A Study On The Training Model Of Eight-year Medical Education In China

Eight-year medical education of China is an elite education which aims to providecompetent doctors for society. Started from2004, this program has made great contributionfor the shortage of high-level medical practitioners. However, eight-year medical educationis still in an exploratory infancy. In order to satisfy the requirement of the stakeholders, themedical schools providing eight-year medical training program has been conducting allsorts of changings to promote quality of education. Nevertheless, eight-year medicaltraining models are varied and complex, a general standard is lacking, training ideology andobjectives are wide different. Consequently, this program has induced lots of criticism.Therefore, it is necessary to understand the nature of eight-year medical education, to findthe deficiencies of the training models, to re-construct an appropriate model. Such studiesare useful references for changing currently unsatisfactory situation, and cultivatingmedical practitioners adapted the development of society and science. Thus, based on thekey components of medical training model, this study employs several researchmethodologies, literature reviewing, historical reviewing, case study, comparative study,experts interviewing, and survey, to re-construct an appropriate training model withconsideration of Chinese context, resources and stakeholders. The research report includes7chapters:Chapter1is a general introduction of the study, including research background,research aim and significances, literature review, related conceptions, research questionsand research methodology.Chapter2identified the basic principle to re-construct the training model of eight-yearmedical education by discussing related education theories and practices. Based on theideologies of humanism education theory, lifelong education theory, scientific educationtheory, and pragmatic education theory; and considering the requirement of development ofmedical science and the reform in health system in China; this study identified the re-constructing work on the training model of eight-year medical education should followthe basic principles of integrating the perspectives of internationalize and localization,comprehensive and specialization, development and realistic.Chapter3is a case study of13medical schools providing eight-year medicaleducation in China. By analyzing the documentaries of eight-year medical educationcollected from13medical schools, the characteristics, the strengths and weaknesses ofChinese eight-year medical education are drawn, which give a sound perspective for modelre-constructing. The finding demonstrated that the aim and objectives, the admissionrequirement, the time for pre-clinical training, the criteria for necessary competences ofclinical and health research, and the standardized resident training, are varied andproblematic.Chapter4is a case study on the medical training programs of4top medical schools ofthe USA. By exploring the lessons of the excellent example of medical education, thischapter provided a source of reference for model re-constructing. The findings show thatthe aim of training programs was consistent, the students resources were diversity andflexible, the quality of graduates’ clinical ability are high, the training for health sciencecompetences is effective, the assessment combined the requirements of school and nationallevels.Chapter5constructed an initial model of eight-year medical education based on acomparative study eight-year medical education between China and the USA. This initialmodel manifests: the aim of training program focuses on cultivating clinical practitionerswith high standards; the students come from graduates of other disciplines; pre-clinicaltraining time is4years; the clinical ability level is similar with five-year medical education;the competences of health science research is the crucial supplement for clinical abilities;the standardized resident training adopts “3+x” model.Chapter6employed a mixed approach (semi-structure interview and questionnairesurvey) to optimize the initial training model constructed in Chapter5. First, medicaleducation administrators, educators and doctors were interviewed. After analyzing the taperecords of the interviews by a thematical approach, the findings demonstrate that it is urgentto change the current model; the nature of eight-year medical education is undergraduateeducation; pre-clinical training should focus on nature science and humanities; clinical training could adopt the five-year training model; the time of standardized resident trainingshould be shorten; the center of health science research competencies training is thedevelopment of deductive thoughts; the granting degree should be professional doctoraldegree on Medical. Then, administrators, students and their supervisors of eight-yearmedical education were invited to participant a survey. Using SPSS18, the collected datawas analyzed and the results show that the largest frequencies on the main questions were:the aim of program is inter-discipline medical practitioner; the admission requirement isundergraduates from other disciplines; pre-clinical education is one year; clinical abilityshould achieve junior clinical practitioners; health science research competence should bePhD level.Chapter7advanced a new model of eight-year medical education and gaverecommendations to implementation and application with a comprehensive consideration:following the instruction of basic principle to re-constructing the education model, focusingon the deficiencies of current model, drawing lessons from medical education system of theUSA, concerning the opinions of stakeholders.