Most teenagers can’t wait to fire up their Xbox or go to the next party during their free time.
But not 15-year-old Wang Pok Lo, who just graduated with a Masters degree in Statistics with Medical Applications, a course he studied in his spare time while he was also studying at his local comprehensive school.
And if that wasn’t enough to make you feel inadequate, Pok, as he’s known to his friends, has now been accepted into a Ph.D. course since he has already finished his Master’s degree. Talk about starting early!
Watch to learn more about this amazing student!
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Video credit: Rumble
Pok will begin his Ph.D. in population health science studies in September next year at the University of Edinburgh. Currently, the 15-year-old is still completing his schooling at Queensferry Community High School, in South Queensferry, West Lothian. In one sense, it’s just odd to hear that a kid has already finished his Master’s degree when he hasn’t even graduated high school yet. Then again, it’s the 21st century so what do we know.
In case you were wondering how the lad was able to start on his Master’s degree while in high school, it’s because he already acquired a degree in Maths via the Open University in 2017, a feat he accomplished when he was just 13. In fact, he earned first-class honors there.
Pok then enrolled at Sheffield University to take up their part-time master’s degree online. He only needed to travel the 550 miles to Sheffield to take the exams.
Pok was already a prodigy at a young age. At two years of age, he was already doing sums and finished his advanced higher math exams at 12. The whole pre-Higher math curriculum was a breeze for the then eight-year-old Pok while in primary school.
He entered the Open University at nine and is now finishing his advanced highers in physics, math, biology, and chemistry. Once he completes his Ph.D. course in three years, Pok will be 19.
Pok had to go through an interview and present slides and went up against other candidates who were older than him and also had industry experience.
Pok, who moved to Scotland from Hong Kong in 2006, said: “I found out in May. I was really happy.
“I didn’t expect to be accepted due to my age and I expected other candidates to be more competent than me – especially because they had experience in the workplace.
“That was a great moment.”
But Pok is not planning to stop with a Ph.D. He hopes to go into medicine, where he’s interested in cardiology and neurology.
John Wood, the headteacher at Queensferry Community High School, said: “The whole school community is extremely proud of Pok and his tremendous achievements.
“In thirty-five years of teaching, I’ve taught many very able young people but I must say that Pok is quite unique.”
Replaced!