Continuing medical education in Vietnam: new legislation and new roles for medical schools.

Driven by health care reform and the advent of the private sector in the late 1980s, and by commitments made to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam is faced with a need to increase the regulation and training of its health care professionals. Previously, a diploma from an accredited health professional school was sufficient to practice for a lifetime. Legislation has recently been passed that will institute a licensing system, will require continuing medical education (CME) to maintain the license, and will probably place a large burden on the health professional schools and training institutes to provide CME. Supported by international nongovernmental organizations and foreign universities, the medical universities in Vietnam are responding and are preparing for their new and expanded role.