As summer approaches, Vinh Medical University becomes quieter. At this time, only a few dozen Lao students remain in the university dormitory. These students do not go home for summer break but instead request to stay to receive supplementary training and further enhance their specialized knowledge.
Kimphavong's room (20 years old, a second-year student majoring in Medical Laboratory Science) is located on the 4th floor of the Vinh University of Medicine dormitory. The room, approximately 30 square meters, is fully equipped with essential amenities such as a bed, mattress, blankets, sheets, an electric fan, and a private bathroom. Kimphavong laughed and said, "This room is just like my room at home. The only difference is that I'm sharing it with other students!"
Kimphavong recounted her journey to medical school: “I live in Khun district, Xieng Khouang province. My father is a doctor at the district general hospital. Since I was little, I've always dreamed of being like my father and being able to take care of people's health. After finishing high school, I learned that Xieng Khouang and Nghe An provinces have a program that provides full scholarships for Lao students to study medicine at Vinh Medical University, so I applied and won this valuable scholarship.”
Kimphavong further shared: “Although I passed the entrance exam to the National University of Laos, I still chose to study in Nghe An. Because here, the Nghe An province fully covers my living expenses, accommodation, and tuition. Studying in Vietnam would be much more expensive. Besides receiving free living and tuition each month, I also receive an additional 2 million dong for food. My family is very happy and completely at ease knowing I'm studying here.”
Philomphed Somoh, a third-year Bachelor of Nursing student, also received a full scholarship from Nghe An province to study at Vinh Medical University. In her early days in Vietnam, Somoh felt quite disoriented due to cultural and language differences, and lacked confidence in communicating with friends and teachers. However, after three years of study, she has truly come to love the land and people of Vietnam.
“The longer I live here, the more attached I feel. My class has 99 students, including 6 Laotian international students, and the rest are Vietnamese. We Laotian students receive a lot of care and support from our Vietnamese friends. We can confide in each other about the joys and sorrows of life. During the pandemic, when Laotian students couldn't return home, our Vietnamese friends supported and encouraged us, helping us to ease our homesickness and focus on our studies,” Somod said.
Male student Yengxoualee (a third-year student majoring in Preventive Medicine) revealed: “We Lao students are also connected by the school to host families. Weekends are a time for us to eat, stay, and spend time with our new families. During the recent Lunar New Year, we even got to personally wrap banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) with our host parents. This helped us feel the warmth and togetherness of family. We have come to consider Nghe An as our second home.”
Vinh Medical University currently has 364 Lao students studying in 7 fields (medicine, nursing, laboratory testing, preventive medicine, public health, bridging medical programs, and pharmacy), including 109 students from Xieng Khouang province. Dr. Nguyen Van Tuan – Vice Rector of Vinh Medical University – stated: “In implementing the cooperation, Nghe An province has covered all expenses for Lao students in terms of food, accommodation, and tuition. The university always focuses on caring for their well-being, creating conditions for them to integrate and study well; strengthening the bond between Lao students and Vietnam in general and Nghe An province in particular.”
According to Dr. Nguyen Van Tuan, the Lao students are all very serious and diligent in their studies, and they strictly adhere to the school's regulations. Conversely, the school and the Nghe An health sector also pay special attention to providing comprehensive and in-depth training for Lao students. Lao students who come to Nghe An to study medicine undergo programs such as: learning Vietnamese, training in professional theory, and clinical training at major hospitals in the province.
Specifically, Lao students receive one year of Vietnamese language training before starting their specialized studies. This training helps them to listen, speak well, and understand specialized terminology. Student Kimphavong was surprised at how quickly she learned the language: “When I came to Nghe An to study, I was assigned to study Vietnamese at Nghe An College of Education for one year. During the language learning process, in addition to being trained in grammar and vocabulary, the school also arranged for me to communicate regularly with native speakers. Regular communication helped me quickly improve my Vietnamese listening and speaking skills… After one year of study, I was completely confident to pursue my medical specialization at Vinh Medical University. This was unexpected because my foreign language skills weren't very good when I was in high school in Laos.”
During their first two years of specialized study, Lao students receive training in medical theory from basic to advanced levels. The professors at the medical school constantly strive to innovate teaching methods, prioritizing training time for Lao students. Student Yengxoualee commented: “I have compared medical curricula in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam and found that there weren't many differences. However, studying at Vinh Medical University, we receive more detailed instruction from our professors, who also provide many practical examples. This helps us understand and grasp medical knowledge more deeply.”
To help students master skills, the clinical training process following the "Institute-University" model has been emphasized by Vinh Medical University and the Nghe An health sector. From the third year onwards, all Lao students participate in clinical internships at hospitals and medical centers. Nghe An is a locality with many large medical facilities, including Nghe An Friendship General Hospital, which is the leading hospital in the North Central region. The large number of patients and diverse disease patterns create a crucial environment for Lao students to quickly master skills and translate theoretical knowledge into practical application.
Student Philomphed Somoh said: “During clinical practice, we were divided into groups and trained at various hospitals. This allowed us to be exposed to different equipment, techniques, and disease types. At all the hospitals we attended, the doctors and nurses were very caring and provided thorough guidance. Especially when they learned I was a Laotian student, they guided me even more meticulously. Previously, I was very nervous when I started clinical training, but after a short time, I was able to confidently administer injections, IVs, and perform electrocardiograms…”
Thanks to the dedicated training provided by Vinh Medical University, along with the efforts of the Lao students, the quality of graduates has been highly rated. Upon graduation, the Lao students are fully equipped with the professional knowledge to immediately begin working in medical examination, treatment, and healthcare. Student Yengxoualee revealed: "From what I've learned, all the graduates from the medical program in Nghe An are immediately hired by reputable hospitals at the provincial, district, or military levels after returning home."
