English Medium Medical Schools in China Study in China - Undergraduate - More about Medical Courses

Circa 2006, the Chinese Government instituted the admission of foreign students to China for Medical instruction utilizing English as the language of instruction. Students are eligible to earn basic degrees in either Medicine (MBBS) or Dentistry (BDS).

China was nowhere on radar screen of international students who want to pursue western medicine before this. When China Education Ministry introduced an English Medium MBBS program fully taught in English, it has changed the landscape of western medical studies in China. With just only four universities offering English medium education in medical, the list now has grown to 52 universities of which are approved by the Chinese government. Many medical councils around the world such as USMLE, PLAB, AMC, MCI, PMDC, HPCSA, SCHS, and etc have recognized China medical degree and provide medical licensing examination and eligibility to be practised in the respective countries. 

To ensure adequate quality control, only a few choice medical schools are allowed specific quotas for admitting international students into these programs. Other Chinese medical institutions are not barred from admitting international students, but the government maintains that these other students would have to be admitted into the Medical programs taught in Chinese. This list of universities is reviewed each year, and currently stands at 52 schools for 2013/14 batch.

More and latest about List of Chinese Medical Universities Admitting International Students

These schools are thus officially recognized by both the WHO and the MOE.

International students in particular from India were top in term of number of students who studied MBBS in universities across China. According to India’s National Board of Examination — which conducts the mandatory screening test that allows foreign medical graduates to practice in India — over 14,000 medical graduates took the test in 2012, of which around 8,000 candidates graduated from various medical institutions in China.

In Australia, data revealed by Australia Medical Council (AMC) there were 183 international medical graduates (IMGs) from China who applied and were assessed through the AMC Standard pathway to be practised in Australia of which 79 medical graduates passed the Multiple Choice Questionnaire examination in 2009. For the clinical examinations, 73 IMGs from China took the test with 51 passed the examination. Applicants came from over 100 countries with over two thirds of those who completed both the necessary examinations required under the Standard pathway coming from Asia.To view full report about requirements for practising medicine in Australia, please click here.

Tianjin Medical University is one of the approved medical school in China to conduct English medium MBBS program. Tianjin International Medical School has all necessary modern teaching and living facilities and fine environment. It has a 15-story building with 31,000 square meters consists of teacher working area, student learning area, student living area and food and drink area. There is a simulation hospital in the basement especially for students to have clinical practice before internship and after their clinical courses. 

The curriculum of the International Medical School is mainly divided into three stages of premedical education, basic medicine and clinical medicine. Altogether there are nearly 70 subjects including General Introduction to China, Introduction to Medical Philosophy, Basic Chemistry, Calculus, College Physics, Chinese Language, Organic Chemistry, Cell Biology, Systematic Anatomy, Regional Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, Physiology, Medical Biochemistry, Medical Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology, Human Parasitology, Pathological Anatomy, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Imaging Medicine, Preventive Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, Neurology, Dermatology and Venereology, Epidemiology, Ophthalmology, Stomatology, Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation Medicine, Otolaryngology, Gerontology, Oncology, etc. All the courses are taught in English. 

In order to provide students with an all-round simulation clinical environment of hospital, the International Medical School introduced internationally advanced medical teaching equipment, and set up realistic simulation hospital, which completely simulates regular hospitals, and occupies 1780 square meters. It includes multi-function classrooms covering internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, ICU, operation room, emergency outpatient department and ward checking etc, extensively involving training on asepsis, puncture, drainage, intubation, defibrillation and multi-case simulation etc, which can provide students with all-dimensional and all English modernized simulation environment. This simulation hospital has the capacity to hold 300 students simultaneously to do clinical internship and assessment, to meet the need of students from different countries to have complete training from individual’s basic skill to medical teamwork, so that they can get in touch with clinical practice as early as possible, and get familiarized with medical behavior and procedures, therefore their overall quality and practical capability can be improved. Its establishment filled the domestic gaps of basic facilities for clinical practice of international students in China, and effectively eases the students’ pressure to integrate into local hospitals for doing internship. Hence, this acts as a bridge between basic medical knowledge and clinical operational skills.

China now has become preferred destination for medical education for international students around the world. The Medical Schools in China accept overseas students who would like to study medicine from all countries and regions of the world. The MBBS program is fully taught in English and all medical schools has a pleasant study environment and excellent accommodation and facilities.

Read and access more information about English-medium MBBS programs from below links:

1. English Medium Medical Schools in China

2. China - The Preferred Destination for Medical Education