With 29.25 points in block B00, including three 9.75 points in Math, Chemistry and Biology, along with 1,104 V-ACT points, 105 QDA points, Nguyen Le Khanh Ha - a student of Luong Van Chanh Specialized High School, Dak Lak province - became the valedictorian of the entrance exam to the Military Medical Academy in 2026.
Dreams start from grandparents' medical records
Born and raised in Phu Yen (old) land, Khanh Ha grew up in a family with rich revolutionary traditions. Grandmother, parents and previous generations in the family are party members, officials, and teachers. From a young age, Ha was taught about sincerity, spirit of responsibility and ideals of dedication.
But the dream of becoming a doctor of the Phu Yen girl started from very close things.
During her childhood living with her grandparents, Khanh Ha gradually witnessed her grandparents' health weaken over the years. Every time her parents took her grandparents to the doctor, she often looked at medical records full of strange terms and the listless, bewildered appearance of the people she loved.
Those moments silently sowed in my heart a desire: to become a doctor. I hope I have enough knowledge and stability to be a support, to soothe the anxiety every time my loved ones face illness" - Ha shared.
That dream is even more meaningful when in Khanh Ha's family there was someone who worked in medicine. Her great-grandfather was a medical doctor, who sacrificed himself in 1954 while saving people. Since then, the family's medical tradition has been interrupted, and no one has continued to be attached to the profession.
For Ha, choosing medicine is therefore not simply choosing a career for the future. She hopes to continue writing the unfinished dream of the previous generation, "bringing the white blouse color back to her family once again".
When the dream of a white shirt meets the blue color of a soldier's uniform
If the love for grandparents brought Ha closer to the medical profession, family tradition nurtured in me a special affection for the colors of the military uniform.
Ha's grandmother was once a former political prisoner. The stories of prison days and her steadfast spirit became a special lesson for her granddaughter.
“I tell myself that I have a responsibility to contribute a small part of myself to continue the family tradition, protect the country that my fathers and grandfathers worked hard to trade with both blood and tears,” Ha said.
Standing at the threshold of 18 years old, Khanh Ha began to seriously explore her future path. The Military Medical Academy became a choice for her to pursue both desires at the same time.
I believe this is the place that helps me fulfill both dreams: to study medicine to save people and to be trained to serve the Fatherland" - she shared.
However, the journey to reach the gates of the Academy was not easy. As a female candidate from the South, Khanh Ha had to face pressure when the quota was small and the level of competition was high. There were nights of exhaustion beside books, she was once flustered, even thinking about giving up. Many people around also worried that Ha would be uncomfortable with the hardships of the military environment.
In those times, parents are the biggest support. Not forcing, parents respect the choice, encourage and support their daughter to pursue goals.
That absolute trust has become a shield to protect me from all doubts, adding strength to me to be steadfast in my own choices" - Ha shared.
The day she knew she had achieved 29.25 points in block B00 with three subjects Math, Chemistry, Biology all reaching 9.75, Ha's first feeling was bursting with happiness.
However, the female student does not see that result as a destination. "For me, this result has never been the final destination to immerse myself in, but a precious opportunity, the key to opening the door to enter the journey of self-cultivation" - Khanh Ha said.
From a small student in the eastern land of Dak Lak province, Khanh Ha is now preparing to put on a military uniform. She believes that family tradition and the companionship of loved ones will be luggage for her to gradually grow up, worthy of the white shirt of a doctor and the blue shirt of a soldier.
