Recipient of free tuition at Johns Hopkins University due to $1 billion donation from Bloomberg Philanthropies expresses relief
This week, for the majority of medical students at Johns Hopkins University, the cost just became zero.
Nancy Chen has dreamed of being a doctor for as long as she can remember.
“My best friend’s family gave me a birthday gift of a doctor’s toy kit,” Chen said. “And that really sparked my interest in medicine.”
A childhood toy turned into a lifelong mission. Chen is a first-generation American who grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, working at her parent’s Chinese restaurant but dreaming of one day being in that white coat.
The oldest of four kids, Chen took on the role of a translator at a young age, helping her parents communicate with doctors during visits.
The oldest of four kids, Chen took on the role of a translator at a young age.Courtesy Nancy Chen“I’m coming from a lower income background, so I know what it was like, as a patient in the hospital, trying to translate for my parents who didn’t have insurance,” said Chen. Chen said those early days translating for her parents is one of the reasons she wanted to go into the medical field.
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