Vietnam Military Medical University

Vietnam Military Medical University (Vietnamese: Học viện Quân y), also known as Le Huu Trac Medical University, is the principal military medical university of the Vietnam People's Army. It operates under the Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam and is responsible for training medical and pharmaceutical personnel for the armed forces. The institution is based in Hanoi and functions as both a military academy and a medical university, combining officer education with medical, pharmaceutical, and health-sciences training. Its dual identity is reflected in its alternative name, Le Huu Trac Medical University, which honours the celebrated Vietnamese physician Le Huu Trac (Hai Thuong Lan Ong). As a military school, it is part of the Vietnam People's Army's educational system, and its graduates typically serve in military medical units, hospitals, and research institutions. The university also maintains affiliated hospitals and research centres that support both military and civilian healthcare. Its official website is hocvienquany.vn. The institution has played a significant role in Vietnam's military medical history, including during the Vietnam War era, when military medical services were critical to the war effort. Today it continues to train military doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, and conducts research in military medicine, trauma care, and public health. Because it is a state military institution, it is not a commercial brand in the conventional sense, but it operates as a trademarked educational and healthcare brand within Vietnam's defence and higher-education sectors.

Vietnam Military Medical University traces its origins to the early years of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Vietnam People's Army. It was established to meet the urgent need for medical personnel during the First Indochina War and later the Vietnam War. The university was founded in 1949, during the resistance against French colonial rule, when military medical services were essential for the survival and effectiveness of the People's Army. Over the decades, it developed into the primary training centre for military doctors, pharmacists, and medical technicians. The institution is also known as Le Huu Trac Medical University, named after Le Huu Trac (1720–1791), a renowned Vietnamese physician and scholar, often regarded as the father of Vietnamese traditional medicine. This alternative name reflects the university's dual role in military and civilian medical education. During the Vietnam War, the university's staff and graduates served in field hospitals, research units, and medical supply chains along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in combat zones. After the war, it continued to expand its programmes, establishing affiliated hospitals and research institutes. In the post-war period, the university strengthened its ties with other military medical academies internationally and modernised its curriculum. Today, it remains under the Ministry of National Defence and is a key institution in Vietnam's military medical system, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes. It also provides medical care to soldiers, veterans, and civilians through its affiliated hospitals. The university's official website is hocvienquany.vn.

• 2010

  Modernisation of facilities and increased international cooperation.

• 2000

  Expansion of postgraduate and doctoral programmes in military medicine.

• 1990

  Renamed or alternatively known as Le Huu Trac Medical University, honouring the Vietnamese physician.

• 1975

  After the reunification of Vietnam, the university extended its role in national healthcare and military medicine.

• 1960

  Development of specialised military medical curricula and establishment of affiliated hospitals.

• 1954

  After the Geneva Accords, the university continued to operate in North Vietnam and expanded its training programmes.

• 1949

  University founded during the First Indochina War to train military medical personnel.

Premier military medical university of the Vietnam People's Army, combining military officer education with medical and pharmaceutical training.

• Military medical doctor training

  Undergraduate and graduate programmes for military medical officers.

• Pharmacy training

  Pharmaceutical education for military and civilian pharmacists.

• Medical research

  Research in military medicine, trauma, and public health.

• Affiliated hospitals

  Military hospitals providing healthcare and clinical training.

1. 1Wikidata entry for 军医学院 (越南)wikidata.org
2. 2Chinese Wikipedia article on 军医学院 (越南)zh.wikipedia.org