A descriptive analysis of medical education in China.

A highly trained medical profession is vital to a country's economic development. With the development of a growing economy in China and the increasing impact of globalization, the recent outbreak of new infectious diseases including SARS and the lethal avian influenza have highlighted the importance of medicine and medical care. Ultimately, the health of the public depends on the quality of the medical education programmes. This article outlines the various educational policies in China, points out deficiencies in the medical education of China when compared to the American model of medical education and makes suggestions of changes that need to be made to Chinese medical education programmes.