According to statistics, in 2019 around 500000 international students from more than 200 countries and regions came to China for international education at various Universities, Colleges, Schools for various programs in bachelor degree or undergraduate, PG/master degree or postgraduate, doctoral degree or Phd as well as Non-degree( short term ).
Among of them, a large number of foreign students have come to China to study medicine. The international education of medical degree develops fast in our country and the scale continues to expand, which has become one of the most active fields in international education. Under the wave of the internationalization of higher education in our country, behind the passion of "go to China to study medicine", it is Chinese medical level and quality of medical education receiving more and more international recognition.
The Medical programs including: MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), dental BDS (Bachelor of Dentistry Surgery)/ Stomatology /Oral Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Medical Laboratory/ Laboratory Diagnostics/ Laboratory Medicine, Biomedical Engineering/ Biomedical Technology, Preventive Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and so on.
The students are from South Asia,(India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh , Nepal , Bhutan), South-East Asia (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, etc), Africa content ( South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Mauritius, Cameroon, Zimbabwe ,Sudan ,Ethiopia , Zambia, Tanzania, etc), Middle East countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Qatar etc) , America content ( Jamaica, Guyana, USA, Canada), European Content ( UK, Portugal, Aweden,Ireland etc), Pacific Ocean Content(Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, etc). As the second largest economy in the world, China also has become the second largest destination country for international students overseas studies after USA . British education institutions predict that by 2027, China will become the largest destination in the world for overseas students study abroad.
Why it is favored by so many students from various countries and regions around the world to come to China to study medicine? I think there are mainly nine reasons. First, China’s medical education has been widely recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as European and American developed countries and regions. Most of the Medical Schools in China are recognized in the WHO’s "Directory of World Medical Schools". This listing makes a student graduating from such Medical Universities and Medical Colleges in China eligible to appear for many of the screening tests like the USMLE, PLAB and also the newly introduced "Screening examination" conducted by the National Board of Examinations of India under the directive of the Medical Council of India.
Second, China has assured quality of medical education. China’s highly reputed medical technology is the premise of the quality of medical education. After more than 30 years’ reform, our country’s medical technology has achieved significant improvement and has reached the advanced level of the world.
Third, China has unique medical resources. Medicine is a practical major and China’s huge population base determines rich resources of cases and diseases. Foreign students can have internship here or they can finish it in their home country.
Fourth, Peaceful environment, the great educational infrastructure and the availability of instruction in the English medium in China bring convenience to the overseas students. More and more Chinese universities have made courses available to students in the English medium.
Fifth, the degree of opening of the Chinese society is being strengthened constantly, which offers more chances to foreign students to make them give full play to their ability.
Sixth, with the development of China’s economy, lot of world big enterprises, big companies are garrisoning in China constantly, and economic development and exchange must promote the international floating of professionals.
Seventh, compared with the European and American countries, the cheap cost is also a big advantage of our medical education to attract so many foreign students. Eighth, magnificent Chinese culture is extremely attractive to a lot of foreigners.
Ninth, China has a quite promising medical market. With the growth in China’s economy and society, the hospital of our country builds and develops at the pace quickly too. With the deepening of health care reform of our country, opening to the outside world with the medical market, very aspect is in line with international standards. It is predicted that the medical market of China will develop at the speed of 15%-20% in the following five years. In 2020, we will be up to 120 billion, thus will exceed U.S.A. and become the largest market in the world.
Chinese medical education is cultivating talents for lots of general hospitals and basic medical institutions of many European and American countries. China has become a new "holy land" to study medicine for the middle class in many countries. Chinese medical education has caused the attention of the international community. Some foreign media said that China had become the latest "holy land" of foreign students to study medicine after Japan, Cuba. According to the data, at present more than 45 medical universities that are approved by the Ministry of Education are qualified to enroll foreign students in our country.