To be a doctor, you'll have to be a 'student' for life.

(Baonghean) - After enduring six years of "only studying and taking exams" at university, doctors must continue their education. For this profession, learning must be continuous to update knowledge about new diseases and ever-changing treatment methods.

"General practitioner - The most demanding field of study in Vietnam"

Late at night, after finishing his work for the day, as usual, Dr. Nguyen Hong Truong buried himself in his computer to learn more about the medical field. Although he is currently the Director of Vinh City General Hospital, Dr. Truong still frequently treats patients in person. Like many other doctors, he often visits medical websites to find out if there are any better treatments for newly diagnosed diseases around the world.

Doctor Nguyen Hong Truong. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

After graduating with a general medical degree from Thai Binh Medical University in 2001 and working briefly in Vinh City, Dr. Truong had to pack his bags and go back to school. His studies and work have alternated ever since.

“After graduating and working for a while, I first spent almost a year studying for my specialist orientation. Then, in 2005, I had to spend another two years in Thai Binh province to study for my Specialist I degree. After receiving my Specialist I degree, in 2010 I studied for my Specialist II degree. The most recent time I went for intensive training was in Ho Chi Minh City for a year of advanced specialization…,” Dr. Truong said.

In total, since graduating from university, Dr. Truong has had to take time off from work and be away from home for more than 7 years to study and prepare for exams intensively. This doesn't include the time he spent studying at home and learning from colleagues at the hospital.

Dr. Truong believes that medicine is a special profession, and the duties of doctors and medical professionals are closely linked to human health and life. Therefore, continuously updating knowledge and minimizing professional errors is a mandatory task. Currently, with the strong development of science and technology and the ever-increasing demand for quality services, updating the knowledge of doctors is extremely necessary.

For Dr. Tran Van Cuong, Deputy Director of Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, he can't remember how many diplomas and certificates he has accumulated in nearly 20 years since graduating. "I probably have around 50, including foreign language certificates from English to French," Dr. Cuong said.

After graduating in 1999 following six years of study at Hanoi Medical University, Dr. Cuong did not immediately begin working but continued to prepare for the residency exam. According to Dr. Cuong, this exam was even more difficult than the university entrance exam. "That was probably the most difficult exam of my life," Dr. Cuong said.

After a stressful period of exam preparation, Dr. Cuong was finally among the few successful candidates. However, during his nearly four years of residency training, the learning process was even more arduous than his undergraduate days. During this time, trainees had to stay at the hospital almost all day to study.

"If you want to meet friends, relatives, or go out, you can only go out after 10 PM. But by then, you're already too tired, so you usually can't go anywhere," Dr. Cuong said.

Studying took up almost all of his time, so in his second year, Dr. Cuong had to take advantage of a week-long Tet holiday break to get married. His wife worked in Vinh City, and a few days after their wedding night, the groom had to rush off again.

After 10 years of continuous university studies and residency, Dr. Cuong was accepted into the Intensive Care Unit of Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. However, after a few years of work, he had to pack his bags again to continue his studies. This time, it was for advanced courses in ultrasound, cardiology, and more.

"That's the thing with being a doctor; after about two years of work, you have to go back to school to update your knowledge. That's not to mention having to use your free time to learn other supplementary skills like foreign languages, computer skills, and attend training courses," said the 42-year-old doctor.

A surgical procedure at Nghe An Friendship General Hospital. Photo: Nghe An Friendship General Hospital.

Similarly, Dr. Pham Van Dung, Deputy Director of Hospital 115, said that since entering medical school, free time for his family has been a luxury. “For many other professions, you get to rest when your shift is over. But for us doctors, we only get to rest when our work is finished. Then we have to arrange our time to work and study at the same time, which is very stressful!” Dr. Dung said. “There have been many weeks where I haven’t seen my children because I often have to leave early and come home late. Not to mention the months I’ve been away from my family for extra classes.”

Sharing about his studies, Dr. Dung said that to get to where he is today, in addition to 6 years of university studies in Hue, he spent another 6 years studying for an advanced degree and is still continuing his studies.

“Meanwhile, studying to become a doctor is also very demanding; sometimes I don't get a full night's sleep for a whole week. Practical surgery training lasts half a day, leaving my legs aching so much I can barely walk. Without passion, no one could pursue this profession,” Dr. Dung said, adding that nowadays, besides the profound knowledge of a doctor, diagnostic tools such as CT scans, X-rays, ultrasounds, and laboratory tests have helped to make diagnoses faster and more accurate. But machines are also made and operated by humans, so no matter how advanced science becomes, the decisive factor remains human knowledge, which can only be acquired through diligent study.

Continuous learning isn't just for hospital leaders. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Head of the Neurology Department at Nghe An Friendship General Hospital, said that most doctors, regardless of their position, must update their knowledge and improve their skills. In fact, the requirement for doctors to "learn for life" has even been incorporated into the law.

"Recently, the Ministry of Health has drafted regulations requiring all doctors to regularly update their medical knowledge; they must receive a minimum of 48 hours of medical training over two consecutive years. Failure to do so may result in the revocation of their practicing license," said Dr. Hoa.

Depending on the level of the hospital, there are specific regulations; however, generally, positions such as heads of departments and hospital leaders require postgraduate qualifications. For example, Dr. Hoa recently returned from a 5-year doctoral program in Japan. Although he graduated 19 years ago, he has spent more than 8 years in intensive study, not including short-term training courses or industry conferences.

According to Mr. Phan Quoc Hoi, Head of Training Department at Vinh Medical University, many doctors even voluntarily register to participate in teaching at the university to update their knowledge.

"They want to teach not only to impart knowledge to students but also to update their own knowledge. Because in the process of teaching, they also have to research more knowledge and new treatment methods," Mr. Hoi said.

When working in healthcare facilities, regardless of the field, doctors never stop learning. The knowledge acquired at medical school is not enough to help them work effectively, so they continue their studies: specialization, specialist level I, specialist level II, master's degree, doctorate...

But as disease patterns change and society and science advance, the need for further learning increases. Only then can doctors keep pace with the general progress of medicine and meet the demands of their work. Therefore, when choosing this profession, doctors accept themselves as lifelong students.

(To be continued)

Tien Hung