Standardizing doctor capacity and medical titles

(Chinhphu.vn) – In the trend of globalization and international integration, standardizing the capacity of doctors and medical titles is an urgent requirement to recognize degrees and certificates among countries; creating conditions for Vietnamese doctors and medical staff to practice abroad and vice versa.

The National Medical Council has just announced 33 members for the 2025-2030 term - Photo: VGP/HM

The National Medical Council has just announced 33 members for the 2025-2030 term. This organization is responsible for independently assessing the medical practice capacity of 8 positions, including: doctors, physicians, nurses, midwives, medical technicians, clinical nutritionists, outpatient emergency personnel, and clinical psychologists.

The National Medical Council was established under the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15 and Decision No. 827/QD-TTg dated August 13, 2024 of the Prime Minister. This is an important milestone in the process of improving the quality of medical practice, protecting patients, promoting standardization, professionalization and international integration of the Vietnamese health sector.

According to this Decision, the Chairman of the National Medical Council is Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan; the Standing Vice Chairman of the Association is Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Tien, former Deputy Minister of Health and 2 Vice Chairmen are Dr. Ha Anh Duc, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management; Dr. Nguyen Ngo Quang, Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Training.

The Council members include 33 representatives of medical examination and treatment facilities, health sector training facilities, professional associations and health sector experts, and representatives of state management agencies. The members are appointed and dismissed by the Chairman of the National Medical Council and work part-time.

The National Medical Council has a great responsibility, not only in terms of technology and expertise, but also in terms of national strategy in developing high-quality medical human resources to meet the increasing demands of society.

Deputy Minister of Health, Chairman of the National Medical Council Tran Van Thuan speaks at the announcement ceremony - Photo: VGP/NN

There is no national exam to issue medical practice certificates.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that in the trend of globalization and international integration, standardizing the capacity of doctors and medical titles is an urgent requirement to recognize degrees and certificates among countries; at the same time, creating conditions for Vietnamese doctors and medical staff to practice abroad and vice versa.

"The establishment of the National Medical Council is very necessary. Currently, Vietnam does not have a national exam to grant medical practice certificates like many developed countries. The establishment of the National Medical Council aims to organize an exam to assess medical practice capacity according to international standards, creating an independent and objective inspection system.

At the same time, having an independent assessment agency will force medical training institutions to improve teaching quality and output, avoiding mass training. Thereby, only those with professional qualifications and ethics will be granted practice licenses," the Minister of Health emphasized.

The Commander of the Health Sector also said that the establishment of the National Medical Council will contribute to tighter control of compliance with ethical standards, expertise and medical examination and treatment procedures. This will protect the rights of patients and limit medical errors.

Accordingly, the National Medical Council will advise the Government and the Ministry of Health to standardize, professionalize and modernize the Vietnamese medical sector, from training to practice, ensuring people's rights and integrating with international standards.

In the coming time, the Minister of Health requested the National Medical Council to urgently develop a set of tools to assess medical examination and treatment practice capacity and a process to assess medical examination and treatment practice capacity based on science, applying high technology, ensuring objectivity, transparency, and conformity with Vietnam's practice and international development.

Strengthening coordination with medical training institutions, medical examination and treatment facilities, medical professional associations; enhancing scientific research, learning international experiences, strongly applying information technology, digital transformation and artificial intelligence in the work of assessing and managing the assessment of medical examination and treatment practice capacity...

From 2027, testing and assessing professional capacity for the title of doctor

Expressing the honor and great responsibility assigned by the National Medical Council, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, Chairman of the National Medical Council, said that according to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, the National Medical Council has the duty to independently assess the capacity to practice medical examination and treatment for 8 positions, including: doctors, physicians, nurses, midwives, medical technicians, clinical nutritionists, outpatient emergency personnel and clinical psychologists.

The organization of medical examination and treatment capacity assessment will be implemented from January 1, 2027, with the following roadmap:

-From January 1, 2027 for the title of doctor;

-From January 1, 2028 for the positions of physician, nurse, midwife;

-From January 1, 2029 for the positions of medical technician, clinical nutritionist, outpatient emergency worker and clinical psychologist.

Thus, the preparation for the medical examination and treatment competency assessment for the title of doctor is about 18 months away.

Therefore, Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan assessed that the appointment of members of the National Medical Council who are knowledgeable, dedicated, and have extensive experience in management and professional activities is a very important step in perfecting the organization and accelerating the process of independent assessment of medical examination and treatment practice capacity.

In the context of the health system facing many changes such as adapting to the transformation of two-level local government, the overload of central-level medical examination and treatment facilities, complicated epidemics, financial autonomy mechanism of public medical examination and treatment facilities... experts said that ensuring the medical staff has adequate professional capacity, ethics, and professional skills is an extremely key factor.

Thuy Ha

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/chuan-hoa-nang-luc-bac-sy-va-cac-chuc-danh-y-te-102250626161032886.htm