Studying Medicine in China- Jinan University Guangzhou, China

I am Muskaan Rajani, Akshara batch of 2018. I am studying Medicine in China. I am very happy here. I thought that I must share my experiences of studying in China with all my juniors.

In 2018, the number of Indian students studying medicine in China crossed 21,000-mark, the highest for India since China allowed foreign students to study medicine in 2003.The number of Indian medical students has been rising rapidly in China in the last couple of years. More than 7,000 Indians have been rushing to China annually to study medicine since 2016.

 Reasons for China being very popular with Indian students –

1. 45 universities in China offer medicine at an undergraduate level in English. The students must not apply in other universities as they will offer a course in Chinese and the degree too, will be awarded in Chinese.
2. The medicine program in China in the 45 universities that offer medicine do not require a four-year pre-medicine program like the United Sates of America. However, it has a two-month course before the beginning of the medicine program wherein basic Chinese, Chinese history and tradition and social development of China is taught so that an oversees student can adapt and integrate himself/herself into the country with ease. Hardly 1 out of 10 Chinese people can speak English. Hence, first semester is very important for all the Indian students.
3. A significant reason behind Indian students flocking to China to study medicine is that it costs less to get a degree in medicine here than in India. The cost of medicine in my college is 44 lakhs for 5.5 years.
4. The teaching pattern and the course content in Chinese universities is similar to ones in India.
5. One can find many Indian teachers on the campus.
6. Books by Indian authors are used.
7. About the prerequisites, you just have to clear NEET UG and get a percentage of 75 or above in 12^th

 How is Chinese Medical university different from Indian Medical University? 

1. No exams for laboratory classes except a few
2. No viva exams
3. Written internal examination which adds up with the semester ending exams.
4. Semester system here. (2 semesters make one year in India)
5. First semester starts in November
6. Night classes are held on some days from 9:40 pm to 8am for some courses.
7. The number of holidays are very less (almost none)

  A word of caution

More than 8,000 Indian medical students are currently enrolled in some 216 universities in China that are not – under MoE regulations – authorised to hand out MBBS degrees in English.

Instead, they could even end-up receiving a degree in traditional Chinese medicine or TCM at the end of their five-to-six year course.

Over the years, there have been several cases in which students from India have been misled into believing that they will get MBBS degrees in English from these 200-plus universities.

Many Indian students – outside the 45 universities – end up holding a TCM degree, which would    mean no clinical exposure and little knowledge of modern medicine.

What I like about China and the university:

Dormitory facilities are good. Chinese are very friendly and helpful (they’d always go out of their way to help you if you ask them for help). It is very safe here (girls can literally stay outside the whole night and go anywhere they want to at anytime of the day without any fear). Indian food is available at the University by tiffin services.The teachers are very understanding and helpful.

Have a glimpse of my beautiful college –