How Naimul leveraged Olympiads to bag an academic scholarship in the US

In August 2023, Naimul Islam from Bangladesh secured the highest score in the International Medicine and Disease Olympiad (IMDO), alongside Neelansh Samanta from India. The IMDO is a global competition, focusing on medical and disease knowledge as well as problem-solving skills, catering to students under the age of 20 worldwide. 

Just a couple of weeks ago, Naimul flew to the United States for his undergraduate studies in Biomedical Engineering at one of the world's most prestigious universities, Northwestern University, with a fully funded scholarship. The university is renowned for its research and is home to more than 35 specialised research and education centres.

During a recent interview with The Business Standard, Naimul recounted his journey, which began as an ordinary student in a modest village nestled near the banks of the Titas River in Brahmanbaria.

Born in 2004, Naimul grew up in a humble farming family in Kasba, Brahmanbaria, where he went to Mulagram High School before he managed to make it to Dhaka's Notre Dame College. 

"When I was a kid, I would often accompany my father to the farm. Being out there, surrounded by trees and crops, got me thinking a lot. I found it fascinating how crops grew, how fungi and insects would nibble on them, and how farmers worked hard to protect their crops from those insects," Naimul shared from Boston in a Google meeting.

"Plus, since we weren't financially well-off, rainwater used to seep through our tin-shed roof. Because of the dampness, my books would often get infected by fungus," he went on. "That's when I pondered why fungus attacked my books. 

My curiosity for understanding the organism stemmed from my surroundings. That's how biology became my favourite subject as I grew up"

Moreover, exactly a decade prior to Naimul's own birth, his maternal grandfather died of leukaemia – which cast a perpetual shadow over each of Naimul's birthdays. He remembers seeing his family members' ongoing grief, which further ignited Naimul's curiosity about leukaemia and other fatal diseases.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Naimul's curiosity deepened as he questioned why global health experts grappled with controlling the deadly virus. 'What is the nature of this virus, and how severe is its impact on human lives?' he wondered. These questions fueled his independent studies, drawing from various sources. "It was this compound interest that drove me into this field," Naimul shared.

Apart from his interest in biology, Naimul explored some other extracurricular activities such as joining the scouting team in primary school. Throughout his school days, he assumed leadership roles multiple times, leading his school's scout teams as the captain.

His introduction to Olympiads can be traced back to his time as a scout in March 2019, when Naimul was a ninth-grade student. The camp brought together hundreds of scouts from various institutions across the country, along with a handful of international students.

Naimul fondly recollects, "During our casual conversations at the camp, the subject of Olympiads came up, and I was captivated by it. I discovered that these competitions were open to anyone, offering the chance to compete and, if successful, earn a prestigious award while also representing their nation."

Furthermore, the news of Bangladesh's first-ever gold medal at the Math Olympiads in 2018 fanned the sparks in him for the Olympiads.

"I came across news about [Ahmed] Jawad's remarkable achievement, which served as strong motivation for me," he added. "From that very day, I decided to explore the world of Olympiads and participate in as many of them as I could."

Nonetheless, the path ahead was far from straightforward. 

Despite the widespread availability of smartphones and internet access across the country in 2019, Naimul's financial circumstances meant he did not possess a smartphone. Nevertheless, he remained determined and resourceful, diligently seeking information about the olympiad through newspapers, guidance from teachers, and insights from his seniors.

However, during the same year, he took part in his first olympiad, the Bangladesh Biology Olympiad. He passed through regional competition to claim his place in the national round.

"Despite qualifying for the national-level stage of this olympiad, I did not participate," Naimul shared. "As my Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams were just around the corner, I decided not to attend it"

Following his SSC exams, he appeared for the admission test at Notre Dame College and successfully secured a place in the Science group. 

Reflecting on this pivotal moment in his life, Naimul remarked, "Beginning my studies at Notre Dame College undeniably marked a significant turning point in my life. Coming from a small village, Dhaka felt like an immense, unfamiliar space. It was here that I was exposed to new experiences and opportunities. Information about olympiads and various competitions seemed to reach me even before the air," he continued

In 2022, Naimul got to know about the International Medicine and Disease Olympiad (IMDO). It's worth noting that to qualify for the IMDO, one must first participate in the US Medicine Olympiad, which serves as an entry examination. 

Naimul took part in the US Medicine Olympiad, and out of all the participants, the organisers selected the top 3% (global finalists) to advance to the IMDO. Naimul earned a place among this elite group of participants.

"But at that time, I ended up receiving a silver award. So, I decided not to participate in the IMDO again," Naimul recalled. 

His family has always been supportive of whatever he has been trying out. Even his younger sister also got inspired by him and started attending different olympiads. 

While Naimul hadn't initially prepared for this year's IMDO, a friend of his persuaded him to participate, and he eventually relented. Naimul shared, "My friend was incredibly persistent; he even took care of the registration on my behalf, so I couldn't refuse." 

After his performance in the US Medicine Olympiad, Naimul found himself among the top five participants worldwide, alongside four participants from the United States, earning him the opportunity to compete in the IMDO. 

Ultimately, in the IMDO, he achieved a score of 91%, tying with a participant from India," he added. It was the IMDO competition that came as a chariot to take Naimul to his desired field, that too, at a prestigious university in the US. 

Residing in a secluded village, Naimul never thought of participating in such a competition in the first place. However, a strong support system paved the way forward for him, convincing Naimul to believe in himself and partake in the competition.  

Naimul has just started his undergraduate journey at Northwestern University. His chosen majors are Biomedical Engineering, International Relations and Computer Science, with a minor in Economics. 

However, as a student in an American university, he'll have the option to transition to medical school in his third year. Naimul shared his plan, saying, "If everything goes according to plan, I intend to transition to medical school."