Prof. Nguyễn Thạch 's school-year opening speech

Dear professors, teachers, distinguished guests, students and families!

Today is the first day of a new school year. I congratulate all students who bravely come here. There are many new students, especially medical students, who must be very excited and a litttle concerned. I would like to take this opportunity to speak to students, especially medical students and send to you some advices.

First of all, life is an adventure. Being present at Tan Tao University today is a real adventure since Tan Tao University is located in a wilderness of the Mekong Delta. Studying at the Medical College is also a great adventure. Instead of exploring the mountains in Sapa town, the temples in Angkor Wat, or deep forests amongst cities in the United States, you are starting the exploration of human body with its goodness and weaknesses. If you are brought up in the spirit of an explorer , classes of body , biochemistry, physiology would be extremely exciting because there are countless questions asking what, when, where , why ...

However, studying medicine doesn’t just mean we are confined to wandering aimlessly throughout 6 years. We travel with purpose together with teachers, classmates to explore human body, human mind and its mysteries. It is a systematic scientific exploration that we are expected to find novel and exciting discoveries for mankind . When exploring science, we can not carry out it on our own but we need close partnership of all people around. It's essestial for our success and survival .

When we investigate science on human body and brain, we not only make observations. But we must take action . We must provide medical solutions, or so-called treatments. Nevertheless, if we stop disease progression in a large number of patients , it would be much better and we call it disease control. In many cases, we have to speak of social issues or community, such as salty diet, smoking, alcohol abuse because we can not be indifferent observers or outsiders to the community in which we belong .

We are not allowed to see today's world from the ivory tower of the University. As the elite of society, you must engage and move the community. As a physician of human, for humans, we understand more about its close and two-dimensional interaction of medicine to social issues. We believe we can not achieve a humanistic medicine on the basis of an unequal society, which adopts money and power an ultimate goal .

It is the reason why we do not accept the status quo of science or society. When we want to give up laziness and physical stillness, we must move beyond passive, inactive and self-content thoughts. You learn and practice medicine for what? It is for our people to live, be successful and happy with all the dignities of a free human being like all people around the world in the 21st century .

There are many problems for questioning. Learning to ask questions is an important mission because if we ask a correct question, we have the right answer. If asking a wrong question, the answer will surely be wrong. Recognizing the situation correctly, not via blind consent or acceptance, would surely be the first foundation to lift up problems of medicine or of the age in which we live .

Another major issue is how to ASK QUESTIONS. In the U.S. education system, students are encouraged to ask questions. Questioning or challenging issues is regarded as fun and exciting games. Nevertheless, asking question in the Asian educational systems such as Vietnam, China , Korea and Japan is rather sensitive. It is the reason why during the workshop this afternoon, Doctor Thomas Tu and Doctor Duane Pinto, two alumni of Harvard Medical College will present to you how to ask questions and how to challenge problems smartly.

Lastly, even if you see there are overseas doctors, I recommend you should also develop and maintain good relationship with Vietnamese doctors because you will learn a lot from Vietnamese doctors. You should take advantage of knowledge of Vietnamese doctors even in the future, you can do better. But we should let time answer.

In conclusion, I wish you enter medical school with the spirit of explorers. I do not require you to study harder, I want you to study smarter . And at the final request, like any medical school in the United States , only if you , students, succeed in study, I could keep my professor job. If you fail , the school will ask me to leave coldly and politely . As such , I would have to do to keep this handsomely paid job. Thank you for your listening. Wish you all enthusiasm, joyfullness , happiness and many successes