Medical Overseas Students at Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine, China
1.Overview of International Students
Over 400 international students from 28 countries study medicine at Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine. Medical international education is an important direction in Sun Yat-sen University’s internationalization.
2. History of Enrolling International Students
In 2006, for the first time, the Sun Yat-sen University enrolled a total of 101 foreign students majoring in clinical medicine with five-year full English teaching. They were mainly from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc. Their curriculum, training requirements and quality control were in line with those for Chinese students, but in full English teaching. Specifically, the university opened courses of Chinese, Medical Chinese etc. for MBBS students, which were taught by selected excellent teachers; besides, outstanding Chinese students from eight-year educational system were chosen as teaching assistants to help MBBS students to solve difficulties in study. After three and a half years of theoretical study, six months of clinical clerkship and one year of internship in one of the affiliated hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University, the majority was capable of completing all courses and passed the graduation exam. 81 students met the requirements set by “Detailed Regulations of Sun Yat-sen University on Bachelor's Degrees" and got a degree.
In 2007, Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine enrolled 95 MBBS students. After five years of study, 91 students met the requirements and got a degree.
The enrollment was suspended in 2008, 2009 and 2010. During this period, drawing lessons from the past, the university improved the teaching quality for MBBS students by exploring ways from different perspectives, including optimizing curriculum, building excellent courses, editing English-language teaching materials, training teachers, innovating teaching quality monitoring mechanism, establishing English training courses and so on. After three years’ efforts, Zhongshan School of Medicine gradually established a quality assurance system for MBBS students and achieved some improvements.
In 2011, Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine re-enrolled MBBS students, but the five-year educational system had been changed into one of six years. Up to 2013, there were 119 clinical undergraduates in full English classes (including 2011 Batch and 2012 Batch), representing a proportion of 6.6 % among all international students in the university. Those students are mainly from India (43, 36%), Thailand (21, 18%), Mauritius (18, 15%), Malaysia (9, 8%), Nepal (9, 8%), and other countries (18, 15%).
3.Integration into Chinese Culture for International Students
In line with the teaching arrangements of "Chinese Society and Culture", Sun Yat-sen University organizes international students to participate in "the Guangzhou Cultural Study Tour" every year. The social practice activity aims to promote students to get a deep understanding of Chinese culture by means of visiting cultural sites which will make MBBS students capable of achieving a high integration into the Chinese social and cultural environment. Additionally, such an event provides opportunities for international students to communicate with Chinese students during the journey which can greatly enhance the atmosphere for communication between them. Last year in May, international students visited the Chen Clan Temple, Yuexiu Park, Zhongshan Memorial Hall, Whampoa Military Academy as well as other historical and cultural sites. This activity is beneficial for promoting a harmonious atmosphere on campus by helping international students to exercise their body, relaxing their mind and strengthening their friendship.
4.The International Sports Event
In order to enrich extracurricular activities for international students and improve their enthusiasm for exercises, Zhongshan School of Medicine will hold a month-long sports event in March every year. According to different preferences and habits, the event comprises of various sports, such as football, badminton, cricket, athletics and so on. All international students are enthusiastic and show strong expectation to participate in this annual sports event. The International Sports Event can greatly enrich students' extracurricular life, train their physical ability, reinforce their willing and strengthen friendship between each other. Thus, the activity is given full support from the School.
5. After Graduation
In general, the university keeps track of alumni by e-mail, greeting cards, etc. to inform them of recent events about the university; meanwhile, it shows concerns about their developments and achievements after graduation. The university tries to update contact information of alumni through various channels.
Few years after the graduation of MBBS student, the university has collected some facts. For example, there were 10 MBBS students from Sri Lanka who had passed the graduation exam and received the bachelor degree in 2011. 8 of them had attended the 2012 Sri Lanka National Medical Licensing Examination and 6 had passed, with 75% passing rate. It was reported that up to 900 graduates had participated in that examination but only 146 passed with 16.2% passing rate. Among all Chinese universities, Sun Yat-sen University ranked first with the highest passing rate.
6. Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine Global Partnership
Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine has established stable co-operations in medical education and research with many internationally renowned institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, the Karolinska Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Birmingham University.
The final information is subject to the University If there is any discrepancy!
