Dr. An Lu grew up with no electricity in a small village in Vietnam. Her family chased a better life, coming to the United States in 2003. At the time, An was a 14-year-old who spoke no English and struggled with other cultural barriers.
But she always knew she wanted to become a doctor and took her studies seriously in high school. Despite the challenges of learning subjects in a second language, she did exceptionally well and graduated in the top 10 of her class. By graduation, though, she was still lost as far as what to do next. The higher education world is complex and confusing to many, especially first-generation students such as An.
Fortunately for An, a high school teacher pointed her toward Dallas College’s Eastfield Campus to continue her studies. At Eastfield, she met renowned professor Dr. Carl Knight and peer mentor Jessica Silva, both of whom played an integral role in helping her fulfill her dreams of becoming a doctor. Today, An is a pulmonary and critical care physician and is an assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern.
“Without Dallas College, I would never be where I am today,” said An, who graduated from Dallas College in 2010. “That’s literally where everything started.”
Perfect Environment
After graduating high school, An still wasn’t fully comfortable with the English language. She didn’t want to get lost in the shuffle at a four-year school, either.
So, Dallas College was the next destination and it ended up providing the perfect environment. The classes were more intimate. The professors build relationships with their students. There was a personal touch built into the learning experience, something that is hard for other institutions to duplicate.
“A lot of people at Dallas College became lifelong mentors and friends,” An said. “I’m still in touch with them today. They really helped me develop my education and career as well as my personal growth. They treated me like a part of their family. We are a big family in a way.”
An was part of the science club, Phi Theta Kappa and a math mentor for TRIO at Eastfield. She remembered helping to raise money and taking a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the Smithsonian with Knight and fellow classmates. Other highlights included road trips to Port Aransas to clean up the beach and to the Big Thicket National Preserve to camp and learn about the incredible diversity of life and ecosystems.
Most importantly, An said, is that Dallas College helped her land a spot in a research program at UT Southwestern for two consecutive summers, and then a full scholarship to the University of Texas at Arlington to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology.
At UTA, An graduated summa cum laude and had dreams of applying to UT Southwestern Medical School. However, an advisor felt that she may not get into UT Southwestern and suggested she look into other options.
That’s when her Dallas College roots kicked in again.
“That made me mad, but in a way, it motivated me too,” she said. “I went back to Eastfield and talked to Dr. Knight.”
An can laugh about it now, but she remembered Knight and Silva completely tearing her personal statement apart for medical school. But they helped her rewrite it and then Knight wrote her a letter of recommendation. Shortly after, she was accepted into UT Southwestern Medical School and has stayed on ever since.
Again, Dallas College delivered when it mattered most.
“It’s hard to explain. There are really no words to describe the experience I had at Dallas College,” An said. “I’m just so grateful for the opportunities that I received at Dallas College and the Eastfield Campus. It made such a positive, long-lasting impact.
“Every time I drive past the Eastfield Campus, I miss my time there. It’s not just the classroom, but the experience that they gave me. The people there were so generous and personable. They advocate for all the students regardless of our background or where we come from. Again, I do not think I would be where I am today without Eastfield, its people and the opportunities it offered me.”
Helping Hand
Today, An is living her dream as a doctor. No day is the same as she has a mix of inpatient and outpatient work as well as shifts at the intensive care units (ICU) at Clements Hospital and Parkland Health. Additionally, An has a specialized clinic on Wednesdays in which she focuses on hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT).
“It’s really a privilege to take care of a patient,” she said. “I’m usually seeing the sickest of the sick, people who are dying, but we try to make them feel better and move on to the next phase without the suffering, without the pain and with dignity.
“I love my job, love my patients, love what I do. It is a hard lifestyle, I have a young baby at home, but hopefully I’m modeling to her that you can be an independent, successful woman.”
That’s a similar message that An would send to every student who dreams of becoming a doctor or reaching the pinnacle of another profession.
“Just go for it,” she said. “Just work hard and don’t let other people discourage you. I had people who didn’t believe in me, but I didn’t listen to them. I listened to the people who saw something in me. You have to pick who you pay attention to.
“But working hard is the most important thing. Don’t give up unless you try everything.”
