Loc Ngo (left) with his student mentor Zachary Dunn (center) and fellow classmate Nathanael Nathan at the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony.
By Loc Ngo
After finishing the second grade in Saigon, Vietnam, my family immigrated to Vancouver, WA. Because my birthday was after September, I should have started the second grade in America. But since I was able to pass a second-grade proficiency test, the school district allowed me to be in third grade, thus I started a year earlier than my peers.
That test was the reason I was one of the youngest students throughout elementary, middle, and high schools—and now, pharmacy school.
Transitioning to college
During my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I took advanced placement (AP) classes, along with a lot of my friends, but for junior and senior years, everything changed—I started taking college classes. At the age of 15, I began taking 15 to 20 credit hours a semester for 2 years at Clark College by Running Start, the Washington concurrent enrollment program. My brother completed Running Start and became an electrical engineer, while I enrolled in Running Start to become a pharmacist. We both attended the same college, as did both our parents when we immigrated here. I felt so proud to follow in my family’s footsteps. My parents were proud to have left a legacy for both of their children to follow and to be able to support us in our endeavors.
This program led me to become the youngest in all my college classes, this time by years. I was taking the same classes as students who were in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. They didn’t care how old I was. Some might have felt embarrassed being in study groups with me or being helped by someone much younger than them, but I think ultimately, they were just glad that I was willing and able to help them.
After 2 years of college, a year of volunteering at a local hospital, taking the PCAT, applying for pharmacy school, flying to those pharmacy schools for interviews, and a large sum of money, I was finally accepted to the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy. I was very excited that all my hard work had paid off, and my journey as a student pharmacist was about to begin. In June 2017, I walked in my high school graduation as well as Clark College’s graduation, receiving a high school diploma and an associate degree in biology, all within 2 weeks of each other.
A new journey begins
I was nervous all summer about starting pharmacy school at only 17, but I knew I could accomplish the challenge.
I wondered about how the people (faculty, preceptors, other students) I would meet in pharmacy school would act toward me and what their expectations would be. I didn’t seek special treatment from professors and preceptors. I wanted them to teach the skills and information necessary to help patients, just like they do for everyone else. I wanted fellow students to treat me like one of their peers. And I am lucky because they do treat me like their peer and include me in fun events outside of class, such as eating out and playing ping pong. I am accepted in the pharmacy organizations I am a part of and will have officer responsibilities starting this fall. I know that if I am respectful to others, mature, competent, helpful, and knowledgeable, no one will disagree with the fact that I belong in pharmacy school despite my age.
Thinking about the future
Right now, I imagine what it will be like after I graduate pharmacy school and am a part of the workforce. I wonder if I will be taken seriously by pharmacy technicians, physicians, other health professionals, and most importantly, patients. Hopefully with the knowledge and skills learned in pharmacy school, I will make sound recommendations to other health professionals, competently counsel patients on different therapies to improve their overall health, and work as a team with technicians, who are the backbone of the pharmacy.
I only want to be judged by my skills as a pharmacist and as a person, rather than by a number.