On the afternoon of October 22, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine held a meeting with parents and students of the 2023 and 2024 courses after the school stopped the Vietnam - Germany Medical Training Program.
Here, many parents expressed their concerns and asked questions related to the training program, the exam, as well as the regimes and benefits for students studying the Vietnam - Germany medical program in the coming time.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Dang Thoai - Vice Principal in charge of operations and management of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine said that according to the cooperation agreement for the period 2022-2027, the program includes 6 school years (5 years in Vietnam, 1 year in Germany).
However, by 2023, Germany announced that there will be a major change in the national medical training policy, specifically the German National Medical Testing Institute (IMPP) will stop providing exam questions and organizing the M1 and M2 exams for students outside of Germany from December 31, 2027.
In June 2024, Johannes Gutenberg Mainz University sent a document terminating the cooperation, and recently on September 26, 2025, the IMPP Supervisory Council officially announced that it would not sign an extension and would only maintain support for existing courses until graduation (expected in 2030). Therefore, the Vietnam - Germany medicine program was forced to stop from the 2025-2026 school year.
"Thus, according to the signed regulations, students studying (c course 2023 and 2024) will be guaranteed to complete the program until graduation," said Mr. Thoai.
Mr. Thoai added that the school has proposed 3 solutions to continue implementing the program for students in the 2023 and 2024 courses.
First, it will continue to negotiate with Johannes Gutenberg Mainz University and relevant agencies to develop a new cooperation program, in line with German medical reform regulations.
Second, it will work directly with the IMPP through diplomatic channels, in order to find a mechanism to extend the organization of the M2 exam in Vietnam until 2030.
The third option will organize for students in the 2023 and 2024 M2 exams directly in Germany, provided that they achieve the C1 German language certificate, meeting the practical requirements of the German health system.
"In case students do not pass the M2 exam after three exams (according to German regulations), the school will still ensure that they complete the general medicine program in Vietnam, within a maximum of 12 years according to current regulations," Mr. Thoai added.
Mr. Thoai affirmed that he will ensure the learning rights of students. At the same time, he also directly apologized to students and parents for the incident that occurred outside the school's control.
