For former Vietnam Australia International School (VAS) student Đại Hoàng Phúc, academic success has never been about shortcuts, but rather a journey of continuous, long-term accumulation.
Phúc, who attended VAS from an early age, is currently a medical student at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (UMP). In the recent academic year, he captured the Number 1 rank for academic excellence among 400 students in his cohort for the 2024–2025 period.
This exceptional performance builds upon a strong track record. In 2023, Phúc placed in the Top 150 out of 90,000 candidates across 17 southern provinces in the highly competitive VNU-HCM Academic Aptitude Test.
Representatives from VAS noted that Phúc’s ability to seamlessly navigate these high-stakes academic milestones stems from the foundation built during his years at the school. His preparation included the standard Cambridge academic curriculum, which emphasizes analytical skills and practical application over rote memorization.
Furthermore, his advanced English proficiency—marked by an IELTS overall band score of 8.0—has served as a critical tool for independent research, allowing him to readily access and analyze global medical literature. School officials added that early exposure to university-level study skills during high school provided him with a distinct advantage in adapting quickly to the rigorous environment of medical school.
With a comprehensive academic toolkit built early at VAS, Phúc is well-positioned to make significant strides on his ongoing journey toward becoming a medical professional.
