VietNamNet Bridge - The private Hanoi Business and Technology University has been told to stop training general practitioners after the school called up students who got an 18 score on the national high-school finals. State-owned medical schools only accept students with a 24 score or higher.

Experts have once again warned about the quality of future physicians as many medical schools set very low scores for incoming students. 

The Hanoi Business & Technology University said that students with 18 score would be admitted to the general practice (GP) faculty. Facing strong opposition from the public, the school raised the minimum to 20. 

However, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) immediately asked the school to stop enrolling students for the training major. Nguyen Thi Kim Phung from the ministry said that the school violated regulations because there had been no final decision by MOET and the Ministry of Health (MOH) on whether to allow it to train general practitioners. 

At state-owned schools, lecturers have to retire at a certain age. Lists of lecturers shown by private schools include lecturers who have retired from state-owned schools.

A document released by inspectors on December 23, 2015 says that the school would be allowed to register the pharmacy training major from 2016 if it fulfills the contract on buying equipment for training worth VND23 billion, employs at least one more lecturer with a master’s degree in analysis and testing, and reports to relevant ministries.

As for GP program, the two ministries will allow it to register training if the school can expand its staff and employ one obstetrics PhD and six permanent lecturers in six learning subjects.

The university is not the only school setting low admission requirements. 

Vo Truong Toan University, for example, announced it admitted the students with 20 exam scores and higher for the GP faculty, as did Buon Ma Thuot and Duy Tan universities. Meanwhile, students just need to have a 19 score to be eligible for Tan Tao University.

In 2015, the public was stirred up by information that the Hanoi Business & Technology University could train GPs because people doubted the training capability of the school. Deputy Minister Vu Duc Dam then instructed MOH and MOET to inspect the school. The inspectors decided that the school needs to improve staff and buy more equipment for training. 

Nguyen Duc Hinh, rector of the Hanoi Medical University, who was a member of the inspection team, commented that there were many legal loopholes for private schools to exploit.

At state-owned schools, lecturers have to retire at a certain age. Lists of lecturers shown by private schools include lecturers who have retired from state-owned schools. 

Tien Phong