- College of Medicine Students
Every physician takes an oath to their patients, and to the practice of medicine. But UCF College of Medicine second-year student Megan Vu took another very important oath on, March 15, one to serve her country. Megan is the latest UCF student to be commissioned into the Navy, as part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program. She will receive a full scholarship for the remainder of her medical education, and will serve a year of active Navy service for each year of her scholarship.
The decision to join the United States armed forces was a highly personal one for Megan, one that goes back to her own roots as a Vietnamese-American. “Growing up, I’ve heard so many stories from my grandparents and parents about coming over,” Vu said. “The day Saigon fell, the first ship they were on was a Navy ship. Hearing those things made me very proud to be an American.”
The St. Petersburg native also attributes her decision to the guidance of other naval officers and recruiters, including Dr. Linda Rice, a St. Petersburg anesthesiologist who served in the Navy and Lieutenant Eric Robinson, who has worked with Megan through the lengthy application process, and swore her in. She also had the privilege of interviewing with Retired Vice Admiral Al Harms, UCF’s vice president for strategy, marketing, communications and admissions. “I’ve never met anyone so humble, and truly a leader,” Megan said of the 33-year Navy veteran.
The Health Professions scholarship has allowed Megan to continue her medical education without worrying about the cost, but she says the opportunity is about much more than that. “While the scholarship is really an amazing thing, I think I’m most excited about getting to serve our country,” she said. “It’s amazing that my dream of being a doctor can go perfectly with the sense of patriotism that I have for our country.”