Phan Thi Huyen Thuong’s (born in 1988) path to becoming a doctor was ignited since she was a child, every time she followed her grandfather (an obstetrician) to the hospital. With diligence, intelligence and admirable perseverance, the desire to “treat people” gradually brought the little girl Thuong into the specialized Biology class at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted (Vinh City) and passed the entrance exam to Hanoi Medical University.
In 2012, after graduating from university, Thuong officially became a general practitioner with the happiness of following her dream path.
After passing the residency exam, Thuong was fortunate to benefit from the policy of valuing talents in the construction and development of the capital, and had the opportunity to be specially recruited to work for hospitals under the management of the Hanoi Department of Health. “After researching, I decided to work at the Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital because of the dynamic working environment and good hospital leadership. Since then, I have never regretted my choice. Working here makes me more and more attached and passionate about the industry, bringing me a lot of happiness,” Thuong confided.
During 12 years of working and contributing at Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital, Thuong has always been serious, dedicated, and strived to learn to improve her expertise. Together with her colleagues, Thuong has participated in many scientific research projects and reported at many domestic and international specialized conferences. Although she is a young doctor, Thuong has had 10 articles published in international specialized journals and 26 articles published in domestic journals. In addition, Thuong is also a guest lecturer at Hanoi Medical University, National University of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy - Thai Nguyen University, guiding students and postgraduates to complete their graduation theses, participating in compiling textbooks... With her foreign language ability, Thuong also actively participates in activities of welcoming, exchanging expertise, and translating specialized knowledge with foreign expert delegations from Newborns, Karolinska Institute (Sweden), Necker Hospital, Paris...
In addition to her professional duties, this Nghe An doctor with a bright smile also actively participates in many other charity activities of the institute. In 2020, when the Covid-19 epidemic began to break out, Thuong volunteered to join the front line against the epidemic, joined the tracing team, directly provided online consultation for Covid-19 patients being treated at home... Thuong was also one of the first medical staff to participate in treatment at the facility for receiving and treating pregnant women with Covid-19 at Cam Hoi Facility 2, directly participating in building professional procedures, procedures for managing pregnant women infected with Covid-19, successfully treating nearly 1,500 pregnant women without causing maternal death. These procedures were then retrained for the obstetrics and gynecology system of Hanoi city, contributing to repelling the epidemic.
Behind Phan Thi Huyen Thuong's admirable achievements are a lot of effort and hard work. “During my studies and work, things were not always smooth and easy. There were times when I felt like I couldn’t overcome difficulties, one of which was when I was studying for the entrance exam to Hanoi Medical University in 2018. At that time, I had just returned to work after maternity leave, my first child was 27 months old, and my second child was 6 months old. During the day I went to work, and in the evening I cooked and put my 6-month-old baby to bed at 7 p.m., my 27-month-old baby to bed at 9 p.m., then my husband and I studied English to review for the IELTS exam from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., and also had to prepare an outline for the entrance exam. Working, taking care of a small child, studying, writing a thesis… my mind was always tense, and I wanted to give up many times. It was the encouragement and support of teachers, friends, colleagues and family that helped me overcome the steps in my career.”
Thuong is currently Deputy Head of the Department of Gynecology and Endocrinology at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, and is also the youngest Obstetrician in Vietnam.
Dr. Phan Thi Huyen Thuong from Nghe An cultivates her career, medical ethics, dedication and passion, just like Uncle Ho said: "A bright mind, a rosy heart, a bright soul, hard-working hands and steady feet".
With over 10 years of experience in the medical field, Thuong believes that listening to and respecting patients not only helps create a good communication environment but also helps to better understand their health status and needs. Thuong sees each patient as a friend, relative, or clinical “teacher”, always respecting and listening to all their problems. Listening not only helps Thuong gain the trust of patients but also helps Thuong become more confident in her profession.
Among many memorable professional stories, Thuong was deeply impressed with the story of saving the lives of a mother and her children during the Covid-19 pandemic, when she participated in treatment at the Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital. Thuong said: “At that time, my team and I at the Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital received a pregnant woman with twins at 29 weeks who was in critical condition with Covid-19 infection. The couple had been expecting a child for 10 years, and the mother's condition was getting worse and worse when she was transferred to our hospital. After assessing her condition, the mother suddenly went into cardiac arrest. In a critical moment, with inadequate care and equipment, we and our colleagues at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases successfully saved the lives of a mother and her children. It was a stressful experience, but the results were well worth it.”
Thuong's current job role specializes in managing high-risk pregnant women with serious illnesses, so she often comes into contact with patients in special circumstances, with many happy stories as well as many sad stories.
“The most memorable case is an infertile couple from Nghe An. Always longing for a child, for 10 years, the couple went to many places, used many methods, and did IVF 3 times but all failed. This time, they were lucky to get pregnant naturally and were carrying twins. The good news did not come long before they discovered that the fetus had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. In their situation, this was like the scythe of death falling on the family. After learning about it on the mass media, the couple contacted me via Facebook and went to Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital for examination and treatment. At that time, the patient had stage 3 twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome - 16 weeks pregnant, 1 fetus had a poor prognosis so they had to have emergency laser surgery to coagulate the umbilical cord blood vessels of 1 fetus, prioritizing keeping the 1 fetus alive and healthy. The surgery was successful, we were both happy but also worried about the next pregnancies. After the surgery, the pregnant woman had preeclampsia and threatened miscarriage. The entire team and the Obstetrics Department continued to treat and monitor the fetus. At the end of that anxious and nurturing journey, at the 35th week, the mother gave birth to a healthy baby boy, bringing boundless happiness to the family and a sigh of relief to the entire team. My colleagues and I often joked that the center was full of time bombs, and we had to reach the finish line successfully to feel secure" - Thuong shared.
In her story, Thuong confided: “The medical field always has difficult and complicated cases, but I never think of “surrendering” or giving up on patients. I believe that when we have dreams, passion, and efforts, we will have worthy achievements.” To simultaneously take on the work at the hospital, build a private clinic with many volunteer programs, and “fulfill” the role of mother and wife in her family, Thuong has her own principles. That is to always clearly identify important tasks and prioritize them to complete first; use the method of dividing work into small parts within each limited time period; know how to take care of yourself with a healthy lifestyle.
Starting a career in the capital, female doctor Phan Thi Huyen Thuong always yearns to contribute her efforts, no matter how small, to the health sector of her hometown Nghe An. “In the near future, I will continue to study and improve my expertise to develop further in the specialized fields of obstetrics and gynecology to be able to perform many new techniques, bringing the best obstetrics and gynecology examination and treatment services to the people. It is very likely that I will carry out some joint projects with Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital to contribute a small part of my strength to the health sector of my hometown” – Thuong confided.
