Professor David Gordon, president of the World Federation for Medical Education, speaks about training programmes including basic science, clinical medicine, ethics and medical law at a two-day conference ended on December 3 (Photo VNA) HCM City (VNA) - As Vietnam and its Southeast Asianneighbours integrate into the ASEAN bloc, which will require the free movementof health care workers and patients, there is an urgent need to update thecountry’s system of medical education including university curricula andapproaches to teaching and learning, according to medical professors.
Speaking at a two-day conference that ended on December 3 in Ho ChiMinh City, Professor David Gordon, president of the World Federation forMedical Education, said that a training programme should include not only basicscience and clinical medicine, but also teaching ethics and medical law, whichare clearly not optional.
Moreover, others subjects are important, such as health economics,anthropology and sociology, Gordon said.
“However, how do we decide how much should be offered in thesesubjects, and how they should be taught and learned?”
In thinking about these questions, medical universities shouldwork with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association, theWorld Medical Association, the International Committee of the Red Cross andothers, he added.
Gordon also highlighted the importance of accreditation of medicaleducation, which ensures that medical schools are educating doctors fit toserve the needs of the population where they function.
Accreditation also demonstrates to outside organisations andterritories that accredited medical schools are competent and produce doctorsat an accepted international standard, he added.
Peter Ellis, professor of Medicine and associate dean for MedicalEducation at Otago University in New Zealand and executive committee member ofthe Association for Medical Education in the Western Pacific Region, said thatmedical schools must have a programme of routine curriculum monitoring of processesand outcomes.
Currently, globalisation in medicine and medical education,medical migration, cross border education, and an explosion of medical schoolsare common challenges, Ellis said.
The First Annual National Vietnam Medical Education Conferencewith the theme of “Preparing the 21st Century Physician” was held by theUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy in HCM City, the Partnership for HealthAdvancement in Vietnam and United States Agency for International Development’s(USAID’s) Improving Access, Curriculum and Teaching in Medical Education andEmerging Diseases (IMPACT-MED) Alliance.
Speaking at the conference, the US Chargé d’affaires to VietnamCaryn McClelland, said that a robust, well-trained reactive health workforce iscritical to Vietnam’s sustainable and equitable development.
"Comprehensive reform of health-education curriculum is a bigundertaking but we are on the right track," McClelland added.
Associate Professor Dr Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Minister ofEducation and Training, said that medical education in the world has innovatedtoward applying advanced technologies in teaching and learning, so the countryshould begin step-by-step to integrate into this innovation.
The conference attracted 400 leaders in medical education,students and faculty from Vietnam and around the world.
The conference aims to stimulate discussions among medicaleducation experts, inspire further innovations, and foster a community ofmedical educators invested in advancing medical education, research, qualityimprovement and patient care.
Economic growth and demographic changes are driving demand fordeveloping healthcare services throughout Vietnam.
Having a responsibility for developing national strategies andprogrammes, planning and budgeting, manpower allocation and supervision ofnational institutions, the Vietnam’s Ministry of Health encourages theimprovement of the health care system and emphasises investing in medicaleducation and primary care.-VNA
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