The national medical council yesterday coordinated with the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City and Yonsei University (Korea) to organize an international conference on medical education with the theme 'Medical practice licensing exams – governance, policy and practice'.
This activity is designed to prepare for the examination assessing medical practice competency for doctors. The conference was attended by Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training, medical and pharmaceutical universities across the country, and international organizations.
At the conference, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan highlighted that organizing medical practice licensing examinations is a strategic reform outlined in the 2023 amended Law on Medical Examination and Treatment. This initiative is part of a roadmap to standardize healthcare professionals, improve the quality of the medical workforce, and promote international integration in the medical sector.
This conference marks a significant turning point, ushering in a new phase in the training and quality control of the medical team. Instead of solely relying on diplomas and administrative procedures as before, future doctors will have to undergo a rigorous, objective, and transparent system for assessing practical skills and professional ethics.
According to the Deputy Minister, the National Medical Council - an independent body established by the Prime Minister - has been paving the way for the medical practice competency assessment examination. This includes strengthening the council’s organizational structure, personnel, office, and specialized committees; developing and issuing a toolkit for evaluating medical examination and treatment competency; designing the process for conducting competency assessments prior to issuing practice licenses. More significantly, the National Medical Council enhances international cooperation to adopt organizational models from advanced countries.
The Deputy Minister of Health highly appreciated the cooperation of higher education institutions, vocational education institutions, and practical training facilities in the health sector, as well as international organizations in this challenging journey of innovation.
Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan affirmed that moving forward, the National Medical Council will maintain a scientific and impartial approach, fostering international cooperation to establish a standardized and transparent system for assessing medical practice competency. This effort aims to elevate the reputation of Vietnam's healthcare sector on the global stage.
