Study Medicine in China

China's top universities will rival Oxbridge, says Yale president

China is spending billions of yuan to propel its best institutions into the top 10, says visiting US academic

China's top universities could soon rival Oxford, Cambridge and the Ivy League, the president of Yale University has warned.

Professor Richard Levin, speaking to the Guardian on a trip to the UK, said Chinese institutions would rank in the world's top 10 universities in 25 years' time, squeezing out some of the west's elite campuses.

At the moment, British universities dominate the top 10 rankings, with Cambridge coming second to Harvard, University College London fourth and Oxford and Imperial College London joint fifth. The rest of the top 15 are US universities. China's highest-ranking institution is Tsinghua, at 49.

But the Chinese government now spends billions of yuan – at least 1.5% of its gross domestic product – on higher education with the aim of propelling its best institutions, such as the universities of Tsinghua and Peking, into the top slots, Levin said.....

for the rest of the article :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/feb/02/chinese-universities-will-rival-oxbridge

Becoming a Doctor in China

After gaining a place to study medicine in China, I decided to set up this organisation to help other people who would make great doctors but are unable to study in their home country. Studying in China should not be seen as a second choice though. China is regarded as the oldest continuous civilization in the world and it was there that many of the greatest discoveries and inventions took place. Despite missing out on the industrial revolution, China is now growing economically and politically at an unprecedented rate and by the time you graduate from university, you may well be graduating in the most influential country in the world. There is a £1000 application fee, but it is only paid after you have been offered a place. Most universities in China charge less to students who apply through us, so Zhejiang University for example charges £3,148 per year instead of £3,518, which is a saving of £2220 over the six years. This is cheaper than studying in the UK, £3,290 a year, but the real saving comes from living expenses. Halls of residence in China start at £50 per month and the price difference on everything else is proportionally similar.

China has some of the best universities in the world, most of which are recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO)'s "Directory of World Medical Schools", as you can see from the link below:

http://www.who.int/hrh/wdms/en/

The GMC recognises degrees from institutes that are listed on the AVCENNA directory. The GMC page that says this and the AVICENNA directory can be seen below:

http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/registration_applications/acceptable_primary_medical_qualification.asp

http://avicenna.ku.dk/database/medicine/

This means that once you have graduated from one of these universities you will be able to practice in the UK, the US and most other countries. After graduating, you just need to sit the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB), or the equivalent in the US or other countries, to start practicing. Many of the universities offer courses to prepare you specifically for this test.

http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/registration_applications/img_plab_p1.asp

The application process is very straightforward. Fill out a two page application form and send it in with scans of your passport and qualifications. For an application form, email us your A-Level results, or equivalent, and we will send you the appropriate forms.

Have a look at my blog of my journey to becoming a doctor at Zhejiang University.

http://doctorchina.blogspot.com/

Zhejiang University is rated third in China, so the calibre of students you will be studying with will be higher than studying in any other country. This is because your peers will be in the top percentile of over 1.3 billion extremely motivated students. With China's booming economy and its elevation on the world stage, what better place could there be to study medicine? Furthermore, the entrance requirements for foreign students are slightly more flexible. The University also offers training for USMLE and PLAB exams enabling the students to practice in the USA and UK after graduation.

Am I the right kind of person for a medical career?

Ask yourself these questions:

Do I care deeply about other people, their problems and their pain?

Do I enjoy helping people with my skills and knowledge?

Do I enjoy learning and gaining new understanding? Do I often dig deeper into a subject than my teacher requires? Do I understand the value of learning beyond just getting good grades?

Am I interested in how the human body functions? Am I intrigued by the ways medicine can be used to improve life?

If you answered "Yes" to most of these questions, the chances are you have the right kind of personality for a medical career.

Above all, do you want a challenge and do you want an adventure?