Dinh Vu, MD

Before he was born, an act of kindness from a stranger changed the course of Dr. Dinh Vu's life. That stranger was a missionary doctor in his native Vietnam.

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"He was Spanish or maybe Portuguese, we don't know for sure," Dr. Vu explains. "During the war, my mother's arm was severely injured and she was told amputation was her only option. This missionary doctor saved her arm and her life at no cost to my father, whose salary could not even pay for routine medicine. There's no way I would be where I am today without that doctor," he says.

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That family story drove him to a career in healthcare. He studied biomedical engineering at University of Pennsylvania, which involved him in orthopaedic research. That illuminated his true calling and he made a commitment to medical school. "I had first-hand patient interaction each week. That did it," he recalls.

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Dr. Vu is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. He earned his M.D. at American University of the Caribbean, St. Maarten and completed his residency at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, where he served as co-chief resident. Joining AtlantiCare brings him back where he spent his teenage years. He is a graduate of Atlantic City High School. Dr. Vu's patients range in age from five to senior citizens. He diagnoses and treats illness and provides preventive care, including exams, immunizations and screenings. He helps his patients keep healthier habits, manages long-term illness, coordinates specialty care and advocates for his patients within the healthcare system. He is fluent in Vietnamese. He finds great satisfaction in the variety of patients and problems he sees. "A well-trained family practice physician can handle 85 percent of the problems presented. Each day is different, exciting and interesting. When the patient is motivated and listens to advice, they get better. That really makes my day," he says.

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