First Cohort of Vietnamese Students Rotating at Penn
Welcoming international trainees to join Penn rotations not only exposes our visitors to Penn’s best practices, it enriches Penn students’ understanding of global medical practices, cross-cultural communication, and professional relationships. In March, Penn proudly hosted our first cohort of eight Vietnamese medical students for hands-on rotations. Once they absorbed all those PSOM acronyms, they learned invaluable lessons about American medicine, teamwork, and culture.
In 2018, Penn embarked on a comprehensive partnership with VinUniversity to establish Vietnam’s first private not-for-profit medical school in Hanoi. After laying the foundation for rigorous academic programs and constructing the campus at record speed, VinUni enrolled its first cohort of future doctors in 2020. Fast forward to 2025, and these trainees are now in the penultimate year of their MD program—a year filled with diverse clinical electives designed to expose learners to the broad spectrum of medicine. Penn invited eights students to complete an elective rotation in Philadelphia.
Arriving at Penn, the VinUni students were surprised by our sprawling hospital system, PSOM’s unique hierarchical rounding norms, and Penn-specific acronyms. They felt culture shock at the American custom of wearing scrubs in public and the rapid-fire Philly accent. Once they found their footing, they gained invaluable insights into American medical education, teamwork, and the diverse cultural norms that define Penn’s dynamic system.
Penn’s Center for Global Health looks forward to fostering global medical experiences that strengthen connections with future physicians, clinicians, and leaders in Vietnam and beyond. We will host two more Vietnamese trainees this summer and scores more in the future – furthering our near-decade of commitment to improving medical education in Vietnam.