After many years as Head of the Department of Microbiology - Fungi - Parasitology at the Central Dermatology Hospital, Dr. Tran Cam Van is currently Head of the Research and Development Department of the National Health Information Center ( Ministry of Health ) and in charge of the Thien Van Cosmetic Dermatology Clinic.
Sowing the seeds of love for the profession from mother's love
Born and raised in a family with a medical tradition in Nam Dinh , Dr. Tran Cam Van seemed to be "destined" to pursue a career in medicine. Her grandfather was a traditional healer, treating people in the area, and her mother was a pediatrician at a hospital in Nam Dinh. Many relatives in the family are involved in the medical field. In that environment, little Van grew up following her mother on duty and going to see patients at the district hospital. Her grandfather, mother and family were all sources of inspiration that motivated her to pursue her dream and responsibility as a physician.
Doctor Van shared that she still remembers clearly the early mornings when she followed her mother to work and examined patients in the Pediatrics department. At that time, she witnessed sick children, crying and then being comforted and cared for by her mother with the gentleness and determination of a doctor. Those experiences were imprinted in her mind, and when she entered the Biology team and won third prize at the provincial level, she chose the medical profession as a matter of course.
After much deliberation, she decided to choose Microbiology - Fungi - Parasitology and Dermatology, a major that, although not as emergency as internal medicine and surgery, has in-depth research and a great impact on the quality of life of patients.
Discover global medical value
In her doctoral thesis defended in 2018, she proved the cause of pityriasis versicolor - a common skin disease whose nature has long been unclear. This is one of the rare achievements of a Vietnamese doctor - scientist, which has a direct impact on medical teaching and practice.
During her efforts to contribute to medicine, one of the cases that Dr. Tran Cam Van will always remember is an 18-year-old female patient in 2019-2020 who suffered severe nasal damage due to a deep fungal infection, rare in the world - dimorphic fungal disease. The disease caused the girl's nose to deviate, seriously affecting her aesthetics and psychology. However, with her expertise, Dr. Tran Cam Van helped the patient to be diagnosed early with in-depth testing, to provide an appropriate treatment regimen. After 6-8 months of treatment, the girl fully recovered. This is one of the rare cases of dimorphic fungal infection that was discovered, successfully treated, recorded and became valuable data in medical literature.
During the intense years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Tran Cam Van received a female patient with severe knee damage. The patient had been treated in many places for 4 years, and had tendon replacement surgery, but the condition did not improve. When Dr. Van received this patient, her team discovered the cause: a type of bacteria previously known to cause lung disease, now identified as a skin cause - something that had never been published. Although the patient did not survive due to the prolonged illness, this discovery opened up new research and treatment directions for Vietnamese medicine.
From the clinic to the patient's heart
Not only is she highly regarded for her expertise, Dr. Van is also known for her dedication and closeness to her patients. She shared that she received many thank-you letters, touching poems, and gifts from her hometown sent to the hospital as a token of gratitude. These small things are proof of her enthusiasm for the country's medical profession and her compassion for the patients she has examined and treated.
Another memory, the elderly teacher traveled from Nghe An to Hanoi at 2am for a check-up. When she met Dr. Van, she offered money to see her first, but she did not accept the money and continued to examine her wholeheartedly. Later, they became close, and the patient wrote a letter to the hospital director to express her gratitude to Dr. Van. The letter to the hospital director was titled "The way I treat others makes them feel my heart".
Because of this, Dr. Van is also a prominent figure in the medical trade union activities, always caring for and protecting the rights and spiritual life of medical staff.
After many years of working and holding the role of Head of the Department of Microbiology - Fungi - Parasitology at the Central Dermatology Hospital, Dr. Tran Cam Van is currently Head of the Research and Development Department of the National Health Information Center (Ministry of Health). In this new position, she and other experts focus on the mission of digital transformation of the medical industry, especially the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in data management, supporting remote diagnosis and treatment.
She added: "The medical industry is already overloaded, especially in remote areas, so implementing remote medical examination and treatment and AI-assisted diagnosis will help people access better quality medical services faster." In an era where data is a valuable resource, Dr. Van sees an opportunity to digitize health records, diagnosis, treatment, etc., helping to improve management efficiency and save time and costs for both people and medical staff.
Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/tsbs-tran-cam-van-truong-thanh-tu-truyen-thong-gia-dinh-2025070410003176.htm
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