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How Paul Luu, a Vietnam refugee, fought to became a surgeon: ‘Even if you fail, you should be proud that you try’
When Paul Luu arrived to the United States all alone as teenage, Vietnamese refugee in 1979, he didn’t know any English.
"The language barrier hit me like a rock,” he says in this episode of “Hears How.” “How am I going to communicate with people? That's when reality set in. That's when I realized, 'Gosh, I don't even know how to (tell) people when I'm hungry, how to go to school.’”
Once Paul enrolled in high school and began learning English, he felt a renewed since of purpose. He graduated college and was accepted to medical school, but felt overwhelmed by the brilliance of his fellow students.
“I felt very intimidated, because you're surrounded by all of the competitive, top of the class,” he says. “Here I am, little Vietnamese guy, looks so young, spoke I call it broken English, with an accent and everything. The only (way) I can compete with them (is if I) study hard.”
“They are way, way ahead of you, not just IQ wise, everything,” he told himself. “So, the best thing you can do is just work hard, do the best you can.”
He experienced “a rough time,” he admits. “But I put in more hours than most of my colleagues. I think the best thing is that I realized what my weakness. So I just work on it.”
Tune in to hear about Paul’s struggles, his resilience, and the invaluable lesson in hard work and perseverance that led him to achieve his dreams.
In this episode:
Intro
1:25 Paul’s details his upbringing in Vietnam, sharing a 450 sq. ft flat with his parents and six siblings
2:35 Paul has to flee Vietnam
4:04 His crowded boat is robbed by pirates. Paul makes a promise to Buddha that if he survives he’ll use his talents to help people in need
5:50 Paul arrives in the States, where the communication barrier “hit me like a rock”
7:15 School, where Paul learned English, became his “salvation.”
10:05 Paul has a difficult time while in college and discovers therapy
13:27 How Paul overcame the temptation of giving up
14:52 Paul’s advice for when people doubt you
15:30 Paul’s advice for refugees arriving to the US
More:
For more on Paul’s incredible journey, read his book, “From Survivor to Surgeon: A Refugee's Memoir of Perseverance and Purpose.”
Follow @HearsHowPodcast on Instagram for more inspirational content.
View all episodes
By Erin JensenWhen Paul Luu arrived to the United States all alone as teenage, Vietnamese refugee in 1979, he didn’t know any English.
"The language barrier hit me like a rock,” he says in this episode of “Hears How.” “How am I going to communicate with people? That's when reality set in. That's when I realized, 'Gosh, I don't even know how to (tell) people when I'm hungry, how to go to school.’”
Once Paul enrolled in high school and began learning English, he felt a renewed since of purpose. He graduated college and was accepted to medical school, but felt overwhelmed by the brilliance of his fellow students.
“I felt very intimidated, because you're surrounded by all of the competitive, top of the class,” he says. “Here I am, little Vietnamese guy, looks so young, spoke I call it broken English, with an accent and everything. The only (way) I can compete with them (is if I) study hard.”
“They are way, way ahead of you, not just IQ wise, everything,” he told himself. “So, the best thing you can do is just work hard, do the best you can.”
He experienced “a rough time,” he admits. “But I put in more hours than most of my colleagues. I think the best thing is that I realized what my weakness. So I just work on it.”
Tune in to hear about Paul’s struggles, his resilience, and the invaluable lesson in hard work and perseverance that led him to achieve his dreams.
In this episode:
Intro
1:25 Paul’s details his upbringing in Vietnam, sharing a 450 sq. ft flat with his parents and six siblings
2:35 Paul has to flee Vietnam
4:04 His crowded boat is robbed by pirates. Paul makes a promise to Buddha that if he survives he’ll use his talents to help people in need
5:50 Paul arrives in the States, where the communication barrier “hit me like a rock”
7:15 School, where Paul learned English, became his “salvation.”
10:05 Paul has a difficult time while in college and discovers therapy
13:27 How Paul overcame the temptation of giving up
14:52 Paul’s advice for when people doubt you
15:30 Paul’s advice for refugees arriving to the US
More:
For more on Paul’s incredible journey, read his book, “From Survivor to Surgeon: A Refugee's Memoir of Perseverance and Purpose.”
Follow @HearsHowPodcast on Instagram for more inspirational content.