Studying Medicine in Hubei, China

By He Sai, Ning Fang & Liu Kunwei

博士研究生扎法爾在潛心實驗 Mohammad Ishraq Zafar working on an experiment

博士研究生奧薩瑪在醫院介入室 Osamah Alwalid in the interventional room

As is commonly known,the rapid economic growth and expansion in China have witnessed huge leaps in medical science. China has undoubtedly reached the international level in the field of minimally invasive procedures, and especially in such cancer surgeries as stomach,intestinal, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Success stories of combating against the SARS,H1N1, HIV and the like, plus Tu Youyou's winning of Nobel Prize in Medicine have earned China a positive reputation in medical science.

The myth of “Going to Europe and the US to study medicine,and going to China just to study Chinese” has perished. More and more overseas students are now studying medicine in China. According to statistics from relevant departments, the number of overseas students studying medicine in Hubei has been increasing steadily from 2006 to 2017. Just in 2018,20,000 overseas students studied in Hubei—among which, 5000 are studying medicine, second only to those studying Chinese.Tongji Medical College of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the School of Medicine of Wuhan University,and the Hubei University of Chinese Medicine are the top choices for international students.As we know, Hubei is rich in medical education resources in China. Overseas students' choice of studying medicine in Hubei could best reflect the overseas students' enthusiasm for studying medicine in China.

On December 12, 2018, we conducted an interview with some overseas students studying at Wuhan Union Hospital affiliated with Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as “Wuhan Union Hospital”).

梅薩微在學習急救術 Methavee Chulanuka learning first aid treatment

Practicing while Studying,Providing a Nice Curriculum

Almost all the overseas students maintain that it is both affordable and worthwhile to study medicine in China.

Saving on tuition fees is just one piece of the whole picture.Most importantly, studying medicine in China benefits them by providing both knowledge and valuable experience. Several factors, such as patients number,case complexity, intern vacancies,and advanced equipment not only provide the best environment for the rapid boom of medical sciences in China, but also offer many opportunities for the medical students. Take Wuhan Union Hospital for example—it started enrolling overseas students in 2007 and has trained 315 overseas doctors since 2012.

Professor Chen Lili, who once studied stomatology at Harvard Medical School, is now a doctoral mentor in Wuhan Union Hospital. Chen says that the medical education is quite different in Western countries,as compared with that in China.In most European countries and in America, medical students do not have sufficient opportunities to practice their skills—for they divorce the research from the clinic in medical education. However, Chinese medical colleges emphasize the importance of a combination of both research and clinical experiences, and students are offered the chance to practice while also learning medical theories. Chen Lili believes that actual cases provide the best ground for teaching. There are about one-thousand beds in a large hospital in other countries,while Wuhan Union Hospital has over 5000 beds. This year,this hospital has treated 5.7 million people, accommodated 227,000 hospitalized patients,and conducted 121,000 surgical operations. The students have ample opportunities to engage in clinical practices, thus familiarizing themselves with medical knowledge and skills.

塞勒茜（右）和輔導員彭程（左） Selasi Aku Daddy (right) and her instructor Peng Cheng (left)

主任醫師陳瑞帶留學生看望病人 Professor Chen Rui visiting his patients with two students

Osamah Alwalid is a Ph.D.candidate from Yemen. He applied to five universities in the US, China, and Australia, and was finally admitted to Wuhan Union Hospital. He said, “I really cherish this hard-earned opportunity. My doctoral mentor, Professor Han Ping, is a knowledgeable expert in radiology and always encourages and supports me in my studies and research work.” Osamah has been working diligently by making full use of these favorable conditions and hopes to become a world-renowned expert in radiology and nuclear medicine one day.

Mohammad Ishraq Zafar, a Ph.D. candidate from India, has focused his research in the field of Endocrinology, primarily related to the diabetes and its associated complications.He has been awarded the title of Academic Excellence by Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the title of Outstanding International Student by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, for his accomplishments in medical research. Zafar said that the students can learn so much at Wuhan Union Hospital, owed in large part to its favorable teaching environment, advanced medical equipment, and professional faculty. He said that he is fortunate to have a supervisor like Professor Chen Lulu, as she is the most knowledgeable person he has ever met, and she knows how to extract the best out of any student.

吉依恩在南昌大學本科畢業典禮上Dionne Telemacque at her undergraduate graduation ceremony at Nanchang University

Devoting to Studying for their Motherland

Osamah has been devoted to both theoretical study and clinical practice as a Ph.D.candidate. His doctoral mentor,Professor Han Ping, commented that, “Osamah is intelligent and hardworking. With strong competence in both language and research, he can complete research project independently and has published several SCI papers.” Any practitioner knows that it's no easy to publish an SCI paper without solid research and innovative practices. Osamah has a strong compassion for the lives lost in wars and accidents, and hopes to help people by healing their illnesses.

