Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC has partnered with Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine (PNT), a public medical school in Ho Chi Minh City, for the advancement of medical training and research in Vietnam and the USA.

Dr Ray Mitchell, Dean of Medical Education at Georgetown, and Dr Nguyen Thanh Hiep, Dean of Medicine at PNT, signed the memorandum of understanding in July formalising the partnership that has been in the works for over a year.

“Given the sad situation of health care and general education in Vietnam, this partnership will advance the learning of minds and hearts of medical students, doctors, nurses and others working in health service in Saigon and in the USA”, said Fr Julio Giulietti SJ of the USA Northeast Province, who did the exploratory and preparatory work to facilitate the collaboration. Fr Giulietti has been working in Southeast Asia, mainly Vietnam, for nine and a half years.

Dr Ray Mitchell, his wife Ellen and Fr Julio Giulietti SJ outside the Hospital for Infectious Diseases & Tropical Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City

The partnership is three-fold: (1) sharing of medical rotations by final year medical students to each other’s schools and affiliated hospitals; (2) sharing of advanced training by Georgetown faculty in basic and transplantation sciences at PNT and sharing of doctors to each other’s schools and affiliated hospitals; and (3) cooperating in research in areas such as prevention of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and early-onset prostate cancer related to Agent Orange for publication in international medical journals.

In the lead up to the signing of the MOU, Georgetown doctors had been visiting Vietnam for lectures and practical training of Vietnamese doctors and nurses for medical and surgical specialties. Dr Mitchell, who made the trip to Southeast Asia for the first time to formalise the partnership, met with physicians working at the local hospitals. Dr Mitchell has served in many developing countries including Egypt, Haiti and several African countries.

Dr Mitchell and Ellen with PNT medical students

“This collaboration is an example of an international education network within the Society of Jesus that assists and steps in when the need is great”, said Fr Giulietti. “There are great benefits possible for both schools, each representing countries that have had a turbulent past. We all hope that when the opportunity presents itself, Vietnamese Jesuits will be able to step in and take the lead in programmes such as this one.”