Some ESF students attribute their success to discipline, miso soup and using a Nokia phone
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenBenjamin FullerPublished: 8:44pm, 7 Jul 2026Fourteen of the 27 top scorers in this year’s International Baccalaureate (IB) programme from Hong Kong’s largest international school group plan to study medicine, with some students attributing their success to discipline, miso soup and using a Nokia phone with limited internet access.
At least 73 students from 17 schools across Hong Kong attained a full score of 45 points in the IB exams.
Out of the 27 top performers, 14 students plan to study medicine, including 13 in Hong Kong. Three will pursue mechanical engineering, and two are considering business and global management.
Speaking to the media at Island School, most of the top students said they felt relieved and excited after receiving their grades.
“It was honestly a roller coaster of emotions,” said Joshua Sean Chow, 18, one of the top scorers who will study medicine at the University of Hong Kong.
