The relationship between the Global Health Collaborative in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and Global Primary Care has deep roots of support for the role being played to build Family Medicine care in Vietnam. The overall goal of the projects in Vietnam is to assist in the development, implementation and evaluation of curriculum, faculty, and training sites for a national Family Medicine program.
Starting in 2001, GHC launched its first official project, the Vietnam Family Medicine Project, focusing on education of physicians. Through the development of a curriculum framework and the establishment of a national coordinating body to supervise the ongoing work, the training of family doctors in Vietnam began. The project started in Hanoi and expanded to Ho Chi Minh City, resulting in partnerships between the Ministry of Health, the Hanoi Medical College, Ho Chi Minh City School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Thai Nguyen Medical School and the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA).
As a result of these efforts, six Vietnamese medical schools have established Family Medicine as a discipline – a proud accomplishment of this strong collaboration. GHC continues expanding its efforts in Vietnam, embarking on hospital nutrition and faculty development projects.
Work to improve access to primary care continues in Vietnam built on a series of successful projects that include:
- Primary Care Medical Education in Central Vietnam
- National Center for Faculty Development
- AFINS Hospital Nutrition Project
- Vietnam Family Medicine Development Project
- Vietnam Education Foundation
- Clinical Teaching Workshops in Hai Phong
- Family Medicine Development in the Mekong Delta
- Medical Equipment for Family Medicine Training Centers
Support for these and other projects with their positive outcomes continues from Global Primary Care to ensure that all that has been accomplished to date will continue well into the future. There is still work to be done to ensure access to primary care for everyone in Vietnam.
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