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Most students would celebrate 7A+ in SPM as a dream result after all their
hard work and struggles. For Viishnu Thambiraja, however, his goal was to
achieve 9A+, thus making anything less than that a letdown.
Driven by the desire to learn and improve, Viishnu, a student from SMJK Sin Min in Sungai Petani, Kedah, had always aimed for stellar academic results and was hopeful he could do the same for SPM.
Disappointment
However, when Viishnu got his SPM results, he was sorely disappointed to see
that he had fallen short of his 9A+ goal, which would have guaranteed him a
full government scholarship to study medicine.
He revealed that he scored 7A+, 2A and 1B+, where the B+ was for Mandarin. But what made it harder to accept was that the results were the same as his trial examination.
“That day, I felt like I had let down everyone who believed in me such as my family, friends, seniors and teachers. As the only one in my family who studied at an SMJK, I had to push myself harder than anyone else.
“I spent many nights staying up late for revisions as I believed scoring 9A+ would open doors to top scholarships and lift the financial weight off my parents’ shoulders.
“Growing up, I heard many stories of those who managed to study what they wanted, and that became my dream too,” he recounted.
Stepping into the medical field
When Viishnu got offered a place in matriculation after SPM, he felt a sense of dread instead of relief as he had no idea how to make such a big life decision on his own.
In turn, his parents enrolled him into a Foundation in Science programme at
IMU where he was offered scholarship for foundation. Viishnu later found out
that in order to secure a Merit scholarship for medicine offered by IMU, he had
to score a perfect 4.0 CGPA.
He knew this wasn’t just another opportunity. It was his only shot at reclaiming what he felt he had missed.
“I was always a bit obsessed with being different from others and this was my only shot at reclaiming what I had missed out on in the past.
“Since there were no doctors in my family and I enjoyed helping, caring, and giving back to the community, medicine quickly became my top priority,” he said.
When asked how his love for medicine began, Viishnu said he was long fascinated by how the human body worked when he was a kid.
Mixed with his curiosity, compassion, and a strong desire to give back to society, it eventually dawned on Viishnu that medicine was more than just a career option – it was also his calling.
“My parents never pressured me into a specific career and gave me total freedom to choose my own path.
“They also promised to support me no matter what, and that trust was what fueled me in chasing my dream wholeheartedly.”
From dreaming to doing
From that moment, Viishnu threw himself fully into his studies and grinded through past-year questions from IB, A Levels, and various examination boards such as Edexcel, OCR, and AQA.
As such, there were times where his study sessions pushed him to the brink of exhaustion.
“I remember those days when I studied until I couldn’t keep my eyes open, or even fell asleep on my chair while revising.
“But whenever exhaustion set in, I reminded myself that my parents were working hard to support me, and I refused to let their sacrifices go to waste.”
Viishnu also took part in extracurricular activities, such as joining the Chariofare charity run committee, serving as Long Distance Captain of the Athletics Club, and volunteering with Doctors on Ground (DnG). However, balancing studies and extracurriculars also meant sleeping less than four hours a night.
“Waking up at 4am or 5am to study had been part of my life since secondary school, which was instilled in me by my parents.
“Life is about balance and not just books. Joining societies, meeting people, and contributing to the community soon became my way of relieving stress while pursuing my passions.
“Every experience reminded me why I was working so hard in the first place. It’s not just about studying medicine, but becoming a doctor who could give back to the community in a truly meaningful way,” he said.
At the end of his foundation studies, Viishnu scored a 4.0 GPA and was offered a Merit scholarship that allowed him to pursue medicine with no bond.
He also received similar offers from USM through the UPU channel and UKM
through the Direct Intake channel but ultimately chose IMU as the place to fulfill
his lifelong dream.
Like many Malaysians who went through the Covid-19 pandemic, Viishnu often saw former Director General of Health Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s face being beamed on TV almost every day.
Given that, it is no surprise that Dr Noor quickly became Viishnu’s role model
and his admiration from afar later evolved into a dream come true when he
was able to meet the former at an event while representing Malaysian
Students’ Surgical Society (MSSS).
“Meeting Dr Noor strengthened my drive to become a doctor who gives back meaningfully to the community. Who knows, I might even start an NGO one day!” he quipped.
Overcoming pressure
While Viishnu concedes that medical school isn’t easy, it is still manageable provided one practices time management.
“Pressure leads to the formation of diamonds. The journey may be tough, but the reward at the end makes it all worth it.
“My day typically starts at 4am or 5am while most people are still asleep. On some mornings, I begin it with an outdoor run.
“After attending lectures, I dive straight into studying and when evening comes,
I’ll go out for volunteer work at the Academy for Silent Mentor (AFSM). This
routine helps keep my life in balance.
Viishnu added that he plans to do his medical practice in Malaysia, saying that it was done “out of love for the country.”
“As the only son, staying close to my parents is equally as important. However, I’m still open to opportunities abroad, especially if it allows me to return with new knowledge and skills to better serve the local community.
“I hope to work in the heart-related field either as a cardiothoracic surgeon or cardiologist, and I would love to practise at the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) one day.”
But beyond titles and specialties, Vishnu wants to be known as a doctor who leads with empathy, strives for clinical excellence, and makes a positive impact on both patients and the community.
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