DVIDS – News – First Generation American Student Reaches Lifetime Goal of Marine Surgeon

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Growing up, children are often asked what they want to be when they grow up – but few have an answer they will follow their entire lives until it comes true.

With unwavering determination and a willingness to help others in need, Lieutenant (Dr.) Clara Hua achieved her lifelong goal of becoming a doctor on May 15 when she graduated from medical school.

The first-generation American was part of this year’s class from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USU).

Hua said her inspiration to become a doctor began when she first got the idea in college when she was just 11 years old.
“We were doing career days in college in fifth or sixth year and looking at all careers and I was like ‘yeah, that’s it’ and since then I really haven’t strayed,” Hua said.

Hua’s parents and grandparents applied for asylum after the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon. Some 125,000 Vietnamese have fled their country to seek asylum in the United States, drawn by the promise of a better life for themselves and their children.

Her family, like many others, have found a new home in California, which has the largest Vietnamese immigrant population in the country. Specifically, his family lives in the city of Monterey Park, Los Angeles County, which has one of the largest concentrations of Asian Americans in the United States.

“My parents both grew up in Vietnam and after the Vietnam War they came to the United States to start over and start a new life, to have children, to have a family,” she said. “They miss their hometown but they wanted to come to the United States for the American dream… they were very proud when I chose medical school that way. “

Hua said it was not uncommon among his Vietnamese-American peers to be taught the importance of academic achievement by their parents.

“Education is an integral part of first-generation Asian-American culture,” Hua said. “For me and many of my classmates, we had to go to four-year college and do well in school. Academics were very important to all of us.

Hua said her father also taught her the importance of being compassionate towards others, developing empathy, and stepping in to help someone when they couldn’t help themselves. She said she found these lessons important and inspiring in her journey to become a doctor.

“The profession of medicine itself is incredibly selfless, and it was also important to me because my family would be involved in charity and give back to our community with a lot of volunteer work,” Hua said. “I think it was a profession that sort of captured both sides: it had the rigorous academic part of learning the language of medicine but also compassion and that’s why I ended up choosing it. “Hua said.

She knew she wanted to go to med school and even in sixth grade she knew about USU. When the time came to start researching medical schools, she remembered USU medical school and applied. Ultimately, she chose USU because of her reputation for excellence and her desire to serve her country.

“It’s a good school, it’s free education, and you dedicate your life to service,” Hua said. “It’s a unique experience, so I went there. I would not have refused this decision for the world. Really, it has been unique and awesome in every way it can be.

Hua graduated with an interest in general surgery, hoping to embark on trauma or vascular surgery in the future. Hua said her parents were delighted that she became a U.S. Navy medic.

“From the age of 11, I knew I was going to be a doctor, especially a surgeon, and here I am,” Hua said. “It ended up being all I wanted.”

Date taken: 07/20/2021
Date posted: 20.07.2021 09:50
Story ID: 401277
Location: BETHESDA, MD, United States

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