A Vietnamese-American doctor has helped many Vietnamese counterparts and medical workers to learn English and related knowledge by establishing a website called VietMD.net.

Dr. Huynh Tran, or Wynn Tran in English, decided to run such courses as he used to struggle with English when coming to the U.S. nearly two decades ago.

Difficult beginning in the U.S.

Huynh and his family emigrated to America in 1999 when he had just finished his third year at the University of Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City.

Without good English, Huynh had to take ESL courses first while working in a factory to assemble table legs.

After two years vigorously studying English and other science subjects, Huynh was finally accepted to study architecture.

After graduating, he worked as an architect designing clinics, medical offices, and hospitals in Western Michigan, sparking some interest in the field of medicine in him.

There was another reason behind Huynh's switch to medicine, stemming from his very first days in the U.S.

When his family first landed in the U.S., his father suffered a heart attack and was sent to Holland Hospital in Michigan.

Both Huynh and his family could not speak English well and they were luckily helped by a volunteer interpreter in the hospital.

Touched by the caring doctors, medical staff, and the interpreter of Holland Hospital, Huynh later came back and served as a volunteer interpreter at this place.

The switch to medicine

After working for two years as an architect, Huynh decided to start a new career because of his growing interest in medicine.

He took pre-Med courses and finished them after one year. However, his first application for medicine was rejected.

With perseverance, he continued to apply the following year and was accepted by six medical schools in the U.S. in 2007.

Huynh picked one institution in New York and began his new career as a doctor after graduating.

Dr. Tran poses for a photo with his pet. Photo courtesy of Dr. Huynh Tran

The birth of VietMD

Having a kind heart to help Vietnamese, especially those working in the same field, Dr. Tran founded VietMD in 2016, an online place where Vietnamese people in medical fields can learn English and share their knowledge with one another.

Dr. Hoang Bao Long, currently working at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, Vietnam, is one of the very first volunteers when VietMD was founded.

The time difference between Vietnam and the U.S. presents huge challenges for those running the program as when Vietnamese people begin their day is also the time when their American counterparts start to sleep.

With perseverance, the founders have managed to recruit Vietnamese doctors from other English-speaking countries such as Canada and Australia to help run the courses.

The site is not only a place for English learning, but a forum for those working in medical fields to discuss new diseases and share their knowledge and experience.

"Without Huynh's dedication, the site could not survive," Dr. Hoang said.

"I am glad that I can be part of the program to help other colleagues," Dr. Hoang continued.

Through running VietMD, Dr. Tran has helped connect countless Vietnamese medical professionals across the globe.

The Vietnamese-American doctor has also come back to Vietnam many times to give lectures to other Vietnamese counterparts.

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