Name: Yu Him (Adrian) Or  

Degree: Joint Medical Program 

What is your drive to become a doctor? 

My mum had a spinal injury years ago, and she was bedridden for several months. She struggled a lot, even to go and see doctors because she could not move. As she was a very active and independent woman, she got really depressed at that time and it was very sad. Since my dad was working and my brother was still really young, I became the primary carer for her. When taking her to hospital appointments, I saw other people and families in pain as well. She eventually got better but it took her more than one year to function fully again. I think that was the drive for me to get into med school. I want to help people like my mum. 

How have you been doing so far in Australia? 

I fell in love with this country when I first came to Australia. Like people say, I was in the honeymoon phase. I tried out new things, new food and I travelled. I had just started medical school, so I spent most of my time studying. Everything was fun! I used to be on the National Mathematical Olympiad team of Hongkong, so I want to do well in medical school as well. I mean the expectation is already there (from my family and friends).  

Because of this, I tried to push myself a lot harder, but little did I realise the pressure would have a huge impact on me. I started to get homesick and mind you, it’s very hard to find an authentic Hong Kong restaurant in Newcastle. I tried to cook for myself, but it wasn’t working out well for me either. I miss the food, my family and my friends back home. Especially when I am sick. I miss the soup my mum makes whenever I am ill. 

The burn-out combined with homesickness meant I struggled to study. I was depressed and I became highly addicted to gaming and drinking. I only just passed my semester 1 exam in my first year. All of my friends asked me to get some help, so I did. I talked to the International Student support team for my program, and they were very helpful.  

After a month, I started to get back on track. I have finally found a balance between studying and resting now. I do study but I also try to do something for myself. I started going out for uni events, meeting new people and making new friends. I go to the gym, hang out with my friends and I travel too. One of the restaurants in Westfield Kotara offers 10 cent wings every Thursday, so we go there every Thursday for a boys’ night. We also visited Melbourne and Korea. I stay connected with everyone back home as well. 

Why did you start the Hong Kong Student Association? 

It was such a difficult journey; I do not want other students to go through what I had to go through as well. So, I came up with an idea. What if I create something similar to home for other students from Hong Kong? My friends all agreed with me too so, we started the Hong Kong Student Association (HKSA) together. We wanted to create a warm and safe space for all students from Hong Kong. I am currently the Vice President of the association. We worked very hard to have an activity or meet up every week/ fortnight so that students would be able to make new friends and talk about their problems with someone from the same background.