Dear Karen and everyone at Lifestart Foundation,
My name is Pham Quoc Binh and I have recently completed my studies in Nursing at the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Today, I am writing this letter to tell you about my academic progress and my family situation during the past semester. Additionally, I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to you all for your precious support throughout my educational journey.
Regarding my studies, in the past semester I completed 15 credits with subjects including Adult Health Care in Internal Medicine II, Adult Health Care in Surgery II, Professional Practice, along with the theory and practical modules for graduation. As this was my final year, the academic schedule was quite intense and demanding with most of my time spent on clinical practice.
My clinical practice this semester was quite similar to the previous one. After completing the internal medicine and surgical clinical practice and taking the respective exams, I proceeded to my professional practice. This hands-on clinical and professional practice experience was invaluable, helping me accumulate practical knowledge and skills in patient communication and teamwork as well as equipping me with a deeper sense of empathy toward those in my care.
Despite the demanding schedule, I dedicated around 5–6 hours each day for self-study. I had to carefully balance my time between learning and rest and made an effort to read additional reference materials to strengthen my understanding in preparation for the exams. Overall, my revision process went well. However, I faced some challenges taking the exams on a computer as I was more accustomed to paper-based tests. My lack of familiarity with the interface caused some delays in completing the exams. Still, I achieved quite good results: 8.2 in Internal Medicine and 7.3 in Surgery.
Following my professional practice, I had one month to prepare for the graduation exam. This included memorizing 30 theory questions, studying the patient histories and preparing for the oral examinations with my practical instructor. This dedicated preparation time was incredibly helpful as the graduation exam went quite smoothly. I achieved a score of 8.8 in the theory section and 7.5 in the practical component due to a weaker performance in the oral exam. In the second semester, I earned a GPA of 3.2 out of a possible 4.0 and I am quite satisfied with this result.
Looking back on my university journey, I am quite proud of having successfully completed my degree. I am currently preparing to begin the six-month training course required to obtain my professional license. I intend to apply for an internship at the Emergency Department of Danang General Hospital. My hope is to further develop my clinical skills, improve my communication and gain real-world experience in this challenging and rewarding environment.
In the future, I plan to seek employment at hospitals in Danang, which is convenient for commuting and will allow me to frequently return home to be near my mother.
Before I received the scholarship, my family faced many hardships. To cover our living expenses and my education fees, my mother had to work various physically demanding jobs such as rice farming as well as doing hired labor which involved cleaning chicken coops and planting kumquat trees. I could not afford extra classes and had to walk to school every day. Without access to these classes, I struggled to keep up with new material and had to work harder to understand my lessons. At that time, my greatest wish was to be successful in my studies so I could improve our current living situation.
I was truly happy and grateful to receive the many forms of support from you. These included school expenses, extra classes, books and school supplies, uniforms, a bicycle, essential items during natural disasters and the pandemic, Tet gifts, milk and even repairs to our family’s bathroom.
Each form of support has carried immense meaning for my family and me. The bicycle allowed me to get to school more efficiently, saving time and energy. The financial assistance with school fees, extra classes and learning materials greatly reduced the strain on my family’s limited income and enabled me to study in better conditions. The household essentials and milk we received during challenging times helped us get through tough periods and enjoy warmer, more fulfilling Tet celebrations. Most significantly, the bathroom repairs improved our living environment and gave us a clean space for cooking and sanitation.
Without this scholarship, my academic journey would have been far more difficult. It played a crucial role in helping me realize my dream. If my family had not received this support, we likely would have had to borrow money to fund my studies, and my mother would have had to work even harder, while I would have faced more pressure and uncertainty in my education.
Receiving a Lifestart Foundation scholarship has brought great joy and honor to my life. It has provided crucial support for my family both now and in the past. Thanks to this support, I have been able to study in a well-equipped learning environment while my family’s financial burdens have been significantly eased.
I promise to continue striving harder in both my studies and work so that I can support myself and my family and most importantly, be worthy of the support I have received.
In closing, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Karen and everyone at Lifestart Foundation for your kind support over the past years. I wish you all continued good health and success in life so you will be able to help even more disadvantaged individuals in the future.
Kind regards,
Pham Quoc Binh