Zafar obtained his master's degree at Wuhan Union Hospital and decided to continue his Ph.D. studies there. His mentor,Professor Chen Lulu, praised his passion for studying medicine.He has published several articles,including seven SCI papers as the first author and hopes to make more progress in the future.Zafar's research emphasizes the comprehensive research and applications of related disciplines,and he prefers being a researcher and academician who can nurture professionals than being a clinical doctor.

Methavee Chulanuka from Thailand hopes to continue her master's studies after finishing her undergraduate courses, and wants to contribute to the medical world in her motherland. She said it takes a long time for locals to see a good doctor in some parts of her country. She's determined to be a good doctor and has received the title of Excellent International Student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology several times.

We've also met a beautiful Dominican girl named Dionne Telemacque during our interview. Dionne studied Chinese for one year at Shanghai Tongji University in 2011, and then studied clinical medicine in Nanchang University. She enrolled at Wuhan Union Hospital in 2017 and has continued her postgraduate education majoring in orthopedics. She is also a member of the spinal cord injury research team now.

Selasi Aku Daddy is an undergraduate student from Ghana and is pursuing both a Bachelor's of Medicine and Bachelor's of Science degree.She is now working on clinical science courses and will graduate in one year. She plans to work for her country for three years after graduation and then continue her postgraduate and doctoral studies in other countries. She has a quick mind and passion for medical studies, and will surely become an excellent doctor in the future.

韓萍教授向留學生講解案例 Professor Han Ping explaining a case to her students

Medical experts from Hubei Province have been the core members of Chinese Medical Teams in Africa, and have been providing international medical aid since 1960, the year Hubei Province organized its first Chinese medical team to work in Algeria. Some doctors and their family members have been members of these aid programs for three generations and have helped hundreds of thousands of African families, contributing to the medical science development in these countries and regions.As an old Chinese saying goes,“It is better to teach one the skill of fishing than to offer him fish.”Hubei province has not only sent international medical teams, but also helped train medical research and technical staff in countries all over the world. The medical colleges in Hubei have trained thousands of medical personnel from many countries, both inside the borders of China and around the world.

What's worth mentioning is that even though most of the students come from Africa, Asia,and the Pacific Islands, which are comparatively backward in medical sciences, an increasing number of students are also coming from Europe, the US, and other developed countries for short-term exchange programs,training, and postgraduate courses. For example, many medical students from Germany and Britain come to Wuhan Union Hospital for internships and research every year. Tulane University sent doctors from the department of anesthesiology to provide training for resident physicians there at Wuhan Union Hospital. Both sides have also cooperated in regards to teacher training and sharing the latest teaching methods and results.

Supported by leading medical colleges and clinical hospitals,Hubei Province is now on its way to building and promoting its international reputation for providing top-notch medical education.

學醫在中國湖北

文 /何 塞 寧 芳 劉坤維

隨著中國經濟快速發展，中國醫學醫療水平也隨之迅速發展提高，中國醫學在微創領域已經達到國際領先水平，胃癌、腸癌、肝癌和胰腺癌手術等方面還略微領先。戰勝非典、控制禽流感、有效防控艾滋病等多種傳染病、屠呦呦獲諾貝爾醫學獎等一系列成功事件，不斷提升中國醫學聲譽。

“學醫必去歐美，學中文才到中國”的時代正在改變，來中國學醫的外國學子日漸增多。根據有關部門統計數據，從2006年到2017年，來中國湖北學醫的外國學生人數一直成上升趨勢。2018年全年，中國湖北留學生總數達到20000多人，其中選擇學醫的多達5000人，僅次于學漢語學生人數。華中科技大學同濟醫學院、武漢大學醫學院、湖北中醫藥大學是留學生選擇的熱門學府。湖北省是中國醫療教育資源大省，外國學生在湖北學醫的情況可從側面反映外國學生到中國學醫的熱度。

2018年12月12日，采訪組來到該省非常有代表性的華中科技大學同濟醫學院附屬協和醫院（下文簡稱武漢協和醫院），采訪了在這里留學的學生代表。

研習一體 真才實學

到中國學醫，學費實惠，學有所值，幾乎是所有留學生的共同看法。

節省費用是一方面，更重要的是，在中國學醫也能學到真才實學。中國人口多，患者多，病情復雜，案例多樣，實踐機會也多，且醫院設備一流。這些都是中國醫學發展快的促進因素，也是在中國學好醫學的客觀有利條件。就拿武漢協和醫院來說，該院2007年開始招收留學生，2012年至今已培養了315名“洋醫生”。

