After having their Diploma for Secondary Education exam results upgraded, two Hong Kong teenagers are now aiming to fulfill medical careers after experiencing respective physical and mental episodes in their lives. The two are Bryan Fu Ting-hin, 17, from St. Paul’s Co-Educational College and Chan Hiu-man, 18, from Tseung Kwan O Government secondary school.
Both had their DSE exam results upgraded from 5* to 5**, the highest possible mark from the Authority of Examination and Assessment, the Standard HK said. This was the result from appeals made by both students, ramping up to 11 the total of DSE top scorers, which initially had nine. Both were already accepted into the medical school of the University of Hong Kong even before the results were revised.
Now both can continue their dream of becoming doctors, something inspired by different experiences. On one end is Chan who says she drew inspiration to follow Dr. Tse Yuen-man for the care on patients and watching a documentary about SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
A Sars outbreak in 2003 killed 299 out of 1,755 people, including Dr. Tse who was only 35 at the time. She lost her life while doing volunteer work with patients afflicted with the deadly infectious disease. Tse got a hero’s burial and is now best remembered as “Hong Kong’s daughter.”
Aside from that, Chan also bared how depression played a role in her decision. She experienced it while in Form Five that even saw her cut her arms and legs at least twice due to suicidal impulses. Now, she aspires to be a neurologist to figure out what activities in the brain can lead to such tendencies.
On the part of Fu, the calling to the medical field stems from his surgery experience when he was only 13. He recalls the suffering he had to endure, waiting for a doctor and how he dealt with a swollen face for two weeks after the medical procedure.
Aside from that, experiential camps also played a role in pushing him to become a doctor. While most focus on the scientific knowledge, Fu hopes to make better ethical decisions during his enrichment year.
Both Chan and Fu are fully aware of the heavy workload required to fulfill their medical dream, and both are ready for the challenge. Aware that the medical system in Hong Kong continues to flourish, both are committed as they try to join other aspiring doctors of the future, the South China Morning Post reported.
