Medical Education in China in the Postcultural Revolution Era

Abstract

The Cultural Revolution has had an important impact on Chinese medical education. The Chinese system is engaged in a vigorous program to solve health-manpower needs in the rural areas by emphasizing de-professionalization, mass orientation and accountability to the community. Among the notable changes within the medical schools are the following: an admission process favoring the recruitment of peasants, factory workers, and the military; a three-year program with heavy emphasis on practicing in rural communities; widespread integration of the traditional Chinese and Western systems of medical practice; and manual labor and political seminars, which compose more than 25 per cent of the required curriculum. These innovations have been greatly facilitated by a strong national commitment and supportive political system. The fact that less than 10 per cent of doctors in China today are graduates of college-level medical education indicates the importance of other entry possibilities.