Resident Doctor: After the "stormy" name-calling, there will be a challenging journey

In recent days, the call for names to choose the residency major of Hanoi Medical University suddenly 'exploded' on social networks. It was not only an event, but also a journey, a moment when young people stood at a major crossroads in their lives.

Professor Nguyen Duy Anh welcomes new residents of the obstetrics and gynecology department, Hanoi Medical University - Photo: BVCC

Start a challenging journey

Hanoi Medical University's "Match Day" event is for new doctors to register for residency training - considered the most prestigious training program in the Vietnamese medical education system.

Currently, Vietnam has 13 schools training resident physicians, of which Hanoi Medical University is the oldest (since 1974). This is a necessary program to train good doctors with practical skills in hospitals.

Speaking to the press, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duy Anh - Director of the Central Obstetrics Hospital, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hanoi Medical University - shared that "Match Day" is not only an event, but also a journey. It is the moment when young people stand at a major crossroads in life, where passion and effort lie.

"This is a special training program, lasting 3 years after 6 years of medical school, where young doctors spend nearly a decade practicing their skills, ready to serve public health. Residency is an intensive training program for young doctors under 27 years old, who have just graduated from a regular medical university.

Indeed, only good doctors can pass the residency exam. They are continuously trained in a specialized field. After graduating, they become better specialized doctors," Professor Anh shared.

He said that in the past, very few residents were trained each year. For example, his class only had more than 20 people pass the exam, each specialty only had 1 or 2 residents. There were specialty classes with no one because the exam was very difficult, the standards were strict.

That's too little. Good resident doctors are good, but if they can serve few patients, they will not be able to meet the needs of the country and the people.

"This year, the quota has increased to more than 400, expanding training to have more talented people, serving more people. However, mass training is not possible. It is necessary to create a certain level of competition for students to try," Professor Anh commented.

Sharing with Tuoi Tre Online , Master, Doctor Nguyen Minh Nghia - lecturer of the Department of Plastic Surgery, Hanoi Medical University, also a former resident doctor - said that in the past, only residents in the industry knew about resident doctors, but now they are popular because they spread on social networks.

Before 2018, when taking the residency exam, doctors had to choose a specialty before taking the exam. That meant that even if you scored very high, if you were not among the few quotas for the chosen specialty, you would still be eliminated. Very good people at that time had no chance to switch to another field, leading to a waste of talent.

To overcome the waste, from around 2018 (course 41-42), Hanoi Medical University has switched to the "Match Day" event, ranking from high to low scores, those with high scores can choose from available majors.

"Thanks to that, many good candidates still have the opportunity to enter residency even though their original major is full. This way of doing things by the school not only ensures fairness but also helps other majors to receive quality doctors," said Dr. Nghia.

Stay away from the "glitz" outside

Sharing advice for students who will continue their journey to become resident physicians, Professor Anh expects students to cultivate and practice ethics, professionalism, and skills to become talented doctors.

"Initially, you may be a bright star, but without effort in training and self-cultivation, that star will be overshadowed and faded very quickly. Residency is just the beginning of a new journey, you need to continue to cultivate, it is the result, not the complete achievement of a career," said Professor Anh.

Dr. Nghia also hopes that you will stay away from the "glitz" of the outside world before compliments about "the elite of the medical profession". Social networks only satisfy the "trend" of attention with stories of "handsome men, pretty women"... The core of a doctor is good expertise and knowledge.

"For me personally, after 3 years of residency (from 2012 - 2015), I was accepted into the department in March 2016. In 2017 - 2018, I continued studying in Japan and France, then continued to do research in the department, and this year I am about to complete it. The medical profession is hard because you have to study continuously, and the expertise changes every day.

Therefore, the journey ahead of you is still very long, with many hardships and challenges. Try to study and practice every day," Dr. Nghia advised.

WILLOW

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bac-si-noi-tru-sau-man-goi-ten-gay-bao-se-la-chang-duong-day-thu-thach-20250913144549631.htm