曾就讀于哈佛醫學院口腔科的博導陳莉莉教授說，歐美醫學院培養體制將臨床和科研分開，部分醫學生實際操作技能的培養鍛煉機會有所不足。中國醫學院的培養體制則注重臨床科研一體化，留學生邊學邊實踐，學習吸收快。陳莉莉認為，病例是教學的寶貴財富。國外大型綜合性醫院至多有上千張床位，而協和醫院有5000多張，年門診急診總數570萬人次，住院22.7萬人，手術量12.1萬臺。學生們有大量臨床機會，學到扎實的技能。

主治醫師郝琎琎向留學生講解病案 Doctor Hao Jinjin and her students

奧薩瑪是來自也門的博士研究生，他向包括美國、澳大利亞在內的五個國家的大學投遞了入學申請，最終武漢協和醫院錄取了他。他說：“對這個來之不易的機會，我很珍惜。我的導師（放射科教授韓萍）是一位睿智的知識型專家，她一直鼓勵和支持我，激勵我前進。”在這樣優越的環境中，他一直奮力拼搏，希望成為世界上研究影像醫學和核醫學的佼佼者。

扎法爾是來自印度的博士研究生，主要從事糖尿病及其伴生疾病等內分泌學領域的研究。由于成績優秀，他曾獲得校級“優秀學員”稱號，以及中國留學基金委“杰出國際專家”稱號。扎法爾說，協和醫院的教學環境、醫療設備和教師質量都非常好。這對學好醫學有很大幫助。他尤其感激導師陳璐璐教授，對她的博學廣識和循循善誘印象深刻。

傾心研學 報效祖國

作為博士研究生，奧薩瑪對學習和臨床實踐都抓得特別緊，導師韓萍這樣評價他：“奧薩瑪同學思想活躍，學習刻苦認真。中英文能力和科研能力較強，學習成績優良，能獨立完成研究課題，并撰寫、發表了多篇SCI論文。”業內人士都知道，沒有扎實的研究和創新實踐，要發表SCI論文是非常難的。奧薩瑪深深憫惜那些在戰亂和事故中死去的生命，希望自己能幫更多人恢復健康。

扎法爾是在武漢協和醫院取得碩士學位后繼續留校攻讀博士學位的。導師陳露露夸贊他熱愛醫學，勤奮上進，好學不倦。在校期間他發表7篇SCI論文，期待他今后在更廣闊空間內取得更大的進步。扎法爾研究的領域重在相關學科的綜合研究與運用，相對于做一名臨床主治醫師，他更希望做一名研究學者，傾心研究，帶出更多糖尿病專家。

吉依恩（左）和朋友一起游玩哈爾濱 Dionne Telemacque (left) visiting Harbin with her friend

來自泰國的梅薩微期待本科畢業后繼續申請讀研，將來為自己國家的醫學事業做貢獻。她說，在泰國，有些地方的人病了，要走很遠的路才能看到好醫生。她始終以成為一名好醫生為奮斗目標，多次獲得華中科技大學國際學生優秀獎項。

采訪中我們還結識了風趣的多米尼克美女吉依恩。她2011年在上海同濟大學學了一年中文，然后到南昌大學學習臨床醫學。2017年進入武漢協和醫院繼續研究生課程學習，從此加入該院骨科研究生的大家庭，并加入到脊柱脊髓損傷的研究中來。

賽勒茜是來自非洲加納的本科生，她同時攻讀醫學學士和理學學士兩個學位。還有一年，她就完成本科學業，眼下她正專注于臨床課程學習。畢業以后，她將回到自己的國家效力三年，然后再申請出國深造，繼續碩士研究生和博士研究生課程的學習。她熱心快腸，十分健談，將來一定能成為一名好醫生。

中國湖北的醫療專家一直是中國援非醫療隊的核心成員，從20世紀60年代初湖北組建中國第一支援非醫療隊進駐阿爾及利亞之后，湖北一直沒有停止過援外醫療。有的家庭甚至一家三代都參加過援非醫療，為千千萬萬非洲家庭和患者帶來福音，也為受援助國家和地區醫療事業發展做出了應有的貢獻。授人以魚，不如授人以漁。在一如既往派遣醫療援外團隊的同時，湖北積極響應國家“一帶一路”倡議，致力為世界各國培養醫學科研人員和醫療技術人員，現在，湖北的醫學院校已經為世界各國培養了數以萬計的醫療人才。

值得一提的是，雖然大部分學生來自非洲、亞洲和太平洋島國等一些醫療技術相對落后的國家和地區，但來自歐美發達國家的交流生、進修生和研究生也成逐年增多趨勢。譬如協和醫院，每年都有大量來自德國、英國各大醫學院的留學生交換實習，參與研究。另有來自美國杜蘭大學麻醉科的醫師來協和醫院進行住院醫師規范化培訓。雙方還開展師資培訓合作，交流最新的醫學教學方法與成果。

湖北擁有全國領先的醫學院校以及教學醫院，湖北醫學教育的國際品牌正在廣為傳播，成為國際湖北的靚麗名片。