This article was adapted from a story in the October 2015 issue of ONE, The UVM Medical Center News for Employees publication.

Recently, ONE profiled a member of the UVM College of Medicine Class of 2018: Tinh Huynh, who wasn’t even sure about going to college, let alone medical school, but decided in his senior year of high school he wanted more from life.

From Biloxi, Miss., to Union, N.J., second-year medical student Tinh Huynh spent much of his childhood moving around, while his parents made their living opening a series of nail salons. Amidst these transitions, his family encountered gang violence and the loss of his brother due to a shooting.

At the time, medical school wasn’t even on his radar; in fact, he was not the greatest student in high school and he wasn’t even sure that he would go to college.

But in the last semester of his senior year, he decided that he wanted more. A move to Pawtucket, R.I. following high school was the start of a better life for Huynh, and there, he tackled community college with a focus that had been missing over the past few years. With A’s in many of his courses, he was able to transfer to the University of Rhode Island.

Initially he set his sights on pharmacy school, but over time, “I wanted to have more of a say in patient care," says Huynh. "I don’t regret that decision for a minute.”

Today, with his first year of medical school under his belt, he loves his life here in Vermont. “It’s the people — my fellow students, my professors, are awesome. The College of Medicine provides a great learning environment.”

While he initially thought of trauma surgery, now he’s not sure. He’s considering cardiology, or gastroenterology, but nothing is certain yet. For the near future, he’s looking forward to being in the hospital, where he can start applying what he’s learned to patient care.

“It’s been a great experience,” Huynh says. “And I’m very excited for what the future brings.”