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| Dr. Vu Hoai Anh, Msc., (second from the left) performing laparoscopic liver lobectomy at Hue Central Hospital, base 2 |
Turning pressure into opportunity
It was the first time we were allowed into the operating room to observe the process of performing an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) on a young male patient from Quang Binh. The person performing the interventional endoscopy was a young doctor – Dr. Pham Nhu Hien, Msc.,(born in 1996), Deputy Head of the Endoscopy Department, Chairman of the Young Physicians Association at Hue Central Hospital. Using the endoscopic system with a projection machine, the doctor treated the biliary and pancreatic ducts without requiring a heavy surgery, thus avoiding long-term complication. This modern, minimally invasive interventional technique was performed within 30 minutes.
Not only Dr. Hien, but also in the Stroke Department, Dr. Le Vu Huynh (born in 1987), Deputy Head of the Department, is considered a savior for patients on the brink of life and death. Dedicated to his work, attentive to patients, and passionate about research, Dr. Huynh has become a key staff member of the Department, involved in handling many difficult cases.
The young doctor also had many initiatives to improve the quality of treatment, notably the procedure of reducing the time for thrombolysis/vascular recanalization to just 30 minutes, timely saving many critical cases. In 2022, he performed an intervention to save the life of a newborn with a rare brain vascular malformation, occurring in 1 out of every 25,000 births.
Dr. Le Vu Huynh shared: "Stroke intervention is a challenging field. I set goals during my work process so that each day and each month, my skills and knowledge improve a little. I strive to ensure that at least the area I am responsible for matches the hospital's status. And when patients are admitted, they will receive treatment with the most advanced techniques in the medical field."
Another prominent young face is Dr. Vũ Hoài Anh (born in 1989), Deputy Head of the General Surgery Department at Hue Central Hospital, Base 2. He is a key member of the team that recently won the first prize in the "Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery through Recorded Videos" award organized by the Southeast Asian Colorectal Surgery Society in Bangkok, Thailand. After mastering the technique and achieving significant results, he was transferred to Hue Central Hospital, Base 2, to implement advanced endoscopic techniques in cancer treatment.
"Work is my passion. Sometimes we encounter difficult cases and tiring on-call shifts, but afterward, I learn a lot. In the medical field, besides the saying 'Learning from teachers is not as good as learning from friends,' there is also the saying 'Every patient is also a teacher.' Therefore, I see that a heavy workload is not pressure but many opportunities," he confided.
Dr. Hoai Anh believes he is fortunate to have met many excellent mentors who imparted, received, and guided him, enabling him to acquire valuable skills and knowledge. "Having the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of giants allows young doctors like me to progress faster and further," he said enthusiastically.
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| Dr. Le Vu Huynh, Msc., discusses professional issues after a vascular recanalization surgery. |
Efforts of staff along with hospital incentives
Although their careers are still young, the aforementioned young doctors share a common trait of continuous learning and improving their expertise. Most young doctors under 40 at Hue Central Hospital can perform difficult and specialized techniques in the medical field. This team comprises over 65% of the hospital's staff. When Hue Central Hospital, Base 2, and Hue Central International Hospital became operational and attracted many patients, the number of young doctors recruited was significant, with a high proportion of doctors under 40 years old.
As the President of Young Physicians Association at Hue Central Hospital, Dr. Pham Nhu Hien said: "The Association's activities are diverse to create learning and training opportunities for young doctors: improving English proficiency in medicine, scientific research skills, creating opportunities for international cooperation, participating in community health care, and volunteer activities for patients."
"I think taking on challenging cases is a way to face pressure. This 'courage' helps young doctors improve their skills and nurture their passion. It also aligns with our aspirations to contribute to public health and build the healthcare sector," Dr. Hien added.
From a professional perspective, performing modern techniques helps young doctors enhance the hospital's high-quality medical services, especially maintaining stable operations as a top-tier facility. Additionally, this generation of young physicians is well-trained and well-prepared. They are the sustainable successors in the specialized development of Hue Central Hospital.
To retain young staff, criteria such as a conducive working environment, training opportunities, advancement prospects, and income levels must be ensured. Hue Central Hospital focuses on these factors to prevent brain drain.
Prof. Dr. Pham Nhu Hiep, Director of Hue Central Hospital, provided an example: "We organize numerous on-site training sessions and send doctors for advanced training abroad. For instance, the hospital covers living expenses and airfare for overseas training and funds Ph.D. studies for three years. Salary increases and bonuses are based on the high appreciation of experienced doctors' contributions, and young doctors receive double the allowance/income compared to other staff. This is the motivation to retain young doctors, allowing them to wholeheartedly contribute to the developmentof the hospital."