Ho Chi Minh City, December 2, 2017 - Today, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Improving Access, Curriculum and Teaching in Medical Education and Emerging Diseases (IMPACT-MED) Alliance held the First Annual National Vietnam Medical Education Conference at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers in Ho Chi Minh City. The conference, lasting two days, is co-organized with the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy and focused on “Preparing the 21st Century Physician.” The U.S. Chargé d'affaires to Vietnam Caryn McClelland opened the conference along with the Vice Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc and the Director of Ho Chi Minh City Health Department Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh.

USAID’s IMPACT-MED Alliance is a public-private partnership bringing together a diverse group of university, public and private sector partners. The project goal is to build a strong and effective health workforce in Vietnam that can effectively respond to 21st century priorities and contribute to the health resilience and health security of the country.

This inaugural Medical Education Conference has attracted 300 leaders in medical education, students, and faculty from Vietnam and around the world. It offers a unique opportunity for educators and leaders from medical universities in Vietnam to share innovations and advances in medical education. The conference will also stimulate discussions among medical education experts, inspire further innovation, and foster a community of medical educators invested in advancing medical education, research quality, and patient care.

International experts in the field of medical education and healthcare will speak on topics including “Trends in medical education in the 21st century around the world,” “Quality assurance and accreditation in medical education,” and “Reforming and improving the training of doctors – the difficulties, the complexities and the necessity.” The conference has three internationally renowned experts in medical education as keynote speakers - Professor David Gordon (President of the World Federation for Medical Education), Professor Peter Ellis (Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Medical Education at Otago University, Wellington, New Zealand, and executive committee member of the Association for Medical Education in the Western Pacific Region), and Professor Erik K. Alexander (Executive Director of the Brigham Education Institute, Director of Undergraduate Medical Education at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School).

In anticipation of the conference, IMPACT-MED organized a national essay contest for Vietnamese medical students. The theme of the contest was “Who is the 21st Century Vietnamese Physician?” The contest created a platform for medical students to reflect on the essential values and priorities of a Vietnamese physician. Nearly 200 submissions were received from medical students across Vietnam. The winner of the national essay contest will be announced and read at the conference.

To learn more about IMPACT-MED, visit: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1861/FS_IMPACT-MED_Nov2017_Eng.pdf