Medical Doctor License Examination in China

Foreigners and residents of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao can become formal Chinese physicians after obtaining the qualification for practicing doctors of P. R China and finishing physicians registration. Then how to obtain this qualification for practicing doctors? Foreigners can apply to his university for internship after acquiring Chinese full-time medical bachelor degree or above, which is recognized by the educational administrative department of the Chinese government, and complete one-year uninterrupted internship in the designated institutions. Then foreigners and residents of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao can apply for Medical Licensing Examination. After acquiring the admission ticket, they can participate in this qualification examination and will be conferred the qualification for practicing doctors of P. R China after passing the examination. Foreign physicians, who have acquired the legal right to practice medicine in other countries or regions, can practice medicine in China after passing the examination, obtaining the practicing certificate of foreign physicians and finishing registration.

1. Qualification requirements and detailed process for foreigners and residents of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao to participate in the medical licensing examination:

(1).Foreigners who have acquired medical degrees in China

① Acquire Chinese medical degree, that is, Chinese full-time medical bachelor degree or above, which is recognized by the educational administrative department of the Chinese government.

② The major of medical degree conforms to China's eligibility rules of examination of doctors' qualifications

③After obtaining the above medical degree, foreigners have to receive one-year professional training (internship probation period) required by Medical Licensing Examination under the guidance of practicing doctors in medical institutions in China if they apply for the Medical Qualification Examination in China.

④ Foreigners can apply for three categories of the examination for Chinese doctors' qualification: Clinical, Chinese medicine and Stomatology.

⑤Foreigners can apply to their degree granting colleges and universities for internship and fill in “internship application verification table for foreigners to participate in the examination of China’s doctors' qualifications”  after acquiring China’s medical degree.

After receiving the application, the degree-granting colleges and universities should review the application according to relevant provisions and issue a notice of accepting internship to the applicant if the application is approved.

Allowed foreigners for practice should complete one-year internship without interruption in designated institutions.

⑥The medical institutions that receive foreigners’ internship must be affiliated hospitals of their medical degree granting colleges and universities. 

⑦Allowed foreigners for practice should apply for “X” visa in Chinese embassies and consulates with“internship application verification table for foreigners to participate in the examination of China’s doctors' qualifications”, colleges and universities accepting internship notice and “Physical Examination Record For Foreigner”.

⑧Allowed foreigners for practice should apply for residence permit in the local Public Security Bureau Entry-Exit Administration Department within 30 days upon arrival with valid passport, visa, colleges and universities accepting internship notice and health certificate.

After the expiry of the residence, foreigners can renew the residence permit with the official letter of internship colleges and universities if they need to continue to stay in China. The extension period will be determined by internship period and the time of Medical Licensing Examination of the year after finishing one-year internship.

⑨For the foreigners who meet the requirements of the above articles 1, 2, 3, if they apply for Chinese physician qualification examination, they shall register at the local site office of Medical Licensing Examination and submit relevant materials within the time limit specified in the announcement in accordance with the relevant provisions of “The licensed physician law of the People's Republic of China” and “Doctor Qualification Examination Procedures” issued by the Ministry of Health. “Admission ticket” will be issued by the local site office to the qualified candidates after review.

 ⑩Only when foreigners obtain the “admission ticket” of Chinese physician qualification examination, can they attend this examination.

Qualified examinees will be awarded the qualifications of medical practitioners of the People's Republic of China according to regulations. "Doctor qualification certificate”, printed exclusively by the Ministry of Health, will be issued by the provincial health administrative department. A foreigner will become a formal Chinese physician through registration.

For the foreigners who fail in the Chinese physician qualification examination, if they apply for a second chance, according to the requirements of this notice, they should apply for new internship if a new practice is required in accordance with relevant provisions.

(2). Qualification requirements to practice medicine in China for the foreign doctors who have obtained the legal right to practice medicine in other countries or regions:

“Foreign physicians practicing certificate” is required for foreign doctors to practice medicine in China after the examination and registration. “Foreign physicians practicing certificate” is printed exclusively by the Ministry of Health. Commissioned by the Ministry of Health, the national medical examination center organizes and implements the examination of foreign physicians practicing medicine in China. The national medical examination center is responsible for the test registration of foreign physicians practicing medicine in China and releases the test time and test base 30 days in advance according to the application situation.      

