Young doctor before practicing competency test
Receiving information that doctors must undergo a professional competency assessment test, a young doctor working at the A9 Emergency Center, Bach Mai Hospital shared that he is quite worried because this is a new requirement and has important significance for the professional process. However, he also sees this as an opportunity to reassess his knowledge and skills. He plans to systemize his knowledge in the coming time, focusing on common clinical situations and exchanging with colleagues to be more confident before the exam.
The first professional competency test is expected to take place in March, receiving applications in January; the second test is expected to be held in December, receiving applications in September 2027. This is the first time Vietnam has organized a professional competency assessment test for medical examination and treatment for doctors, implemented according to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023 and Decree 96/2023/ND-CP.
The test is expected to be held directly on computers or tablets at the announced locations. The content will be built separately for each title and field of practice, instead of applying a common structure. The form of questions, capacity domains, list of essential professional issues, structure and matrix of test questions will be specifically regulated by the National Medical Council.
The National Medical Council requests training institutions in health sectors to disseminate information so that learners can proactively prepare, update requirements and complete dossiers.
According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Tien, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Medical Council, practicing capacity assessment aims at comprehensive assessment, combining professional knowledge, practical skills, situation handling ability and practical professional capacity, with a focus on patient safety and improving the quality of medical examination and treatment.
Based on data from training institutions and the number of doctors graduating annually, the National Medical Council estimates that about 14,000-15,000 candidates are eligible to register for the 2027 examination, belonging to the above 4 titles.
The selection of these 4 titles in the first phase is explained by the fact that doctors are the key medical force, directly making many clinical decisions that affect the health and life of patients. The four titles also cover core clinical and preventive fields. This is a roadmap that has been stipulated by law: From January 1, 2027, competency assessment tests applied to doctor titles; medical assistants, nurses, midwives will be implemented in 2028 and medical technical titles in 2029.
The Council surveyed 38 universities in the health sector with information technology infrastructure that meets the requirements. In the first phase of 2027, to control technical procedures and information security, it is expected to select and appraise qualified facilities in 3 regions: Northern, Central and Southern.
Candidates must meet the requirements for a degree, complete 12 months of clinical practice at a qualified medical facility; resident doctors must complete the training program according to regulations.
The test does not replace training or practice but aims to assess competence before practicing independently. In case it is not achieved, candidates can re-register, without limiting the number of times.
Need to standardize to avoid creating a burden for doctors
According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Tien, checking and evaluating competence before issuing a practicing license is an important step in managing the quality of medical practitioners, supplementing an objective and unified nationwide verification mechanism.
The goal is to build a team of doctors with solid expertise, minimize medical incidents and contribute to ensuring patient safety.
Dr. Nguyen Tan Van, Deputy Head of the Department of Odonto-Stomatology, E Hospital; Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy - Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said that the examination and assessment of practicing capacity for medical examination and treatment needs to be standardized, avoiding creating a burden for doctors.
According to him, the competency assessment exam after medical graduation is necessary, in line with the standardization trend in many countries. However, the criteria and content of the exam questions must be clear, fair and suitable to the training reality in Vietnam.
Dr. Nguyen Tan Van said that there needs to be a common standard on the scope of knowledge and the level of requirements, especially for clinical situations, so that students know what they need to learn and avoid exam questions depending on the views of a few question setters.
He noted that doctor training is inherently long with 6 years of medical training, after which they can continue to study inpatients and specialists. Therefore, the examination needs to have a clear orientation, avoiding becoming a burden for new graduates.
Dr. Nguyen Tan Van said that inspection is necessary to standardize quality, but it is necessary to design in accordance with Vietnamese reality, publicize criteria, scope of knowledge and level of requirements.
