Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University was established on the foundation of the Ho Chi Minh City Medical Staff Training Center, following the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 24/QD-TTg dated January 7, 2008. It is a public higher education institution within the national education system of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and operates under the direct authority of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. The university also receives professional guidance from both the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Health.
As a specialized health sciences university, its core functions include training medical professionals, promoting international collaboration in education and research, conducting scientific exchange programs, offering advanced training, transferring medical technologies, and providing healthcare and community services.
Since its early foundation in 1989, the university has contributed significantly to the city’s healthcare workforce by training large numbers of general practitioners, nurses, and medical technicians. These professionals support the healthcare system of Ho Chi Minh City and contribute to medical services across Vietnam.
By 2022, the university expanded to offer 10 undergraduate programs, including general medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, medical laboratory technology, medical imaging technology, ophthalmic refraction engineering, nutrition, and public health. With approval from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Training, the university has also been implementing the Vietnam–Germany Medical Training Cooperation Program since 2013 in partnership with the Johannes Gutenberg University Medical School in Mainz, Germany.
