Stopping Vietnamese-German Medical Training: Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine offers 3 solutions

GD&TĐ - Regarding the suspension of the Vietnamese-German Medical Program, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine proposed 3 solutions but there are still many challenges.

On the afternoon of October 22, the Board of Directors of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine had a meeting with parents and students of the Vietnam - Germany Medical Faculty (a joint program to train medical doctors with Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz - JGU, Germany).

Objective reasons and solutions

Sharing at the meeting, Associate Professor, Doctor, Pharmacist Nguyen Dang Thoai, Vice Principal in charge of management and operation of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, affirmed that the school had to stop the program from the 2024 school year entirely due to objective factors from the partner.

According to Mr. Thoai, the decision to terminate the cooperation was issued by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and Universitätsmedizin Mainz (Mainz University Medical Center) from June 2024. The underlying cause is due to changes in German policy: IMPP Institute (German Institute for Medical and Pharmaceutical Examinations) will stop providing the national M2 exam outside of Germany after 2027.

"This is a systematic change from Germany, not stemming from any violation or disagreement between the two training institutions. The school just received an official notice about this on October 8," said Mr. Thoai.

Student Thai Chanh Dat - Y2023 spoke at the meeting.

Mr. Thoai informed that for the 2025 enrollment, all students will be transferred to the school's regular medical doctor training program, starting from October 20, and tuition fees already paid will be refunded.

Particularly for students of the 2023 and 2024 classes, the school is focusing all resources to find solutions for students to complete the training program correctly. Three solutions have been proposed for implementation:

Solution 1: Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine will continue to negotiate with the German side to find and build a new training program, suitable for the change of German policy. This solution is expected to not only solve the problem for current students but also open up new cooperation opportunities in the future.

Second solution: The school will negotiate directly with the German National Institute for Medical Examinations (IMPP) to continue to allow the provision of M2 exam papers outside of Germany after 2027. If successful, this will be the most ideal solution for students of the 2023 and 2024 classes to complete their studies as originally planned.

Third solution: If the above two solutions fail, the school will organize for students of the 2023 and 2024 courses to take the M2 exam in Germany. However, this option comes with a prerequisite: students must have a C1 German certificate.

Mr. Thoai further explained that this exam is held twice a year in Germany, and students can retake it if they do not pass. In case students do not pass the M2 exam in Germany (and within 12 years from the date of admission), students can return to Vietnam to complete the medical training program in the country.

Many legal challenges

Also during the meeting, Professor Reinhard Urban - Co-Deputy Dean of the Vietnam-Germany Medical Faculty in Germany shared to clarify the barriers and challenges from the German side to the proposed solutions.

Regarding the first solution of building a new program, Professor Urban confirmed that this is a direction, however, he emphasized that this process is not simple. This new program needs the approval of the Ministry of Education (Minister) in Germany.

Overview of the meeting.

“This is a task that I will have to carry out when I return to Germany. This process takes time and cannot be guaranteed, which is why we have to stop recruiting for the class of 2025,” said Professor Urban.

The second solution is that we will extend the two courses 2023 and 2024 beyond 2027. This solution seems more difficult, because it requires the approval of both sides: Mainz University and IMPP. This is difficult, but it can be done.

In particular, Professor Urban clarified the difficulties of the third solution (students going to Germany to take the M2 exam). This is an option that does not require the consent of the governing bodies. According to Professor Urban, there are two major legal challenges:

Regarding the C1 German certificate, Professor Urban affirmed that this is a "mandatory" requirement and a "German law" that applies to all international students who want to register for the exam, not a specific regulation of Mainz or Pham Ngoc Thach.

As for the exam places, this is the biggest challenge. Professor Urban explained that in the old joint program, students' study and exam places in Germany were guaranteed. But with solution 3, students will have to apply themselves.

"Students may have to send letters to many universities to see which ones have vacancies... Universities in Germany all have regulations on the number of vacancies," Professor Urban analyzed.

Parents are confused, students are eager

Faced with the three solutions proposed by the school, parents and students said they were very difficult and uncertain.

Student representative of Class Y2023, Thai Chanh Dat, affirmed that the students are completely serious and committed to the path they have chosen, because the dream of studying in Mainz has an extremely great meaning.

Parents dialogue with the Board of Directors of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine.

They have demonstrated their ability and determination through very good results in the M1 transition exam. Many students have even made efforts to achieve the TestDaF 4 foreign language certificate in their second year, despite being under great academic pressure, to prepare for the clinical phase in Germany.

“We hope that Professor Urban and the school board will support us in delivering this letter. At the same time, we would like to ask the teachers to give the students the opportunity to complete the path that they and their families have chosen,” Dat said.

In addition, the letter from the parents expressed their deep gratitude for the program, considering it their children's "lifetime dream". The parents affirmed their absolute faith in German medical education and emphasized that the families had invested financially, time, and placed their full trust in the reputation of Mainz University.

Letter and signature of parents.

Despite being very proud of their children's recent high results in the M1 exam, parents expressed confusion and deep concern when they learned about some structural changes in the program's roadmap.

With this letter, parents earnestly hope that the school and institute will create conditions for students to continue on the path they have chosen until the end because this is the anchor for all the family's faith and hope.

In addition, many parents feel worried because of the requirement that students must achieve C1 in German and go to Germany to take the M2 exam in the third solution. This is an extremely big challenge, causing many costs, pressures and risks such as having to find an exam slot by themselves which was not originally in the training plan.

The Vietnam-Germany Medical Program started in 2013. To date, 99 doctors have graduated in Germany. Most of the doctors stay to work, and 8 doctors have returned to Vietnam. The program has tuition fees of up to more than 200 million VND per academic year. The study period lasts 6 years and 3 months; of which, 5 years in Vietnam and 1 year and 3 months of practice at hospitals in Germany. Currently, the 2023 class has 50 students, the 2024 class has 15 students and the 2025 class has 14 students.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/dung-dao-tao-y-viet-duc-truong-dh-y-khoa-pham-ngoc-thach-dua-ra-3-giai-phap-post753625.html