It is estimated that 25% of US physicians are IMGs (International Medical Graduates), that is, they went to medical schools in countries other than the U.S. and then applied for graduate medical education in the US. Every year, thousands of IMG all over the world apply for the match and try for residency positions. Few of these applicants are Vietnamese. US medical residencies are opportunities for physicians all over the world, why not for Vietnamese physicians?

Therefore, we created this program to bring opportunities to Vietnamese physicians. Nonetheless, VMGUS is going beyond this goal to create a learning environment for everyone who interested in learning US medicine.

VMGUS is founded by a group of MD students and residents in the U.S. and Vietnam. The VMGUS program is dedicated to the Vietnamese Medical Community in Vietnam and USA.

VMGUS goals:
1. To provide United States graduate medical education (specialty residency) information for Vietnamese Medical Graduates from Vietnam.
2. To provide learning opportunities for Vietnamese medical students and doctors.
3. To bridge the US and Vietnam medical communities.

VMGUS is open is everyone. Vietnamese medical students and graduates will study USMLE Exams in Vietnam and take USMLE Step 1 and 2 in Thailand. They will take USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills while they are in the US for residency interviews. For more information regarding USMLE exams, please refer to MD education and licensing section in this website. U.S. premedical and medical students are welcome to join VMGUS.

VMGUS uses study material that US medical students study for the USMLE Board Exams. They are First Aid USMLE, Kaplan Question Banks, as well as audio lectures from US medical schools. We use Multiple Choice Question, Problem Based Learning method, and real Case discussion as our methods of study. You can take a look at one case discussion at VMGUS forum.

VMGUS uses ACGME's guidelines as standards for learning medical competency knowledge. ACGME (Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education) is the main organization that supervises graduate medical education (residency program) in the U.S. Many medical schools in the U.S. adapt these competencies in training students and residents. A detail explanation of this guideline is provided for resident members.

Standard VMGUS competencies for student and resident physicians:

- patient care,
- medical knowledge,
- practice-based learning and improvement, and
- interpersonal and communication skills,
- professionalism
- systems-based practice.

VMGUS is constantly striking to bring the knowledge in these areas to its member and aiming to be certified as a non-profit organization in a near future. A detail explanation about this progam in Vietnamese (VMGUS Booklet 21 pages in PDF) is available here or you can go to forum to view it. A newer booklet version is expected to come in January 2008.

VMGUS Team