China issues plan on medical education reform

The State Council issued a plan to reform medical education and promote collaboration between medical education and practice on July 11.

It is aimed at training more qualified medical professionals, especially general practitioners and pediatric doctors, and improve the public healthcare service.

A “5+3” training system should be set up — a 5-year-program of undergraduate clinical medicine plus a 3-year resident training or a 3-year postgraduate program.

The enrollment quality of medical students should be enhanced. Top medical colleges are encouraged to recruit more students to raise the supply of quality professionals. Vocational medical education should be cut, which means fewer middle school students would be allowed to take medical training.

Higher medical education should be reformed to enhance students’ capability of dealing with clinical cases. Medical colleges should provide better clinical training in affiliated hospitals.

The resident training system should be improved by hiring qualified mentors, setting up a strict assessment mechanism and providing better salaries to trainees.

Lifelong study among medical professionals should be promoted. The result of lifelong study should be set as an important factor in a performance appraisal.

Assessment on the quality of medical education should be more effective.

A mechanism to balance demand and supply of different kinds of medical professionals should be set up. More professionals in short need should be trained, such as general practitioners and doctors who specialize in pediatrics, mental health, elder health and public hygiene.

More traditional Chinese medicine doctors should be trained. A whole training system should be set up to provide a full-life-circle TCM service.

Medical education in central and western regions where medical resources are not abundant should be particularly promoted. More funds and preferential policies should be provided to medical colleges there.