Born into a family without a medical tradition, the then 17-year-old girl decided to pursue the profession with the hope of becoming a pillar of support for her family and those suffering from the pain of illness.
This was the natural path that led Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan to the medical field – one of the 51 individuals recently honoured as a Typical Female Medical Intellectual for the 2019–2022 period, an event co-organised by the Vietnam Association for Intellectual Women and the Ministry of Health.
At the ceremony, being personally mentioned and praised by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha for her research work left Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan overwhelmed with happiness. She felt deeply honoured and proud that her efforts and contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic response had become so valuable and meaningful.
Nevertheless, she maintains that she and the 50 other honourees were simply more fortunate than others. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2021), it is impossible to name all those who sacrificed and dedicated themselves.
Research work with a noble mission
The research project "Post-vaccination reactions after the 1st and 2nd doses, application and vaccination chain for timely and effective consultation for COVID-19 vaccine recipients" by Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan was applied in practice during the "heat of the moment" of the pandemic, helping to alleviate difficulties in COVID-19 vaccination. The research helped the public feel more secure as they gained a clear understanding of potential post-vaccination reactions.
Thanks to this research, from 26 April 2021 to 26 March 2022, Hanoi Medical University safely administered COVID-19 vaccines and issued certificates to 254,513 individuals, with no severe reactions or fatalities, ensuring absolute safety.
Furthermore, based on the research results, Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan successfully supervised many physicians and master's students on the topic of post-COVID-19 vaccination reactions; authored Continuing Medical Education (CME) materials on safe vaccination practices (including COVID-19 vaccination) published in 2022; and wrote a chapter on COVID-19 vaccination for the monograph "Pathology and Treatment of COVID-19" published in 2022, chaired by Hanoi Medical University Hospital.
Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan has published two papers in domestic journals (Journal of Medical Research in English) and international journals (Frontiers in Tropical Diseases) regarding reactions following Astra Zeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer-BioNtech vaccinations; and conducted 60 training courses on safe vaccination practices for approximately 2,000 medical staff (doctors, nurses) and 2,000 hospital staff on COVID-19 vaccination.
All this knowledge will become a valuable resource for hundreds of future generations pursuing the medical profession…
Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan shares with reporters from Health & Life Newspaper.
A female medical intellectual with 'excess energy'
Starting her journey at Hanoi Medical University in 1990, with all her efforts, the girl named Thanh Xuan created a beautiful youth for herself, graduating with distinction in Odonto-Stomatology in 1996. Fortunate enough to be directly admitted to a master's programme in Public Health, after graduation, in 2000, Thanh Xuan was recruited to work at Hanoi Medical University.
Throughout her 12 years in academia up to the present, Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan has found that she has never had a concept of failure. She considers herself a positive, optimistic person who is extremely lucky to always have "noble supporters" in life.
"I have never had a concept of failure in life or work. When I am too tired, I rest to relieve stress, balance my life, and regain energy. I always believe that even if there are difficulties or challenges, they are only temporary, and everything will be fine. If, unfortunately, I have tried my best but the result is not as expected, at least I have done my best," the female medical intellectual shared.
Hoping for more time for family…
Always busy with a heavy workload, balancing professional duties and management, Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan cannot help but feel "guilty" towards her family. Assoc. Prof. Xuan shared that work takes up most of her time, leaving her very little time for her family, so she only wishes that a day could be a few hours longer to have the conditions to take better care of her small family.
Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan is seen by everyone as a person with excess energy.
"I still remember the 4 years I spent studying for my PhD in Denmark; my daughter would often ask, 'Mom, why are you gone for so long? Is this the last time you'll go?'… At that time, I felt sad and missed my family dearly, but I still had to hold back my tears to focus on my studies, only hoping that time would pass quickly so I could return home….
After 23 years with Hanoi Medical University, Assoc. Prof. PhD. Le Thi Thanh Xuan still believes it is her destiny. "The medical profession is an inseparable part of my life; it seems to have been deeply ingrained in my bones…" and she believes "that is destiny."
"I often tell my students that to stick with the medical profession, besides hard work and effort, one must also love the profession deeply to be able to stay, because the medical field always carries high pressure and risks… Furthermore, if you want to become a good doctor, you also need to love yourself; only by loving yourself can you spread positive energy to others, because in treatment, psychology is also extremely important," the female lecturer said with a bright smile.
Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/nu-tri-thuc-nganh-y-muon-lan-toa-nguon-nang-luong-tich-cuc-169230307112956992.htm
School of Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SPMPH)
Website:/