Sending a question to the Ministry of Health, reader V.D.T said: I am a Grade IV general practitioner, sent to study by the agency in 2017, and graduated as a medical doctor (medical doctor in 2022).
May I ask, can I be promoted from Grade IV General practitioner to Grade III Medical Doctor or be considered for a professional title transfer from doctor to doctor? What are the procedures and authority for considering job title transfer?
Regarding this issue, the Ministry of Health responded as follows:
On May 27, 2015, the Ministry of Health coordinated with the Ministry of Home Affairs to issue Joint Circular No. 10/2015/TTLT-BYT-BNV stipulating codes and standards for professional titles of doctors, preventive medicine doctors, and nurses, which stipulated three groups of professional titles of doctors, preventive medicine doctors, and nurses in the same Joint Circular but with 4 front numbers in different professional title codes due to different tasks, professional competence standards and requirements for different professional training levels (doctors, preventive medicine doctors have 6 years of training; intermediate-level doctors have 2 years of training).
The title of doctor or preventive medicine doctor does not have a professional title of grade IV, however, according to the classification of professional titles, the title of doctor is not the lower rank of the professional title of doctor or preventive medicine doctor.
Currently, a medical professional title is stipulated in the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023, with the function of providing and performing initial health care services with the scope of professional activities stipulated in Circular No. 32/2023/TT-BYT dated December 31, 2023 of the Minister of Health.
In recent years, health workers holding the professional title of physician have effectively served the needs of people's health care at grassroots health care levels.
Recently, to improve their professional qualifications and skills, health workers have been recruited with the professional title of Grade IV Physician, have studied and have a doctor's degree, and have been granted a practice license under the professional scope of doctors.
These officials have the standards, conditions, professional competence, and skills of the professional title of Doctor Grade III and are in accordance with the professional title of Doctor and the scope of practice prescribed in the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, meeting the training standards of the professional title of Doctor Grade III to be promoted to the title of Doctor Grade III if they meet all other standards and conditions as prescribed.
For civil servants of class V and civil servants of class IV, considering promotion to the next professional title rank (class IV and class III) according to the provisions of Clause 2, Article 32 of Decree No. 115/2020/ND-CP (amended and supplemented in Clause 16, Article 1 of Decree No. 85/2023/ND-CP) if they meet the prescribed standards and conditions.
