The call-out of names to choose a medical residency major unexpectedly "exploded" on social networks

The event took place yesterday afternoon, September 9, within the framework of the “Match Day” program. Every year, Hanoi Medical University organizes “Match Day” on this day for new residents to register for their majors after passing the most difficult exam in the medical field.

The Residency Program is the most prestigious training program in the Vietnamese medical education system, and this year it turns 50.

Clip of registration for residency at Hanoi Medical University (Source: School).

According to the regulations, the new residents will step up to the microphone, call out their name and number according to their test scores, and choose a major displayed on the screen on stage. The candidate with the highest score will be selected first. Each major that has enough quota will be closed. Candidates at the bottom of the list will have to choose other majors that still have quotas.

This year’s Match Day saw a strong appeal for the Obstetrics and Gynecology and Plastic Surgery specialties. Of the 20 new residents with the highest scores, 7 chose Obstetrics and Gynecology and 4 chose Plastic Surgery. Meanwhile, the quota for Plastic Surgery was only 6. This meant that doctors ranked 30 or below no longer had a chance if they had previously intended to choose this specialty.

Two doctors did not select any specialty. This may be because the specialty they wanted was already full. Not selecting a specialty means the candidate has given up on the residency program.

In recent years, the Match Day event of Hanoi Medical University has received strong attention thanks to the spread of short clips on Facebook, YouTube or TikTok. However, this event has never had such an effect as this year.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Lan Hieu - Director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital - also studied as a resident physician, and was one of 31 people admitted from a total of 170 qualified doctors who took the exam.

According to him, the number of students passing the residency program was very small in the past, but this year the target is 426 residents for all specialties out of a total of 987 candidates (both inside and outside Hanoi Medical University) participating. The program's admission rate is more than 43%.

Each newly admitted doctor will have a passing rank from 1 to 426. The most "exciting" stage is to find out what career they will pursue in the future. Usually, each doctor will have a few wishes planned before entering Match Day.

“The suspense is because each major has a certain quota such as Obstetrics and Gynecology 15, Dentistry 15 or Cardiology 20.... Therefore, if you pass with a high ranking above me and choose all the majors you like, there is no other choice but to choose your second choice. Even those with low scores have to prepare their fourth and fifth choices...

Very few students who passed the boarding school dropped out. Because of the effort they put in, they often had to choose a major they were not passionate about. That is the disadvantage of this choice,” Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Lan Hieu shared.

He also commented that many doctors with high scores always think about the "hot" majors of previous years, and have a mentality of following the crowd. "As a result, many people are not really passionate, so even though they are top students in the entrance exam, they do not excel in the output and even have difficulty finding jobs at prestigious medical facilities."

“Therefore, in my opinion, you need to thoroughly research the major you choose because it will stick with you and change your whole life. Don’t follow the crowd and don’t try to force it. Residency is a thorny path to glory, but it is not the only path. Listen to your heart to have a future of your own choosing,” Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Lan Hieu advised new resident doctors.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/man-goi-ten-chon-chuyen-nganh-bac-si-noi-tru-bat-ngo-bung-no-mang-xa-hoi-20250910110332397.htm