Hanoi Medical University adapts residency program to meet growing demand
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Hanoi Medical University in Vietnam changed how it assigns medical residents to specialties with a program called “Match Day” after facing a surge in applicants.
From a small intake of 15 residents nearly 35 years ago, the university now admits over 440 each year. This growth prompted leaders to seek a fair and transparent selection process. For decades, the university used various methods, initially selecting only top students and later allowing applicants to choose specialties before testing.
These methods proved problematic, either excluding qualified candidates from competitive fields or opening the door to outside influence. In 2016, facing a significant increase in applicants, the university implemented “Match Day.” This system publicly ranks applicants by score and allows the highest-ranking individuals to select their desired specialty in order, filling quotas from the top down. Professor Nguyễn Hữu Tú, the university’s rector, stated this method is currently the best way to ensure a fair selection process.
The university, the oldest of 13 residency programs in Vietnam with over 6,000 graduates, is now considering further changes to its residency model as the government explores a new continuous training system for doctors.
