Vietnam’s top scorer enters medicine and receives VND88 million scholarship

Đinh Ngọc Hải Lam entered the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City with a perfect 30 out of 30 in Vietnam’s 2026 high school graduation exam, then reached an official admission score of 31.5 after bonus points from IELTS and SAT certificates.

The student from Le Thanh Tong High School in Ho Chi Minh City was the country’s top B00 science-block scorer and the university’s top incoming student. At its September 5 opening ceremony, the university honored 20 incoming top scorers and awarded each a full tuition scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year. Lam’s scholarship is worth VND88 million.

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Behind every result is a different journey, with diligent study days, stressful exams and moments of worry about the outcome. Therefore, a score or title cannot fully express the effort each person has put into their journey.

Lam said admission to the university she had dreamed of brought joy after months of study and effort, while also marking the beginning of a new stage. She told fellow freshmen that every result follows a different journey, including long study sessions, stressful examinations and anxiety over results. A score or title, she said, cannot fully describe the effort behind it.

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Becoming a doctor requires not only knowledge and skills, but also kindness, empathy and a sense of responsibility toward patients.

She acknowledged that medical school would bring a large volume of knowledge and demanding deadlines. To prepare, she studied the curriculum and connected with senior students who helped new students feel less unfamiliar with the environment.

“Becoming a doctor requires not only knowledge and skills, but also kindness, empathy and a sense of responsibility toward patients,” Lam said. As a representative of the 2026 freshmen, she pledged to study seriously, train actively, explore new things and gradually develop both professionally and personally.

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I also studied the curriculum and connected with senior students, who generously helped new students like me feel less unfamiliar in this new environment. Perseverance is the root of every success.