Monica's medical dream comes true

Monica Ng was bitten by the medical bug young – and it has stayed in her bloodstream ever since.

University of Queensland School of Medicine valedictorian Ms Ng said she knew from the age of six that she wanted help people, and her motivation for becoming a doctor had grown ever since.

Graduating with a dual degree Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery and Science with first class honours, she said she found the science and art of medicine incredibly fascinating.

“Every case is different and presents its own set of challenges,” Ms Ng said.

“I couldn’t imagine doing anything else and, to be honest, I don’t think I ever have.”

Ms Ng was born in Hong Kong, and moved with her family to Auckland, then Sydney, and then to Brisbane.

Ms Ng said she had been inspired by family, friends, teachers, colleagues and even strangers.

“I have come across so many amazing people and I have learnt a lot from every one of them,” she said.

“My family taught me the power of hard work and unconditional love, while I learned about the safety of support and loyalty from my friends.

“My teachers inspired me to engage with the world, and my colleagues have shown me the importance of comradeship and teamwork.”

While completing her medical degree, Ms Ng was also enrolled in a Master of Philosophy and has been confirmed as a PhD student.

“I have been doing research part-time throughout my medical degree and I realised that medicine and research are two sides of the same coin,” she said.

“Without research there would be no forward leaps in medicine, and without medicine there would be no meaningful application for medical research, so I decided pretty early on I wanted to be a part of both worlds.”

Ms Ng has just returned from London, where she presented a research poster at the Intensive Care Society’s State of the Art meeting.

During her studies she completed a clinical rotation at Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts General Hospital.

When not studying, she likes to practise yoga and play badminton

“My family and friends are also really important and they give me room to deal with my commitments and are there when I need to hang loose and relax,” she said.

The next step for Ms Ng is the beginning of her training as a junior doctor at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital while researching her PhD.

Looking back on her days at UQ, Ms Ng said she had enjoyed meeting and working with a diverse range of people.

“UQ is such a big place with people from all walks of life with so many stories to tell, and it has really broadened my horizons,” she said.

Media: School of Medicine Marketing and Communications Officer Brian Mallon,  07 3365 5254, 0403 621 109, b.mallon@uq.edu.au.