Vietnam's Medical School Entrance Exam Compared to Studying Medicine Overseas

How competitive the domestic route is

Vietnam runs no separate national medical school entrance test. Admission goes through the general high school graduation exam, THPT, combined with each university's own cutoff score for its medicine program. Competition for medicine stays intense every year. In the 2025 intake, top ranked medicine programs required scores above 27 out of a possible 30 points on their chosen 3 subject combination, among the highest cutoffs of any field nationally, according to a roundup published by Tuổi Trẻ . Regional and newer medical schools post lower cutoffs, with some programs accepting scores in the low 20s, but every accredited medicine program in Vietnam still sits near the top of the national ranking table each year, per Báo Điện tử Chính phủ 's 2025 cutoff compilation.

A high THPT score alone does not guarantee a seat either. Universities set their exact cutoff after seeing the year's applicant pool, so a score that cleared the bar in 2024 sometimes falls short the next year if more students score well.

Why some students look overseas instead

Missing a medicine cutoff by a fraction of a point, or wanting to avoid retaking the THPT, pushes some Vietnamese students to apply to medical schools abroad, often in countries with lower entry barriers, English or French taught programs, or an established Vietnamese student community. This route sidesteps the domestic cutoff scramble, but it adds a different layer of complexity once you plan to return and practice in Vietnam.

Popular overseas routes for Vietnamese medical students include Russia, China, Taiwan, and a smaller group heading to Western Europe, North America, or Australia for degrees taught in English. Language of instruction, the length of the program, and whether the school runs clinical training you can complete without extra travel back to Vietnam vary widely by country, so weigh those details alongside tuition when you compare a specific offer.

Domestic route versus overseas route, side by side

What changed in Vietnam's medical licensing law

Vietnam's Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (Luật Khám bệnh, chữa bệnh, Law 15/2023/QH15) took effect on 1 January 2024 and replaced the old "chứng chỉ hành nghề" (practice certificate, issued once with no expiry) with a "giấy phép hành nghề" (practice license) valid for 5 years and renewable, per Vietnam's government policy portal . Anyone holding an old certificate issued before that date has to convert it to the new license under the law's transition rules.

The same law adds a national competency assessment for doctor license applicants starting 1 January 2027, so new applicants for a physician's practice license, including graduates of foreign medical schools, will need to pass this assessment before the Ministry of Health issues their license, according to Vietnam's legal database . If your overseas medical degree finishes near or after that deadline, build this exam into your path to practicing at home.

Getting your foreign medical degree recognized

A medical degree earned outside Vietnam does not automatically qualify you to apply for a practice license. Your diploma first needs equivalency recognition from the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), confirming your foreign training matches the standard of a Vietnamese medical degree. Only after that recognition can you apply to the Ministry of Health for your practice license, following the documentation process the ministry sets out for doctors trained abroad, per Báo Điện tử Chính phủ . Practice licenses issued under the 2023 law are valid nationwide in Vietnam and run for 5 years before renewal.

If you already hold a foreign issued practice license, not just a degree, Vietnam's law allows recognition of that license under Article 29, with the Ministry of Health required to respond within 30 days of your application, according to the same government guidance.

Choosing between the two paths

• Domestic route: one demanding entrance score, lower total cost at a public university, and a direct path to a practice license without an extra degree recognition step.

• Overseas route: an easier entry score in many countries, higher total cost in most cases, plus mandatory MOET degree recognition and a Ministry of Health license application before you practice in Vietnam.

• Either path, factor in the national competency assessment that applies to new license applicants from 1 January 2027 under the 2023 law.

Questions to answer before you commit to an overseas medical school

Ask the university directly whether past Vietnamese graduates of your exact program have successfully completed MOET degree recognition. A program with no track record of Vietnamese graduates going through this step carries more uncertainty than one where the recognition path is already proven. Ask about the language of clinical instruction as well, since a degree taught in a language you have not mastered can slow down both your studies and your ability to prepare for Vietnam's licensing requirements once you return.

Confirm the program's accreditation status in its home country too. A medical school unaccredited or under review in its own country adds risk on both ends, at home when you apply for degree recognition, and in the country of study if the program loses its standing before you graduate.