Comprehensive medical examination and practical skills examination are covered in the examination for foreign doctor practicing medicine in China. The test language is Chinese.

Qualified foreign physicians will be awarded “Foreign Doctor’s Qualification Certificate”. After obtaining “Foreign Doctor’s Qualification Certificate”, if foreign doctors have not applied this certificate to practice in two years, or it has been 2 years since last practice, they have to get back into the examination for foreign doctor practicing medicine in China if they apply for practicing once again.

2. Registration time and process of Medical Licensing Examination:

Online registration time: February to March every year, specific time to be released by the national test center

On-site registration time: March to April every year, specific time to be released by the local Health Bureau

Test Time: Medical Licensing Examination covers practical skills test and comprehensive medical examination. Generally, physician practical skills test falls in June to July; comprehensive medical examination falls in September to October. The specific time will be confirmed by the examination committee of physician qualification of Ministry of Health. For details see http://www.nmec.org.cn/.

3. Outline of Medical Licensing Examination

Medical Licensing Examination is divided into four categories of two levels, two levels: practicing doctors and assistant practicing doctors; each level is divided into clinical, Chinese medicine, oral cavity and public health.

Outline of Clinical practicing physician Examination:

(1).Outline of practical skills test: focusing on examinees’ practical operation and the ability to analyze and solve problems through the comprehensive knowledge learned, including six parts: professional quality, history-taking, physical examination, basic operation, auxiliary examination and case analysis.

(2).Outline of comprehensive written examination: four parts: synthesis of preclinical medicine, synthesis of medical humanities, synthesis of preventive medicine and synthesis of clinical medicine.

Synthesis of preclinical medicine covers biochemistry, physiology, medical microbiology, medical immunology, pathology and pharmacology.

Synthesis of medical humanities covers medical psychology, medical ethics and sanitary regulations.

Synthesis of preventive medicine covers medical statistics method, the principle and method of epidemiology, clinical preventive services, community public health and health service system and health management.

Synthesis of clinical medicine(specialty comprehensive) covers respiratory system, cardiovascular system, digestive system, urinary system (including the male reproductive system), the female reproductive system, blood system, metabolic and endocrine system, neuropsychiatric, motor system, rheumatic autoimmune diseases, pediatric diseases, infectious diseases and sexually transmitted diseases, comprehensive practice and others.

Outline of dental practitioners examination:

(1). Outline of practical skills test: consisting of three parts: professional quality, basic technology of diagnosis and treatment, clinical comprehensive ability of critical thinking.

(2).Outline of comprehensive written examination: consisting of five parts: synthesis of preclinical medicine, synthesis of medical humanities, synthesis of preventive medicine, synthesis of clinical medicine and synthesis of oral clinical medicine.

Synthesis of preclinical medicine covers oral histopathology, oral anatomy physiology, biochemistry, medical microbiology, medical immunology and pharmacology.

Synthesis of medical humanities covers medical psychology, medical ethics and sanitary regulations.

Synthesis of preventive medicine covers preventive medicine and oral preventive medicine.

Synthesis of clinical medicine covers internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and pediatric dentistry.

Synthesis of oral clinical medicine covers endodontics, periodontology, pediatric dentistry, oral mucosa disease, oral and maxillofacial surgery and prosthodontics.

Outline of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) practitioners examination:

(1).Outline of practical skills test: consisting of five parts: syndrome differentiation and treatment ability of TCM, TCM technical skills, TCM common diseases, clinical skills of western medicine and western medicine diseases.

(2).Outline of comprehensive written examination: covering lemology, dosimetry, internal medicine, health regulations, medical ethics, science of acupuncture and moxibustion, basis of diagnostics, science of Chinese pharmacology, pediatrics of Chinese medicine, gynecology of Chinese medicine, basic theory of TCM, internal medicine of TCM, diagnostics of TCM and surgery of Chinese medicine.

Examination outlines of public health practitioners, clinical assistant practitioners, dental assistant practitioners, assistant practitioners of TCM and public health assistant practitioners refer to http://www.med126.com/yishi/.