Nguyen Cam Kieu Khanh's Journey: From Valedictorian to Pursuing a Master's Degree in Canada

Kieu Khanh graduated as valedictorian in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and earned a full scholarship for her master's degree at the second-ranked university in Canada. In May, Nguyen Cam Kieu Khanh graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a perfect GPA of 4.3/4.3. The Hue-born student also received an award from the Canadian Chemical Society for the highest score in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

With these achievements, Khanh received a full scholarship to pursue a master's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia, ranked second in Canada and 35th globally according to the US News university rankings."I was quite surprised. In Canada, grades are considered private, so even though I had a GPA of 4.2-4.3 each semester, I didn't expect to have the highest score," said Khanh. The University of New Brunswick in Fredericton uses a 4.3 grading scale, equivalent to a 4.0 scale at other universities.

Khanh receiving her diploma from the University of New Brunswick, Canada, in May. Photo: Provided by the character.

Overcoming Challenges in Canada

A former Chemistry major at Quoc Hoc High School in Hue, Khanh came to Canada in 2019 to study. She mentioned that while she was confident and active in Vietnam, she felt self-conscious and shy during the initial stages of studying abroad.

Arriving in January, the coldest time of the year, Khanh was frequently ill at first. In addition to the weather, she faced language and cultural barriers. Most students were native speakers, and the Chemistry and Pharmacy programs had only 2-3 Asian students. Even though Khanh had a strong foundation in English and could follow lectures, she still lacked the confidence to engage in conversations or make friends.

Adapting to New Study Methods

Realizing that her time studying abroad was limited, Khanh pushed herself to step out of her comfort zone and proactively adapt to her new life. She began interacting more with classmates and professors.

Each semester in Canada lasts three months, packed with knowledge and exams. Used to reviewing lessons before exams in Vietnam, Khanh found that applying the same method here was ineffective.

"The exams happen simultaneously, so reviewing all the content in one week is extremely difficult. After the first semester, I changed my study strategy," she explained.

Success in Academics and Research

Khanh's Pharmaceutical Chemistry major focuses heavily on Chemistry. Every week, she attended 1-2 organic and inorganic chemistry lab classes, each lasting 3 hours, followed by report writing. Khanh attributed her quick grasp of new knowledge to the strong foundation in Chemistry she gained during her three years at Quoc Hoc Hue High School.

Her first research project was related to detecting and quantifying cyanobacteria in water samples from the Saint John River, New Brunswick. The results were presented at the 2022 Science Atlantic Chemistry Conference.

Following the project’s completion, Khanh applied for research assistant and teaching assistant positions at her school. During the summer, working full-time as an assistant helped her cover living expenses without needing family support.

Thanks to her clear study and research strategy, Khanh had more time to focus on her graduation thesis in her final year. Her research topic focused on Cytochrome P450 (CYP450), a group of enzymes involved in early drug metabolism to detoxify harmful substances before they reach the circulatory system. However, these enzymes can also reduce the effectiveness of certain medications. Khanh's research aimed to develop drugs that inhibit CYP450 enzymes.