This 19-Year-Old Prodigy Is On Track To Becoming Malaysia's Youngest Doctor
Her interest in medical studies occurred after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 8 years old.
By John Lim — 11 Jul 2017, 12:39 PM
A 19-year-old medical student from Taylor's University will become Malaysia's youngest doctor when she graduates with her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) next year
Meet Chan Hao Shan, the fresh-faced 19-year-old final year medical student who is set to make Malaysian history next year.
In an interview with Sinchew, Chan said her interest in the body anatomy began when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer many years ago.
"I was curious with the functions of a human body. For instance, I was curious about what really happens in the throat when humans swallow something," she told the Chinese daily.
During her formative years, Chan excelled in school. She took two months to finish both the Form 1 and Form 2 syllabi, and another two months doing Form 3 and O Levels. All in all, she completed her secondary school studies in just a year.
She also explained that she often felt bored in class, as progress was often too slow, as there was a lot of repetition. There were times that she could finish an entire textbook in a matter of days.
At 14, she enrolled into the Australian Matriculation programme and finished it in a year.
While it's pretty common to be labelled as a "genius" or a "child prodigy" for her extraordinary academic performance, Chan wholeheartedly disagrees and added that her childhood was the same as everyone else
"I think my childhood was the same, if not better, than most people. When my peers are busy with tuitions, I had time to read and play because I was quick in completing my homework," she said.
"I also developed a passion for reading, playing the piano, and painting. My mum is an avid painter, so I was influenced by her."
When asked how she feels about being the youngest doctor in the country, Chan said she didn't put too much thought into it
"Honestly, there's not much to it. I just can't wait to graduate as I have worked really hard for the past 5 years," she added.
Chan revealed that she has no plans of stopping after graduating.
"I want to become a specialist. That's my ultimate goal."
