white school uniforms stood beside their mother's graduation gown. Two different uniforms, three people, sharing one unforgettable moment. One day, when the children are old enough, they will understand that the graduation ceremony was not only the day their mother received her medical degree, but also a cherished memory from the six-year journey they experienced together as she pursued her dream of becoming a doctor.
The medical degree that Truong Le Minh Thu received on graduation day represents far more than six years of medical education. It stands as proof of the perseverance of a mother who raised her children while nurturing her own dream. And throughout that journey, her two children were undoubtedly the greatest motivation that never allowed her to give up.

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