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Against the Odds: Daughter of Vietnamese Immigrants and U of U School of Medicine Graduate Earns Her M.D


WHAT: University of Utah School of Medicine Commencement Ceremony

WHEN: Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m.
Graduates will line up for procession at 9 a.m.

WHERE: Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. President’s Circle, U of U Campus

WHO: Class of 2010 U of U School of Medicine Graduates, Friends, Family, Faculty, and Administration.


Ever since she can remember, Judy Vu has dreamed of becoming a doctor. Her parents, Vietnamese immigrants who met in the U.S., have done everything they can to support her goal. When she was a child, her father brought home documentaries of Operation Smile and Judy watched them all, hoping to someday travel to other countries and help those in need.

Judy, who specializes in pediatrics and internal medicine, has overcome many barriers. She remembers learning English and doing homework by herself throughout her education, but she always rose to the challenge. Her med school journey did not come easily, though. Judy’s path was filled with sacrifice, but she stuck through it all. “People think of doctors as indestructible, with no faults. It’s like they can’t even be human,” she explains. But, the tough times helped Judy empathize with people everywhere, and she feels it is an essential part of becoming a caring and successful physician.

On Saturday, Judy will reach her lifelong goal by graduating from the U of U School of Medicine along with 99 additional medical school graduates. Soon after, they will begin residency programs across the country, applying their knowledge as they work alongside their new colleagues.

During the ceremony, Margaret Mohrmann, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Humanities in Medicine, will present the commencement address entitled “Professing Medicine.”