Ho Chi Minh City Attracts Numerous Foreign Doctors, Medical Students

The number of foreign doctors and students coming to Cho Ray Hospital to study has rapidly increased, thanks to the prestigious staff and high-tech facilities.
October 17, 2023 | 14:56

In 2023, it is estimated that 240 students from England, America, Germany, Japan, Hungary, Austria, Australia, and other countries will come to Cho Ray Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City) to study medicine. These medical students are spread evenly in most specialties such as tropical diseases, resuscitation & emergency, respiratory, hepatobiliary and pancreatic, hematology, cardiovascular, and plastic surgery.

The information is provided by the Associate Professor. Dr. Lam Viet Trung, Deputy Director of Cho Ray Hospital, in the presentation “International Cooperation to develop intensive healthcare, creating competitive advantages,” which will be presented at the Conference “Solutions to Achieve the Goal of Becoming an ASEAN Regional Health Care Center." The Conference is organized by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with Tien Phong Newspaper and related units on the morning of October 19.

Statistics from Cho Ray Hospital show that 3 Indonesian doctors came to the hospital to learn about liver surgery in the liver tumor department in 2022. By this year, there have been 8 doctors from Indonesia and the Philippines coming to study specialized techniques in liver tumors, endoscopy, and gastrointestinal surgery.

The number of students from developed countries coming to Cho Ray Hospital to study has also increased rapidly.

In 2022, 70 students from England, America, Germany, Japan, Hungary, Austria, and Australia came to study. By 2023, this number will increase to 240 students, spread evenly across most specialties.

Ho Chi Minh City Attracts Numerous Foreign Doctors, Medical Students
The field of medical training and practice in Ho Chi Minh City is attracting domestic and international doctors and students. (Photo: TPO)

According to Associate Professor. Dr. Le Minh Khoi, Head of Science and Training Department of the Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, in the first 6 months of this year, there were 123 foreign students studying at the hospital. In addition, domestic medical facilities and universities annually send hundreds of students to Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital for practice.

Associate Professor. Dr. Lam Viet Trung assessed that hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City attract foreign students and develop specialized medical care due to the presence of special-class general hospitals with specialized departments and capable staff with great reputations domestically and globally. Besides, the combined hospital-university model brings many positive results.

However, there are still difficulties in investing in equipment, uneven foreign language proficiency of the staff, unsynchronized information technology systems, or the effectiveness of promoting international cooperation when organizing specialized seminars.

In addition to accepting foreign students, the treatment of foreign patients in Ho Chi Minh City also recorded significant achievements. In September 2023, Cho Ray Hospital received a Filipino patient for examination and surgery in treating esophageal cardia cancer.

“International cooperation is an inevitable trend for the development of specialized healthcare. Therefore, it is necessary to further promote international cooperation so that Vietnam's healthcare system can compete with other countries in the region,” said Associate Professor Dr. Lam Viet Trung.

Conference “Solutions to Achieve the Goal of Becoming an ASEAN Regional Health Care Center” includes 1 plenary session and 2 thematic sessions about developing specialized medical care for domestic and international patients; and getting ready for the goal of becoming an ASEAN regional health care center.

Each session will be attended and discussed by speakers from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, Departments of Health of provinces and cities, hospitals, medical training institutes, and schools across the country. The Conference will be held at Hong Bang International University (Ho Chi Minh City) and live on the digital platforms of Tien Phong newspaper and co-organizing partners.

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