Vietnam risks losing global recognition for medical degrees without training overhaul: experts

The National Medical Council under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health has announced that Vietnam will hold two competency assessment exams in 2027 for four categories of physicians: medical doctors, traditional medicine doctors, oral and maxillofacial doctors, and preventive medicine doctors.

The exams, scheduled for March and December 2027, will be conducted under the 2023 Law on Medical Examination and Treatment and related regulations.

The first exam is expected to receive applications in January 2027, while applications for the second are scheduled for September the same year.

However, even before the first exam is held, senior medical experts have argued that it should be postponed until 2028. Most notably, they stress the urgent need to reform the physician training model prior to licensing by dividing doctors into distinct career tracks.

Under this proposed model, physicians intending to work in hospitals would complete six years of medical school followed by mandatory residency or specialist training. Family doctors and primary care physicians would complete six years of general medical education covering essential basics across specialties, while preventive medicine doctors would undergo a dedicated six-year track in public health.

Under the current system, not all medical graduates pursue further specialist training immediately after completing six years of medical school, as only the highest-scoring graduates, accounting for about 10 percent, enter residency programs directly after graduation, according to a representative of the health ministry's Department of Science, Technology and Training.

The remaining graduates undergo three to 12 months of practical training before taking the licensing exam. They can pursue specialist training after obtaining a medical practice license or return to specialist training after working for several years.

Many medical experts have argued that allowing graduates to practice with only short-term clinical training is a major flaw that must change.

"There is no such practice in the world as completing six years of medical school and then immediately starting work as a doctor," a highly experienced medical expert said.

He added: "After six years, doctors take a national ranking exam based on their scores to choose their specialty and training institution, then spend three to five years, or three to seven years in some countries, in hospital residency programs depending on their specialty to obtain specialist and advanced specialist qualifications. 

"This difference in training models is why Vietnam has been unable to integrate with international standards in physician training."

Under the proposed model, all medical students would first complete six years of university-level medical education before taking a national exam to determine their career path.

Those seeking to work in hospitals would enter residency or specialist training, while others could pursue careers in family medicine, primary care or preventive medicine.

The expert suggested that students with the highest exam scores should be allowed to choose residency programs at major hospitals, while those with lower scores could train at other hospitals.

The health ministry should also establish a list of hospitals qualified to provide residency-based specialist training, the expert said.

Recently, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy under Vietnam National University-Hanoi held two workshops on specialist and advanced specialist training through hospital residency programs in line with international practice.

The workshops attracted the participation of many medical school principals, health department directors and leaders of major hospitals serving as clinical training facilities.

“Many of our doctors are considered highly capable, but Vietnamese medical degrees have yet to be fully integrated with the world,” an expert said at one of the events.

“To achieve integration, we must have a training period comparable to that of other countries. Doctors cannot simply complete six years of medical school and then work in hospitals,” the expert stressed.

Compensation for doctors undergoing residency-based specialist and advanced specialist training is also drawing considerable attention at the workshops, as the training is considered a high-quality model and can take nine to 11 years if Vietnam follows international practice.

The lengthy training period could make it difficult for doctors to pursue residency programs.

In France, for example, training and remuneration are clearly structured, with doctors receiving one of the highest salary grades because of their lengthy training, an expert at the workshops said.