Dr Lily Vu’s mission to inspire other migrants
A Box Hill doctor competing to be the first Vietnamese Miss World Australia hopes sharing her story will help inspire other migrants to reach for their goals.
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A Box Hill doctor competing to be the first Vietnamese Miss World Australia hopes sharing her story will help inspire other migrants to reach for their goals.
Lily Vu moved from Vietnam to Melbourne without her parents when she was 15 years old.
She was only 10 when she lost her mother to an unknown illness.
Dr Vu said the doctors having been unable to give her family an answer about her mother’s condition made her determined to become a doctor.
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But her family could not afford for her to study medicine in Australia as an international student.
So once she finished school, Dr Vu instead went on to study teaching.
She then used the qualification to gain her permanent Australian residency as a skilled independent migrant, before applying to study medicine at the University of Melbourne as an Australian citizen.
This year the 26-year-old began her first job as a medical intern in Whitehorse, 16 years after she first decided to become a doctor.
She hopes to one day become a neurologist.
Dr Vu said she wanted other Australians with migrant backgrounds to hear about her triumph.
“I just want to inspire and motivate migrants who are struggling in Australia,” she said.
“I want people to know that if I can get through all this, they can too.”
“Australia is the land of multiculturalism and the land of opportunity.”
Dr Vu created a YouTube channel DrLilyVu to get her story out there, and uses it to also generate awareness about common health conditions and preventive measures.
Chinese Precinct Chamber of Commerce president Wayne Tseng said Dr Vu was an “exceptional member” of the Whitehorse group, who had already inspired many in the Chinese-Vietnamese community.
He said Dr Vu was truly dedicated to helping others and often helped out members of their group beyond her medical work.
Mr Tseng said the group was very excited Dr Vu was aspiring to become the first Vietnamese Australian to win Miss World Australia.
“She is a trailblazer inspiring other Asians to join and project their potential,” he said.
The Box Hill woman competed in the first round of the Victorian selection process for Miss World Australia on April 24 and was selected as a Victorian finalist.
She will compete in the state finals in June.
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