VinUniversity – Vietnam’s first and Southeast Asia’s second university to achieve ACGME International Accreditation

VinUniversity has been officially recognized by ACGME International, the prestigious international accrediting body, for its postgraduate medical education program’s quality, effective July 2023. It becomes the first medical education institution in Vietnam and only the second in Southeast Asia (after Singapore) to achieve this distinction.

ACGME-International (ACGME-I) is an official organization in the United States that accredits graduate medical education programs outside of the United States, ensuring rigorous evaluation based on specific criteria to ensure the competency of medical practitioners. The assessment covers management systems, training programs, postgraduate learner outcomes, governance processes, faculty and staff, and finances. The accreditation confirms that graduates of the residency programs possess the competencies declared by the training institutions and endorsed by ACGME-I.

The ACGME-I accreditation ensures that the core principles leading to high-quality, competent patient care are upheld by the accredited programs. These principles include patient safety, evidence-based medicine, competency-based medical education, outcomes-oriented practice, professionalism, and progressive responsibility.

The accreditation of VinUniversity’s College of Health Sciences as a sponsoring institution by ACGME-I signifies a significant milestone for VinUniversity and medical education in Vietnam as a whole, specifically for the training of resident physicians. With this accomplishment, VinUniversity becomes the first university in Vietnam and the second in Southeast Asia (after Singapore) to attain this certification.

The ACGME-I accreditation ensures that the core principles leading to high-quality, competent patient care are upheld by the accredited programs

According to Professor Le Van Phuoc, Vice Dean for Medical Education, College of Health Sciences VinUniversity, achieving the accreditation from ACGME-I is a significant step for the institution in enhancing the quality of education, expanding career opportunities, and building an international reputation within the academic environment.

This accreditation ensures that the medical education program adheres to the highest international standards and essential principles of patient care. It enhances medical students’ knowledge, skills, and capabilities, providing them with a better learning environment. It is also a prestigious recognition of the quality of medical education, increasing opportunities for medical students to pursue employment and research after graduation. Graduates from ACGME-I accredited programs can easily transition and work within different international healthcare systems. The ACGME-I accreditation also helps to establish an international reputation for the medical education institution. This can attract attention and trust from international healthcare organizations, agencies, and communities, creating favorable conditions for collaboration, expert exchanges, and healthcare quality improvement in Vietnam.

“For medical students and resident physicians, gaining access to an ACGME-I accredited program at VinUniversity opens up numerous opportunities for advanced training in the United States and/or other countries” – said Professor Phuoc Le.

Professor David Bangsberg, Interim Provost of VinUniversity, Dean of the College of Health Sciences, affirmed: “ACGME accreditation is a major step forward in providing VinUniversity medical students with training that meets the highest international standards. Our students will be equipped to promote healing, health and well-being in Vietnam and a global community.  This is a superb demonstration of VinUniversity’s commitment to the highest level of excellence. It is indeed a proud achievement for the entire medical education team at VinUniversity, as well as our partners at the University of Pennsylvania”.

Dr. James A. Arrighi, President and Chief Executive Officer, ACGME International, emphasized: “The medical education team at VinUniversity was familiar with ACGME-I requirements and very well prepared when they initially reached out to us. The programs were designed from the beginning in accordance with the ACGME-I model of GME. It has been a pleasure to work with the VinUni medical education team, and we look forward to continuing our work together for many years on the journey to creating and maintaining high-quality GME programs”.

Earlier, in June 2023, VinUniversity and ACGME-I signed a cooperation agreement to implement the accreditation of Residency Programs. Under this agreement, ACGME-I will conduct accreditation activities for VinUniversity’s Residency Programs during the academic year 2023-2024. Currently, VinUniversity offers three specialities: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and General Surgery.

In addition, ACGME-I will provide consultation and training to VinUniversity’s leadership and program administrators to ensure the continued management and operation of the programs according to their standards. This support will be delivered through an electronic learning system and direct workshops at VinUniversity, facilitated by ACGME-I experts.

VinUniversity and ACGME-I signed a cooperation agreement to implement the accreditation of Residency Programs in Jun 2023

With these initiatives, VinUniversity becomes the first university in Vietnam (and the second in Southeast Asia) to apply for accreditation of three Residency Programs according to the international standards of ACGME-I. Graduates from ACGME-I accredited programs will have opportunities to pursue specialized training in countries with programs accredited under the same system. This reaffirms VinUniversity’s commitment to establishing and organizing medical education programs based on leading global standards.

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ABOUT VINUNIVERSITY GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

VinUniversity Graduate Medical Programs currently offer training in specialities: Internal Medicine, General Surgery, and Pediatrics. These programs are co-designed and quality-validated by the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Ivy League, ensuring that the curriculum at VinUni meets stringent global standards. In addition, VinUniversity plans to launch a residency in Orthopedic Surgery in Fall, 2023. Resident physicians at VinUniversity have the opportunity to be mentored and supervised by professors and leading physicians from Vinmec, the only hospital in Vietnam currently accredited by the international JCI quality certification, as well as other top public hospitals such as the National Children’s Hospital and the Military Central Hospital 108. All successfully admitted residents in the Internal Medicine, General Surgery, and Pediatrics specialties receive a full scholarship covering 100% of the tuition fees (up to $40,000 USD per year) and a monthly stipend. Additionally, upon graduation, 100% of the residents are guaranteed employment within the Vinmec Healthcare System with competitive income prospects.