American College of Surgeons
Delegation to Vietnam
December 3-9, 2023
This Preliminary Schedule of Activities represents the initial plans for the delegation as developed in cooperation with your delegation leader, your professional counterparts, and our research team. The Final Schedule of Activities published approximately 30 days prior to your delegation convening, will be adjusted to reflect the composition of the delegation, unique opportunities, and scheduling with your professional counterparts.
The following topics of discussion have been developed as a guide for the initial program planning. Each Delegate will be asked to complete a professional profile, which will be incorporated into the final schedule of activities and topics of discussion.
Initial Topics of Discussion:
- Development of Surgery in Vietnam and current state of Surgical Services
- Vietnam’s approach to trauma
- Quality and Value in the delivery of health care
- Public Health, priorities (prevention of disease, maternal-fetal and infant care, etc.)
- Financing of Health Care in Vietnam
- Cancer Care, Centers of Excellence, and Population Health
- Impact of healthcare tourism on Vietnam’s public healthcare system
Day 0 (Sat) December 2, 2023 Depart the United States
Day 1 (Sun) December 3, 2023 Arrival Hanoi, VIETNAM
Welcome to Hanoi. Please proceed to the Hotel de L’Opera located in central Hanoi. Hotel de L’Opera is a boutique hotel, encapsulating the best of Hanoi with outstanding features of French colonial architecture and operatic interior.
In the evening, join your national guide at the hotel for an orientation and cultural briefing. The exact briefing venue will be announced after arrival. The group will be briefed on the political and cultural diversity and receive further information on the program.
Overnight: Hotel de l ‘Opera
Day 2 (Mon) December 4, 2023 Hanoi: Cultural Day
Today enjoy some of Hanoi’s cultural treasures. Visit One Pillar Pagoda, which dates to the 11th century and was built to resemble a lotus blossom. Onward to visit the Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, located in the heart of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The mausoleum is the final resting place of Vietnamese Revolutionary Leader Ho Chi Minh, President of the Communist Party from 1951 until his death in 1969.
In the afternoon, explore the Old Quarter of the city, with its colonial French architecture and slower pace of life, during a rickshaw tour. Stop briefly to see Hỏa Lò Prison, which was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. Prisoners of War.
This evening, the delegation is invited to attend the Vietnamese cultural show Lang Toi My Village. The innovative performance highlights the poetic beauty of Vietnamese village life using twenty different exotic folk instruments, dance, and acrobatics. Trip Advisor rates the performance 5 stars and lists it as a “must-see” activity in Hanoi.
Overnight: Hotel de l ‘Opera
Day 3 (Tue) December 5, 2023 Hanoi: Professional Day
Begin the day with an overview of the healthcare system and learn about Vietnam’s advances toward universal healthcare. Later meet with faculty and students to discuss curriculum, standards, and certification requirements for surgeons. Learn about the development of surgery in Vietnam and the current state of surgical services.
After lunch visit the US Embassy in Hanoi. Gain an understanding of the relationship between the US and Vietnam, initiatives in the region, and plans for the future. Meet with USAID representatives and learn about one of the USAID flagship projects the Local Health System Sustainability Project, which is aimed at strengthening the financial structure for healthcare and building toward a sustainable self-financed health system and universal healthcare.
Overnight: Hotel de l ‘Opera
Day 4 (Wed) December 6, 2023 Professional Day/Fly Hanoi –Ho Chi Minh City
Start the day meeting with the faculty and staff at one of Hanoi’s largest public Hospitals. Discuss with the hospital trauma team their approach and capacity, meet with the surgical physicians and tour their operating facilities.
After lunch transfer to the airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight: Sofitel Saigon
Day 5 (Thu) December 7, 2023 Ho Chi Minh City: Professional Day
In the morning, visit a public hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Tour the facilities and discuss capacity building to meet the added demands as universal health coverage continues to grow in Vietnam.
This afternoon, meet with the physicians at a private surgical/ oncology facility and discuss “medical tourism” and private pay healthcare impact access to care for the poor. Learn about their methods to address cancer and their best practices.
After you return to the Hotel, gather as a group to recap your professional experience, share observations, and discuss possible future collaboration.
Overnight: Sofitel Saigon
Day 6 (Fri) December 8, 2023 Ho Chi Minh City: Cultural Day
This morning you will enjoy a walking tour, start out from the hotel and walk past magnificent French colonial monuments such as Opera House, City Hall, and a stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office. After a selfie stop, follow the path to the Reunification Palace nearby. Formerly named the Presidential Palace, this important city landmark was assured its place in history on April 30, 1975, when the first North Vietnamese tanks rumbled past, signaling the Fall of Saigon and ultimately the end of the Vietnam War.
Afternoon visit the War Remnant Museum which is primarily dedicated to the Vietnam War but also includes exhibits dating back to the French colonialist period and the first Indochina War.
Overnight: Sofitel Saigon
Day 7 (Sat) December 9, 2023 Ho Chi Minh City – Departure
Today transfer to the airport to connect your flight back home or transfer to Siem Reap, Cambodia for the Cultural Extension Program.