After six years of medical training, doctors in Vietnam will still need to pass a national competency examination before receiving licences to practise in healthcare facilities. The requirement aims to ensure professional standards and patient safety across the healthcare system.

According to Professor Nguyen Viet Tien, standing vice chairman of the National Medical Council, the council plans to organise the first national competency examination for medical practice in December 2027.

The exam will initially apply to four professional groups: general practitioners, preventive medicine doctors, traditional medicine doctors and dentists.

Candidates must hold a degree in one of these specialties and complete the required practical training period stipulated under the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.

The examination is expected to be organised at six locations nationwide to make participation more convenient for candidates. Examination centres will be selected based on strict criteria relating to infrastructure, technology and safety standards.

The test will take the form of multiple-choice questions conducted on computers.

“The goal is to ensure that practising doctors meet competency standards issued by the Ministry of Health. This will help standardise the quality of medical training and enhance patient safety across the healthcare system,” Professor Tien said.

He noted that the competency assessment is not only a legal requirement under the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment but also aligns with international trends in standardising the medical workforce.

Facing concerns about the large number of candidates - around 10,000 medical graduates each year - Professor Nguyen Huu Tu, rector of Hanoi Medical University and head of the examination organising committee, said the process is entirely feasible.

According to him, the system can operate effectively as long as multiple qualified centres participate in organising the exam.

“Only units that meet strict requirements in infrastructure, technology and security will be recognised as testing centres,” he said.

Doctor Ha Anh Duc, director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management under the Ministry of Health and vice chairman of the National Medical Council, also said the number of candidates is manageable.

Compared with other competency-based examinations that attract hundreds of thousands of participants, an annual exam for about 10,000 candidates is not excessively large.

The key challenge, he noted, is ensuring safety, accuracy and objectivity in every stage of the examination process.

Technology will be applied to monitor the exam closely, and organisers will carefully calculate appropriate methods to ensure the process remains efficient while accurately assessing candidates’ true competence.

Participants will be responsible for paying the examination fee required for the competency assessment.

Positive pressure for medical schools

Currently, Vietnam has 34 higher education institutions offering medical training, including 18 public universities and 16 private institutions.

Professor Nguyen Viet Tien said the annual competency assessment will create pressure on training institutions regarding the quality of their graduates. However, he described this as a positive form of pressure.

After each exam cycle, schools with a higher proportion of graduates failing the assessment will need to review their training programmes and teaching quality. Conversely, institutions with high pass rates will strengthen their reputations.

The yearly assessment is expected to serve as a major milestone for young doctors beginning their professional careers.

Doctors who do not pass the exam will be allowed to retake it, although within reasonable limits.

“We must place patient safety above all else. If a candidate does not meet the minimum competency requirement, they cannot be allowed to practise,” Professor Tien emphasised.

“If a doctor fails the exam multiple times, it is clear that they may need to consider another career path.”

Standardising medical graduates through a national competency examination is expected to help improve the overall quality of the medical workforce and strengthen public trust in the healthcare system.

Under Clause 3, Article 120 of the 2023 Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, the National Medical Council is responsible for conducting competency assessments for medical practitioners according to the following timeline.

From January 1, 2027, the requirement will apply to doctors.

From January 1, 2028, it will apply to medical assistants, nurses and midwives.

From January 1, 2029, it will extend to medical technicians, clinical nutrition specialists, emergency medical responders and clinical psychologists.

As a result, all healthcare professionals will eventually be required to pass a competency assessment before receiving licences to practise.

Phuong Thuy