From zero English to doctor

A former Alexandra woman who arrived in New Zealand aged 6 unable to speak a word of English, has just graduated from the prestigious University of Melbourne School of Medicine.

Jia Ni Zhu, known as Jarnie, was educated at Alexandra Primary School and Columba College.

Dr Zhu (24), was one of thousands who applied to gain entry to the medical school in 2004 and one of the three New Zealanders accepted.

She started learning English when she arrived in this country and was a familiar sight behind the counter at her parents' Chinese restaurant and takeaways shop in Alexandra, working there from "when I could just see over the counter" through until the end of her secondary schooling.

Dr Zhu now volunteers as an English teacher for elderly migrants.

She was awarded the proxime accessit prize in her final year at Columba College and paid tribute to her teachers over the years - "especially those at Columba College, whose excellent teaching made it possible for me to gain entry into the school of medicine at the University of Melbourne in the first place".

While completing an Advanced Medical Science year to gain an additional degree - a Bachelor of Medical Science - Dr Zhu won the prize for best student research presentation and also won the annual Australasian Integrative Medicine Association Medical Student Essay competition.

Her essay was titled "My vision of integrative health care in Australia" and the competition was contested by medical students throughout Australia and New Zealand.

At the end of her fifth year, she carried out elective studies at the Department of Endocrinology at the University of Cambridge.

She is looking forward to working next year as an intern doctor at Southern Health in Melbourne.

"Despite my colourful experiences in Melbourne and overseas over the last six years, I still consider myself as a Kiwi."