People accessing the Cal State Fullerton home page today saw a happy Viet face smile back at them.
That would be Annie Nguyen, a graduating senior who just won the Miles D. McCarthy Health Professions Award, presented annually to the outstanding health professions student who demonstrates high academic achievement and integrity, as well as a commitment to serve humanity, says the CSUF in a press release here.
Nguyen has been raising funds for the American Cancer Society, running food drives, helping children at the Thai-Lao Mission Church, and volunteering 1100 hours at a hospital in Long Beach.
She chairs the chemistry course section of the Student Science Alliance, which promotes interest in all science courses, and last summer did research at Yale Med School on West Nile and dengue viruses, while on a Howard Hughes scholarship.
While piling up a 3.92 GPA.
Wait wait wait. Not done yet.
“Nguyen has studied how iron is transported in rat liver cells with Maria Linder, chair and professor of chemistry and biochemistry; received a National Science Foundation-Research Experiences for Undergraduates program stipend to support her research; and garnered the Doris A. Howell-California State University Program for Education in Research and Biotechnology Award — an honor that fosters the development of young investigators,” the press release continues.
“Growing up, medical offices and hospitals were not unfamiliar. Health problems plagued my family,” Nguyen said.“What I saw is through it all, at least one person in each of my family members’ lives worked constantly to restore their health: their physician. Now I am driven to help those who suffer.”
Nguyen is going to Harvard Med School next year. That is also her mentor Dr. Linder did her graduate work.
“I accepted Annie into my lab early in her undergraduate career because I was impressed with her enthusiasm and intelligence,” Linder recalled. “She has developed into a highly accomplished and capable young woman, performing at the highest level academically, and powering through some hardship to get there. I did my doctoral work at Harvard Medical School and I’m so glad she’ll be going there, too. It will be a portal to a bigger world.”
Since 2008, Nguyen served as a student assistant in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Transfer Student Services Program. “I was highly interested in a program that promotes student success as this one does. I can contribute ideas on program development and can organize workshops. And I’ve learned from other students’ life experiences.”
Nguyen will be honored during the university’s annual honors convocation Friday, May 21, and will be taking part in Cal State Fullerton’s commencement ceremony May 22.
We are extremely proud of you Annie……..
Keep up with good work!
Go Viets!
Yogi Berra said, “You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” It also applies to US medical school.
Yes, it is possible to get into a top medical school from a lesser-known State University. There is a myth that it’s a disadvantage at top medical schools if you don’t attend a top-tier undergrad. If you are looking at statistics that show a large number of applicants to top medical schools come from Ivy League undergrads, that is because these top schools tend to attract a disproportionate amount of cream-of-the-crop students.
The secret to success is to maximize your GPA and MCAT scores. Each school gives different weight to GPA/MCAT scores. The computer will generate an eligibility index for each applicant – higher scores will translate into a higher index. If the index does not meet the school minimum requirement, your application will not be seen by a human being. An application that does not pass through the index sift will be rejected, and no one will know of your other accomplishments. The school usually gets far more qualified applicants than they can accept and they look for reasons to ding your application. At this point, your extracurricular activities, letters of recommendations, personal essay, interview, etc , are mitigating factors.
Very proud of you Annie. We need more young energetic democrat intellectuals like you in our community to balance with the right wing extremists.
democrat smart
it’s an oxymoron since democrats are stupid!
Republicans are stupid! Bush 8 years enough said. Tea party biggots enough said.
FYI, Bush spend 8 years of his life trying to clean up Clinton’s mess. Do you see many Republican at the unemployment or the the welfare center? We rather give you a fishing pole and teach you how to fish than feeding you fish and hoping you’d stay dependent so we could control the government.