Coming to America Desire to practice medicine motivates alum toward new degrees
Bao Nguyen (Biochemistry, ’19) may be one of Kennesaw State’s most determined graduates. At 47, he fully expects to fulfill his dream of becoming a medical doctor – again. A trained neurologist in Vietnam, Nguyen hoped to practice in America. However, a dozen years since immigrating to the United States, he is still several years away from obtaining a U.S. medical degree. Nguyen, who graduated from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Ho Chi Minh City in 1996, was 24 years old when he became a doctor for the first time. “The medical school system in Vietnam differs from the U.S.,” he explained. “In Vietnam, you take the entrance exam after you graduate from high school. If you are selected, you are trained in medical school for six years and graduate as a general practitioner. From there, you can do a residency or choose your own specialty and get further training within that specialty later.” Following med school, Nguyen served a three-year residency program in Vietnam and worked as a neurologist until permanently settling in the U.S. with his young family in 2007. Due to a series of unfortunate events, he was unable to transfer his medical license to the U.S. and while he passed the United States Medical Licensing Examination, he was not matched with any residency program – a requirement for becoming a physician. Since coming to America, he has run the gauntlet of this country’s complicated medical licensing laws for foreign doctors, which many say often dissuade immigrants from becoming physicians. Rather than give up on his dream, however, he decided to double down, which is what makes his story one of true grit and determination.
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KSU College of Science and Mathematics
