#InsideResidency | A DAY AS A VINUNI INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENT
“A new patient has just been admitted!”
“We have an emergency in the ward!”
“We need an urgent consult on this case!”
According to Dr. Lam Man Nhu, an Internal Medicine resident at VinUni, these are the phrases that echo through the department almost every day. For Dr. Man Nhu, they represent both the challenges and the unique privilege of life as a VinUni resident physician.
Dr. Lam Man Nhu, an Internal Medicine resident, VinUniversity
A typical day for an Internal Medicine resident begins early in the morning and rarely ends until every patient has been cared for and every task is complete. Although the daily schedule is well structured, the reality of clinical practice is anything but predictable. Every day brings new challenges that require adaptability, quick thinking, and sound clinical judgment.
Mornings are often the busiest part of the day. Residents begin by reviewing patients, checking laboratory and imaging results, attending the morning handover, and joining attending physicians on ward rounds to develop treatment plans for the day. The work then continues with writing orders and prescriptions, preparing discharge summaries, coordinating multidisciplinary consultations, ordering diagnostic tests, performing bedside procedures, and admitting newly arrived patients.
One distinctive aspect of the VinUni residency program is its dedicated midday academic sessions. These may include specialty lectures with faculty members, case-based discussions, journal clubs, or morbidity and mortality reviews based on patients the residents have cared for. The goal is to bridge clinical experience with evidence-based medicine and continuous learning.
Growing Through Every Patient Encounter
The afternoon is devoted to ongoing patient care. Residents monitor patients’ progress, perform procedures, adjust treatment plans, prepare for the following day’s clinical work, and hand over responsibilities to the on-call team. On certain days, they also join faculty members for teaching rounds that provide deeper clinical insights into individual cases.
Yet, according to Dr. Mẫn Nhu, what truly defines residency are the moments no one can anticipate. A patient’s condition may suddenly deteriorate and require immediate intervention. Several new admissions may arrive at once. Clinical responsibilities may extend well into the night. Overnight calls are an essential part of residency, where carefully planned schedules can change instantly with a single phone call.
“What stays with us isn’t just the workload or the pressure. Every patient teaches us something. We gain clinical knowledge, strengthen our communication skills, learn to work effectively as a team, improve our time management, and discover how to stay calm under pressure in real clinical situations,” Dr. Man Nhu reflects.
For Dr. Man Nhu, the greatest privilege of residency is not the intensity of the work, but the opportunity to learn and grow through every patient entrusted to her care. Residency may not be glamorous, but it is deeply meaningful. And if given the choice again, she says she would choose the same path without hesitation—continuing to learn, grow, and contribute to the future of healthcare in Vietnam.
Stay tuned to #InsideResidency for more stories from our residents as we continue sharing the experiences, challenges, and moments that shape our journey in medicine!
