On his first day assisting in a complex orthopedic surgery, Nguyen The Duy, a young Vinmec resident, stood outside the operating room, fluorescent lights humming softly overhead as he stabilized his breathing. The weight of what awaited him on the other side of the doors felt almost physical.
“I remember my hands were shaking a little bit,” he recalled. “I kept thinking: What if I make a mistake? What if I can’t keep up?”
That moment of anxiety marked the beginning of his transformation: from a trainee unsure of his place to the kind of doctor Vinmec strives to cultivate: technically skilled, composed under pressure, and guided by a deep sense of humanity.
This philosophy starts from the top. Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, who has spent more than 25 years in orthopedics, from complex bone tumor surgery to sports medicine, now heads Vinmec National Health System. What drives him today is not just restoring the movement, but mentoring the next generation.
“Watching my students grow, not only in skills but also in compassion, reminds me that I am part of something bigger than a profession: a journey to nurture those who will one day heal others,” shared Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, CEO of Vinmec Healthcare System.
That belief has become Vinmec’s DNA, where each hospital serves as a living classroom and each patient case becomes a legacy passed down from generation to generation of healthcare professionals.
Building the future of the country’s healthcare
Amid growing regional pressure to strengthen health capacity, new models for health workforce development are emerging across Asia. In Vietnam, Vinmec stands out as a pioneer both nationally and regionally. Founded in 2012, it has since become the country’s first private academic health system.
Vinmec, which operates 9 hospitals and 7 clinics nationwide, is the first private healthcare network in Vietnam that fully integrates clinical care, advanced research and medical education. It is also the only health system in Vietnam with two JCI-accredited hospitals and home to Asia’s first Cardiology Center of Excellence.
Vinmec
Professor Dung explained that Vinmec’s talent strategy is based on three pillars: academia, succession and integration. The goal is to create an ecosystem where doctors not only treat patients but also teach and conduct research, guided by Vietnam’s “golden generation” of medical experts.
“We connect globally to create an international academic environment for continuous learning,” he added.
With a vision to make high-quality care accessible to more people, Vinmec also benefits from its historic partnership with Cleveland Clinic Connected, becoming the first and only Southeast Asian healthcare system accepted into the US-based global network.
Doctor and nurse shortage in Asia: What can we do?
This people-first approach comes at a crucial time. Asia’s health systems face a critical inflection point. By 2030, the World Health Organization warns of a global shortage of between 10 and 11 million health workers, with Southeast Asia alone projected to lack 4.7 million. The gap is not only numerical, but also in the preparation of the workforce.
As healthcare rapidly evolves with technologies such as telemedicine and AI-based diagnostics, future healthcare professionals must master new skills. However, today, not all doctors are digitally savvy and experts warn that Asia’s healthcare workforce must urgently strengthen its digital skills.
Where tomorrow’s Vietnamese healthcare talent begins
“At Vinmec, people are not only the engine of the system, but also its purpose,” Professor Dung emphasized. The organization embraces a “patient-first, people-centered” leadership philosophy based on three core values: talent, ethics and empathy. Physician leaders are expected to not only guide clinical excellence but serve as mentors to shape the next generation.
“When caregivers feel empowered and supported, they naturally provide better care,” she said. Rather than simply hiring top talent, Vinmec is committed to creating a long-term sustainable internal workforce.
That vision translates into concrete actions. In 2024 alone, Vinmec organized 81 national clinical conferences and delivered 9,341 in-house training courses to more than 129,000 healthcare professionals. Programs such as the Graduate Nursing Internship and Management Internship Program accelerate the development of young professionals and develop future healthcare leaders.
Vinmec
What sets Vinmec apart is the seamless integration of clinical research into daily medical practice. Young doctors are actively involved in real-world translational projects, from the first successful CAR-T cell therapy in Vietnam for the treatment of cancer to the pioneering application of 3D printing technology in complex surgical procedures across Southeast Asia.
As digital medicine reshapes the future of care, Vinmec is preparing its workforce for what lies ahead. The Vinmec data platform provides access to real-world clinical data; AI-based diagnostic tools enable more accurate clinical decision-making; and internal systems such as e-learning platforms, simulation labs and advanced imaging centers ensure continuous technology-driven upskilling.
In every young doctor who enters the operating room, in every nurse who supports patients during their recovery, and in every patient who walks again, Vinmec’s legacy silently lives on, through the healing hands it continues to nurture.
