Head: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Binh Bao Son
Address: 6 Ngo Quyen St, Hue city, Thua Thien-Hue province, Viet Nam
Email: bm.nhi@huemed-univ.edu.vn

 

1. INTRODUCTION

The department was established in 1963 by a German founder, Professor. Krainick, and Dr. Ho Dinh Que was the first Head of the department. Over time, the department has a continuous development process in terms of quality, tasks and staffs with different heads:

• 1975 – 1984: Dr. Nguyen Cuoc,
• 1985 – 2001: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tan Vien; and Dr. Bui An Binh was acting vice-head of the department,
• 2001 – 2004: Dr. Phan Thi Kim Ngan,
• 2005 – 2009:  Dr. Ho Viet Hieu,
• 2010 – 2019:  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Hung Viet,
• Since 2019: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Binh Bao Son

Before 1984, the Department of Pediatrics only trained undergraduates majoring in medicine. After that, the department witnessed the increase in the number of lecturers, compiled a complete curriculum and was responsible for university training in seven majors of health science, and postgraduate training including specialist level I, specialist level II, residency, master and doctoral students specialized in Pediatrics for central region, central highlands and nationwide.

2. ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE

The department currently has 20 physician-lecturers (5 Associate Professors, 3 PhDs, 9 MSc, 3 MDs) and 1 secretary (Bachelor in Public Health), in which 2 physicians have been long-term trained in Germany, 5 physicians in France, 1 physician in Japan, 1 physician in South Korea, and many physicians have been short-term in the USA, Canada, Italy, Thailand… The teaching staff of the department has been well involved in the treatment and taking care of patients at Hue Central Hospital and Hue University Hospital. By taking part in the treatment and clinical teaching for various students, the department has contributed positively to the development of Hue University Hospital.

Many physicians of the department are highly appreciated in their specialties by their colleagues, and currently hold important positions in the national professional associations, such as:

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Binh Bao Son is currently Vice-President of Viet Nam Respiratory Society (VNRS) and Vice-Chair of Viet Nam Pediatric Respiratory Society (VNPRS);
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Hung Viet is currently Vice-Chair of Ho Chi Minh city Society for Pediatric Heart and Congenital Heart Diseases; Member of the Executive Committee of Viet Nam Pediatric Association.
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Thi Thuy Yen is currently Member of the Executive Committee of Vietnam Association of Diabetes and Endocrinology (VADE).

3. EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Our aims of education and training are completing the training program, ensuring proper training plan of the university, organizing examinations and ensuring correct regulations.

Undergraduate training

• Teaching general practitioners: 6-year full-time program and 4-year program.
• Serving as scientific advisors for graduate theses for full-time general practitioners, who have successfully defended their theses.
• Identifying learning goals, designing active learning activities, and developing assessments (should be both formative and summative) in the manner by which all matters of teaching and execution of lessons are centered around the students.
• Building up and developing materials (study guides, lesson plans, MCQs, clinical cases) for curriculum reform and clerkship in Pediatrics for year-4 and year-6 medical students.
• Facilitating formative assessment of core clinical skills by Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX).
• Developing and updating textbooks for all programs of undergraduate students.

Postgraduate training

The department actively drafted the curriculum, participated in and completed the training program, organized examination for obtaining certificates, for graduation examination and thesis defense. Moreover, some on-site and distance courses were already held: specialist level I and level II in Pediatrics,  specialist level I in Family Medicine (certificate of Pediatrics), Master of Pediatrics, Pediaatric Residency.

Since 2015, 4 PhD students in Pediatrics have been enrolled.

Textbooks were also compiled and updated for postgraduates.

4. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION

• Over 300 papers of the department staff have been published in national medical journals and 18 papers have been published in international medical journals.
• The department staff has participated in a part of the state level scientific research; has presided over 15 scientific research projects at ministerial level and over 100 research projects at university level, which have been reviewed and accepted with highly appreciated results. Most of study results have been applied in training programs for undergraduates and postgraduates as well as in taking care of patients at Hue University Hospital and Hue Central Hospital.

5. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

International cooperation has been strongly developed since 1994 with many exchange and cooperative programs in undergraduate and postgraduate training with France, Germany, USA, Belgium, Korea and Japan, such as:

• Exchange and cooperative study programs with Ruhr University Bochum, Germany,
• Pediatric symposiums with Mayo Clinic, USA (2014, 2016, 2018),
• Neonatal Resuscitation Workshop with Düsseldorf University, Germany (2014, 2016);
• Pediatric symposium with Arpan Global, USA (2019);
• Pediatric emergency workshop with Limoges University, France (2017, 2018, 2019);
• Workshop on Neonatal Care with Global Engagement Institute (2019).

By international cooperation, many department staff have been long-term or short-term trained in Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, USA, Canada, Italy, Thailand… The Department of Pediatrics has also received several medical students and physicians from different countries in the world for further short-term training and practice.