Competitive exams, hard studying.
Dr. Nguyen Tran Khanh Van, a third-year oncology resident at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said that the residency exam is highly competitive among doctors who have just graduated from universities in medical, dental, and traditional medicine fields.
"In most schools, resident doctors register for their specialty before the exam. Only a few schools allow registration after the exam results are announced, and the highest-scoring candidates get to choose their specialty first. In 'hot' specialties like dentistry, plastic surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, the competition is fierce because many doctors want to study them. Some specialties have competition ratios of up to several dozen," Dr. Khanh Van informed.
Dr. Nguyen Tran Khanh Van chose to pursue a residency program because it allowed her to practice and work like a real doctor, even though the process was very demanding.
PHOTO: NV
According to Dr. Khanh Van, to become a resident physician, students must take five exams, including two specialized subjects, one foundational subject, a foreign language, and probability and statistics.
Khanh Van stated that in Vietnam, doctors graduating from university have three career paths. One is to pursue 12 months of practical training (18 months prior to 2023) at hospitals to obtain a medical license, after which they can pursue specialization or a master's degree depending on their chosen field. However, most must be nominated by their current hospital, sometimes waiting several years before being allowed to study.
The second option is to pursue a master's degree immediately after graduation, earning a degree within two years, but some provinces will not issue practice licenses (before 2024). Doctors will have to wait an additional year to obtain a practice license (from 2024 onwards).
The most popular path is to pursue a residency program. Upon graduation, doctors receive a residency certificate, a specialist certificate (level 1), and a license to practice. If the university offers a master's program in that field, they can also receive a master's degree (if pursued concurrently).
Because residency programs are the quickest path to becoming both a highly skilled and licensed physician, they attract a huge number of applicants. The preparation process is also very intense; most students have to study on their own for months to a year beforehand, so passing the exam is a great source of pride.
However, the residency program is even more stressful and demanding than the six years of university studies.
Dr. Van shared: "Most of the time for resident doctors is spent at the hospital, working as actual hospital doctors, with tasks such as examining and treating patients, night shifts, and assisting in surgeries. Besides hospital work, we also have to collect samples for scientific research for our theses, work on specialized projects... Not to mention the time spent studying at school and the packed exam schedule. This means that resident doctors have to do many things at the same time to meet the requirements of their professors, department, school, and hospital."
With such intense and demanding study and work schedules, resident doctors must have exceptionally good health and excellent time management skills.
Specialties that attract the most resident doctors.
At the recent "Match Day" event at Hanoi Medical University, where resident doctors could choose their new specialty, 690 doctors had the opportunity to call out their specialty choices (out of a total of 39 specialties). Among the top 20 doctors who were called out first, 7 chose obstetrics and gynecology. The second most popular specialty was plastic surgery, with 4 people choosing it.
Young doctors recently participated in a "specialty selection" call-up session at Hanoi Medical University.
PHOTO: HANOI MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
Over the past few years, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy has admitted approximately 200 to 270 students annually into 26-28 residency programs. Doctors with the highest scores are given priority in choosing their specialties. Once a program has reached its quota, subsequent applicants must choose a different specialty.
Accordingly, the specialties with the highest enrollment quotas and attracting the most applicants are dentistry, diagnostic imaging, surgery, thoracic surgery, and internal medicine.
According to the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, dermatology is also very attractive, but the annual enrollment quota is not high. Therefore, the competition is very intense. Fields that very few doctors choose are tuberculosis and psychiatry, with some years only 2 or 3 doctors enrolling in these programs.
Currently, there are 13 universities nationwide that train resident physicians, including: Hanoi Medical University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Hue University), University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Thai Nguyen University), Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Health Sciences (Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City), Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Military Medical Academy, Academy of Traditional Medicine, and VinUni University.
Requirements for taking the residency exam
According to the Decision on the promulgation of regulations on resident physician training by the Ministry of Health, resident physician training is a specialized postgraduate training program in the health sector, aiming to train specialist doctors with a solid foundation in basic scientific knowledge, systematic specialized knowledge, high practical skills, and the ability to proactively and proficiently solve basic professional problems within their field of study.
Residency training is only for doctors who have recently graduated from a regular medical program at a Vietnamese medical university, medical-pharmaceutical university, or other training institution, who wish to study, voluntarily apply to take the entrance exam, and are only allowed to take it once immediately after graduating from university. They must also possess a university degree in a field corresponding to the specialty they are applying for, with a GPA of "good" or higher, be no older than 27, and be in good health to serve in the healthcare sector for an extended period.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bac-si-noi-tru-thi-gay-gat-hoc-khac-nghiet-nhung-van-thu-hut-vi-sao-185250913134320194.htm
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