This S’porean Went From Normal Stream In Sec School To NUS Med School

By
Jia Hui
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Last Updated on 2017-12-29 , 1:31 pm

There’s tons of people whom we look up to as successful.

There’s Michael Jackson, Bill Gates and my boss (bootlick af).

Image: Know Your Meme

Recently featured on The Straits Times is 22-year-old Mr Tan Jun Xiang.

Image : straitstimes

He was featured for his outstanding determination in his academic journey.

Who is he

Mr Tan is not your typical top student who aced through his examinations.

In fact, he scored only 181 points in the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and went into the longer 5-year Normal stream in secondary school.

He graduated from the “highly competitive” biomedical science course at Singapore Polytechnic (SP), which was known to be one of the more popular courses.

He then made it into the highly competitive Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at NUS, where only about one in seven applicants get in.

More about him

He was more interested in playing on his hand-held video gaming device, which I’m sure most of us can relate to.
Image:zipcar

“I’m a very playful person and studying was not my thing,” he said. “I only flipped through my textbooks a day before my PSLE exam.”

Now that’s extreme.

He was undisturbed by his poor scores until he saw how disappointed his parents were.

Given his bad results, he was also posted to a school that was not of his choice.

After his parents appealed to Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, he was given a chance in the Normal (Academic) stream.

It was a school he had wanted to enter and their acceptance sparked his determination to work hard.

“I did not want to waste the chance I had been given. It was precious, ” he said.

Mr Tan started to pay attention in class. He was diligent about homework and asked his teachers when he had doubts.

Taking the O Levels

He tried hard to get into the school’s through train programme, which allowed students to take the O levels in Secondary Five, instead of the typical route: N levels first in Secondary 4 and the O levels a year later.

Mr Tan said that his teachers pushed them to do their best and did not look down on their ability.

He graduated as a top student, scoring nine points for his O levels.

Image: Tenor GIF Keyboard

Realising his interest

While pursuing his poly diploma, Mr Tan applied for an internship at a hospital.

He was amazed by the human body and “intrigued by the multitude of diseases”.

He enjoyed conversing with his patients and understanding their concerns and fears.

He realised that he wanted to be a doctor.

Image: Tenor GIF Keyboard

It was a difficult goal, considering that about 2,000 top students fight for 300 places at the NUS medical school each year.

But it wasn’t impossible (for him lah, can’t say for myself).

What he wants to say

He said that it was “beyond (his) wildest dreams to get in”.

“My father booked two tables at a restaurant and invited my relatives to celebrate.”

Mr Tan recalled how everyone was surprised by how he went from scoring 181 points in PSLE to getting into such a prestigious course.

“I tell others: Don’t give up, just aim high and don’t compare yourself to others. You will never know what may happen.”

So…since he can do it, so can you!

What a timely reminder for the new year!

Since you’re here, why not watch a video about a guy who lodged a Police report here in Singapore because he was friendzoned? Seriously. Here, watch it and do remember to share it (and also subscribe to Goody Feed YouTube channel)!

This article was first published on goodyfeed.com

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Jia Hui
Email: [email protected]