What does the Ministry of Health say?

As Thanh Nien newspaper has reported, in recent days there has been public uproar over some universities including literature in their medical school admissions. Many experts in the field of university admissions and training in general, and medicine in particular, believe that this is an "unusual" combination for medical school admissions and are concerned about the risk of compromising the quality of training.

THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH PAYS SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE QUALITY OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE MEDICAL SECTOR.

On May 26th, in an interview with Thanh Nien newspaper , Associate Professor Nguyen Hoang Long, Director of the Department of Science and Technology - Training (ST&T) of the Ministry of Health , stated that after reading the information in the press, the leaders of the Ministry of Health as well as the ST&T Department were concerned because it was unclear how this admission method would affect the quality of training at schools using "unusual" subject combinations for health science programs.

According to Associate Professor Nguyen Hoang Long, the Ministry of Education and Training is the state management agency for the field of training in general, including training in the health sector. The Ministry of Health is the professional management agency of the health sector, participating in the management of medical personnel training within its assigned authority.

Activities related to ensuring the quality of medical personnel training at universities are of particular concern to the Ministry of Health, including the quality of student intake.

For example, the Ministry of Health is responsible for developing and issuing, within its authority, or submitting to competent authorities for issuance, strategies and plans for training human resources in the health sector, as well as specific mechanisms and policies in training human resources in the health sector, and guiding their implementation. It also develops and issues professional competency standards for healthcare as a basis for building and developing training program standards and output standards for various levels of healthcare human resource training; coordinates with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to develop training program standards and output standards for each sector and level of healthcare human resource training. It also guides, inspects, and evaluates, within its authority, the implementation of legal regulations in the training of healthcare human resources. Inspecting and reviewing the assurance of requirements in organizing practical training for the practical training facilities of educational institutions in health science training... Therefore, activities related to the conditions for ensuring the quality of training medical personnel at universities are of particular concern to the Ministry of Health, including the quality of input.

THE UNIVERSITY NEEDS TO PROVIDE A DETAILED EXPLANATION.

Regarding admissions activities, Circular 08/2022/TT-BGDĐT, issued by the Ministry of Education and Training on June 6, 2022, stipulates that educational institutions (hereinafter referred to as universities) decide on the admission method, applying it uniformly to the entire institution or specifically to certain programs, majors, fields, and forms of training, including the combination of subjects for the entrance exam. However, this circular also requires that the combination of subjects used by universities for admission must include at least three subjects that are appropriate to the characteristics and requirements of the training program.

Specifically, Clause 5, Article 6 of Circular 08 clearly states: "Training institutions are responsible for explaining the scientific and practical basis for determining the admission method, selection method, selection combination, and allocation of admission quotas; including basing this on analysis, evaluation, and comparison of the academic results of admitted students each year."

Therefore, including literature in the admission criteria for health-related majors at some universities is the prerogative of those universities, but those universities are responsible for explaining the basis for this choice.

From the perspective of the medical training management agency, the Department of Science and Technology - Training is very interested in knowing the specific details of the explanation provided by the universities to the Ministry of Education and Training. For health science admissions, four subjects are considered very important: mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. These four subjects are used to form two subject combinations: B00 (mathematics - chemistry - biology) and A00 (mathematics - physics - chemistry).

So, are they including Literature as a basis for admission, essentially adding it to the two traditional subject combinations B00 and A00? Or are they replacing one subject, and which subject in which combination is it replacing?... These are the questions the Department of Science and Technology and Training wants to know, as they affect the quality of student intake for training programs in the healthcare sector.

On the other hand, the Department of Science and Technology - Training is not only concerned with the admission methods and admission combinations for the medical field, but also for all 17 majors in health-related training. "There are 66 schools nationwide currently training in health-related fields, with a total enrollment target of 37,512 in 2022, of which doctor-related majors (medical, traditional medicine, dentistry) only account for a small portion," Associate Professor Nguyen Hoang Long explained.

According to a representative from the Department of Science and Technology - Training, Ministry of Health, four subjects are considered very important for admission to health-related fields: mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.

We need to recruit and train students responsibly.

Associate Professor Nguyen Hoang Long also emphasized that regarding state management in the field of education and training, the Ministry of Health does not have control, but with the implementation of the newly enacted Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, doctors graduating from medical schools are only allowed to practice after passing an examination that the Ministry of Health is responsible for organizing, implementing, and conducting. This means that regardless of which university they attend, students wishing to practice must take a competency assessment exam conducted by the National Medical Council. This organization, established by the Prime Minister, has the function of independently assessing the professional competence of medical examination and treatment practitioners. Taking exams to obtain a professional practice certificate in the health sector is something developed countries have been doing for a long time, but it will be implemented in Vietnam in the near future when the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment is applied.

"If this year's candidates are admitted, they will only graduate in six years. Their cohort will certainly have to take a competency assessment exam before they can practice. Therefore, the Department of Science and Technology and Training hopes that schools offering health-related programs will be highly responsible in their admissions and training to ensure quality, so that students don't waste six years studying only to graduate with inadequate knowledge and skills and fail the exams," Associate Professor Long advised.

The Minister of Health will discuss the matter with the Minister of Education and Training.

Associate Professor Nguyen Hoang Long added: "The fact that some universities include literature in their entrance exam combinations for health-related majors is also of great concern to the Ministry of Health's leadership. Yesterday, the Minister asked me about this, and I replied that the admission regulations, including the regulations on entrance exam combinations, are issued by the Ministry of Education and Training. I understand that the Minister will have a direct discussion with Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son to request that the Ministry of Education and Training pay attention to the quality of admissions for health-related majors. Later, if deemed necessary, the Department of Science and Technology and Training will advise the Ministry of Health to send a letter to the Ministry of Education and Training, requesting clarification on this matter."

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