VinUniversity and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders in Medicine

July 25, 2022

As a strategic partner of VinUniversity in collaborating on the development of training programs at the College of Health Sciences, representatives of the Vingroup-Penn’s Board of Directors and Senior Experts from the University of Pennsylvania recently had a successful working week, complete with multiple professional sessions, with leaders of VinUniversity’s College of Health Sciences.

Key collaborations between VinUniversity and Pennsylvania during the visit include:

  1. The Medical Doctor Program: Senior Penn experts worked with lecturers from VinUniversity’s Medical Doctor program; organized a review for quality enhancement of the first and second years of the Medical Doctor Program, while preparing for the third year’s curriculum and discussing curriculum strategies for the fourth, fifth and sixth years of the program; as well as implementing training and professional development for the faculty of the first, second and third years.
  2. Graduate Medical Education Program: The Pennsylvania delegation had a meeting with the resident doctors, the Board of Directors, as well as the doctors and clinical lecturers at the 3 practice hospitals (National Children’s Hospital, 108 Military Central Hospital and Vinmec Times City International Hospital) to discuss and exchange knowledge and experiences to enhance the quality of VinUniversity’s Graduate Medical Education Program, as well as to prepare for the clinical training phase of the Medical Doctor students.
  3. Clinical teaching training: Senior experts from Pennsylvania also organized training sessions on clinical teaching for 37 faculty members of VinUniversity’s College of Health Sciences, including part-time/ visiting lecturers from the National Children’s Hospital, 108 Military Central Hospital and Vinmec Times City International Hospital.
  4. Capacity development for medical examination: Experts from the University of Pennsylvania worked closely with leaders of the Vietnam National Medical Council to share experiences in organizing examinations and assessment of students, resident doctors, and medical staff. Both sides agreed to continue developing a detailed cooperation plan for Penn to support the connection with the US National Board of Medical Examiners to help improve examination capacity and organize future assessments and practice certification exams for medical professions in accordance with international standards.

About the visit and work at VinUniversity, Dr. Lisa M. Bellini remarked: “Thank you for an incredible week! I am convinced that with the excellence of our training programs, we will be graduating the next generation of leaders in medicine in Vietnam and beyond. I am truly grateful to be part of this incredible group transforming medical education in Vietnam.”

The Pennsylvania delegation included leading professors and experts in the field of medical education and hospital quality management such as: Dr. Glen Gaulton, Director, Center for Global Health, University of Pennsylvania and Program Director, Vingroup-Penn Alliance; Dr. Steven Weinberger and Dr Phil Masters, Professor and Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and MD Curriculum Working Group Member, Vingroup-Penn Alliance; Dr. Lisa Bellini, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, member of the National Board of Medical Examiners, and the GME Director, Vingroup-Penn Alliance; Dr. Paul Lu, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Internal Medicine Program Director, VinUni College of Health Sciences; and Dr. Judy Shea, Leon Hess Professor in Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Assessment Advisor, Vingroup Penn Alliance.

The University of Pennsylvania – one of two strategic partners of VinUniversity, is an Ivy League school in the United States. Currently, the University of Pennsylvania is ranked #13 in the world (The Times Higher Education & QS World Universities rankings 2022) and is the 2nd top university in the world with the most billionaire alumni. The University of Pennsylvania has always been at the forefront of innovation and creativity, true to the spirit of its founder – the first American scientist and engineer – Benjamin Franklin.