3 WAYS FOR VIETNAMESE DOCTORS TO CONTINUE PRACTICE IN THE US
There are currently 3 ways for doctors to graduate in Vietnam can continue to practice medicine in the US. Practicing medicine here means being able to continue examining and treating patients.
1. CONTINUE BEING A DOCTOR
If you want to follow this path, you need to USMLE exam, apply for a US Medical residency, go through the residency training process, and continue to work as a doctor in the US. >
If you have a doctor’s degree in Vietnam, you only need residency training and do not have to go back to medical school. Residency programs last from 3 years (General Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine) to 7 years (neurosurgery).
According to Medscape 2021 statistics, the average salary of a doctor is from 221 thousand dollars/year (Pediatrics), 236 thousand dollars/year (Family) to 526 thousand dollars/year (Surgery). aesthetic).
(I have already written a detailed article about the doctor profession in the US, so I will only write briefly here).
2. BE an NP OR APRN
Nurse Practitioner (NP) orAPRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) can be roughly translated as Therapeutic Nursing. As far as I know, this industry in Vietnam does not seem to exist yet.
In the US, 25 states allow NPs to practice medical examination and treatment independently, without the supervision of a doctor. In the remaining states, NPs still need a physician to co-sign the medical records.
In my practice there are currently 2 NPs working together.
NPs will examine patients independently like doctors, and a month will submit about 10 medical records for the supervising doctor to sign to make sure they are examining and treating appropriately. When there are difficult cases, the NP will also ask his/her supervisor for advice.
To become an NP, you need a bachelor’s degree in nursing (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). and have a nursing certificate (RN). This stage takes about 3-4 years.
Next is to study for the Master of Science in Nursing program (master of nursing) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (doctor of nursing practice). This process usually takes about 2-3 years if studying full-time, or longer if studying part-time.
After completing school, take the National NP Certification Board Exam and state practice certificate (APRN license).
Currently, there are many online nursing master’s and nursing doctorate programs so that nurses can work and study further.
My clinic is also connected to and supports the nursing doctorate program of a school in the city. That’s why, every 3 months, I have a student come to practice with me.
NPs can work in hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, etc. and can work in any specialty, and can also switch from one specialty to another easily.
The reason is because they are often trained by a supervising doctor when they enter the job (on the job training).
(This is different from doctors, in order to change a specialty, you need to go through residency in that specialty).
According to Medscape 2020 statistics, the average salary of NPs is from 105 – 128 thousand/year.
- Plus points: Intensive training, ability to work independently (depending on state), The program is relatively easier to get into than the American Medical Residency program, easy to change majors
- Disadvantages: It’s also quite long, maybe 5-6 years total time (counting the total time spent studying for a bachelor’s degree in nursing), lower salary than a doctor.
3. BE A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT (PA).
PA can be roughly translated as Physician Assistant or Physician Assistant.
In the US, according to law PA cannot practice independently but must always be supervised by a doctor. The doctor will be responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of the PA he/she is in charge of.
In reality, often experienced PAs will examine patients independently, and when necessary, will consult with the doctor.
To become a PA in the US, you need:
- Bachelor’s degree and classes related to the medical industry (if you already have a bachelor’s degree as a doctor in Vietnam, you can learn to convert so you don’t have to re-study your bachelor’s degree in the US) and
- Experience related to the industry Y.
Next, you enroll in a PA program (usually 3 years). This program in the US is a Master’s program.
After graduating, you will take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), and certification to practice in the state you live in (PA license).
Similar to NPs, PAs can work in hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, etc. and can work in any specialty, and can also switch from one specialty to another easily.
According to Medscape 2021 statistics, the average PA salary from 102 – 132 thousand/year.
- Plus points: The program is relatively easier to get into than the American Medical Residency program, the program Training is quite fast (3 years), easy to change majors
- Disadvantages: Lower salary than doctors, not allowed to practice independently, may have less development opportunities than the other 2 majors.
So, as you can see, in addition to continuing to be a doctor, there are two more ways for you to practice medicine in the US if you really love the profession. Therefore, if you are determined to stick with the profession, there will definitely be a way.
Please comment “yes” if this article is useful to you.
PS. NPs and PAs, if you see that I wrote anything incorrectly, please add or give me suggestions, because this information is based on my research and the sharing of my colleagues.
Dr. Christina Nguyen
~ The Phoenix Medical Academy.
