Abstract
This commemorative article by Prof. Nguyen Lan Viet reflects on the 40-year history of the Department of Cardiology at Hanoi Medical University — the first dedicated cardiology department among Vietnamese medical schools, established in 1983 as a split from the Department of Internal Medicine under the leadership of Prof. Dang Van Chung. The article recounts the challenging early years with limited staff and equipment, the introduction of echocardiography/Doppler techniques from France (1986–1988) led by Prof. Pham Gia Khai and Prof. Nguyen Lan Viet, and the growth of invasive and interventional cardiology through international collaborations with French colleagues and later with Prof. Thach Nguyen (USA, 1996). It also surveys successive generations of specialists trained in coronary intervention, electrophysiology, congenital heart disease, and vascular ultrasound, notable scientific achievements (State Science and Technology Award, 2005), training output (37 cohorts of cardiology residents), and honors received by department members.
