Self-Introduction

[lakesandrivers]

Sorry for missing this first step 

 

I am an Australian looking to apply for MBBS taught in English in China. It was entirely by accident - a few days ago - that I learned the mainlanders had been customizing their medical courses to be taught in English, just as Caribbeans and Romanians and others had been doing. Google searches started showing me Chinese universities. At some point I guess we should be concerned, then scared, of the power of algorithms and AI... But that is a topic for another day 

 

For eastern Europe and China, I have enough savings to sustain the entire six years on tuition fees and living costs - one of the advantages of being a mature student. I shall be my own guarantor, and not mommy. But through TEFL and IT I will look into make some money on the sides. I would much prefer the bank account to be in the black all the time.

 

In 2016, I just finished an Australian three-year biomedical science undergrad degree with Distinction. Yes, I took GAMSAT multiple times but even science at percentile 91 and written English at percentile 98 were not good enough to get me into Australian graduate medicine. I only made it into the penultimate stages twice in two years - the medical school interviewers. Heartbreaks are a staple of the living, after all. So now I am looking at eastern Europe, Russia and China. But Cyrillic-based languages scare me. It is like learning a language from Ground Zero. But Mandarin - I can build that up real fast, especially through intensive immersion in the heartland of the language, eh?

 

I spent days on coming up with a shortlist of Chinese medical schools. Then yesterday I contacted the agencies through Wechat. China-Admissions replied first, then SICAS and finally CUECC. Where is CUCAS, you might ask. Well, their results were the first to come up when googled, but along with the negative vibes rhyming with scam. But the truth is still out there. The website seems professional and fees are clearly spelled out. What gives? So I signed up anyway much later. Will keep an eye out for any suspicious activity, if any ...  Hey, enlightened Western justice systems at least professes on innocence until proven guilty ...

 

I told the agencies I have a list, "Here is my transcript and CV, and I have a few questions." How are my chances? Do I still need IELTS? Is HSK part of the six-year curriculum, otherwise how will I accurately-yet-in-layman terms interact with patients? Is the maximum age limit negotiable? Look, I will be fully self-funded, after all!

 

An example of the first confusion is about MBBS at the Peking University Health Science Center. Two agencies listed it as taught in English but one agency told me a flat-out no.The official website is a pain to navigate - hence my utmost worry on dealing directly with the university - but they did specify HSK 6. Therein lies a direct conflict - how can a course taught in English require a HSK entrance of 6?

 

Enough rambling. Any tips from seniors who have been through it all are much obliged!

[emuboy]

Hi, I am an Australian and am currently studying Chinese on a CSC scholarship here but am planning to study medicine in Australia starting next year. I sat GAMSAT in Sept last year.

 

My plan was originally similar to yours in that I intended to study medicine abroad for the experience. I ended up scrapping China as there were too many hoops. It would be super interesting to get a look at the health system here - I find it so weird that they have separate hospitals set up western and traditional Chinese medicine.

 

What are your long-term goals in studying medicine? If you wish to move back to Australia to practise medicine at the conclusion of your study in China then you should definitely sus out whether or not there might be any issues with accreditation etc. The oversupply of graduates in Australia and the UK right now may also be an issue given that priority is generally given to local grads.

 

It's certainly possible to study medicine here: I met a Uzbekistani bloke in one of my classes who is intending to study it at the conclusion of his 1 year of language study (I'm currently at Yanshan University). 

 

Good luck!

[ZC]

There are several questions there and I can answer only a couple, but I can try from the perspective of someone currently enrolled in a similar program in China (i.e. English classes in a technical field)

 

first off: even if the program is in English you may run into a course taught in Chinese. That’s been my experience so I would say It’s not ridiculous to suggest you have an advanced level of Chinese. Also if you plan to pursue clinical work in China they definitely expect that level of Chinese or stronger before you can be given a license to practice.

 

as for trouble navigating websites, try to find the people who would be  the foreign student officer for the school of medicine. They will be much more help than any website.

 

if your mandarin is not very strong, I can’t overstate how tough it can be from English as a first language. It’s definitely a challenge worth taking but I can’t imagine it is significantly easier than a language like Russian, that said if you have some background, then immersion can help you learn much faster than your peers in Oz.

[imron]

3 hours ago, lakesandrivers said:

how can a course taught in English require a HSK entrance of 6?

Indeed.  One of these is likely to be false.  No prizes for guessing which.

 

3 hours ago, lakesandrivers said:

I learned the mainlanders had been customizing their medical courses to be taught in English

Customising their promotional literature is not the same as customising their courses

[abcdefg]

Welcome @lakesandrivers -- 

 

13 hours ago, lakesandrivers said:

It was entirely by accident - a few days ago - that I learned the mainlanders had been customizing their medical courses to be taught in English,

 

Several years ago, probably 5 or 6, I helped Kunming Medical University prepare a curriculum for students who wanted to study in English instead of in Chinese. I primarily conducted seminars for the teachers covering key aspects of Medical English. 

 

The school immediately began promoting the ability to offer coursework in English and they attracted a handful of suitable applicants, mostly from Vietnam and Nepal. Later some arrived from India as well. But they all really had to struggle because most of the classroom studies and all of the clinical interactions were still in Chinese. 

 

Unfortunately, the website and brochures promised a higher level of English than the one which really existed. (Not sure how it is now at an undergraduate level.) 

[lakesandrivers]

13 hours ago, emuboy said:

sus out whether or not there might be any issues with accreditation

 

Yes, mate! Let me share https://www.amc.org.au/assessment/list-of-medical-schools

If you ever look at Polish or Romanian medical schools that conform to European and American standards, they are there too. Top Chinese medical schools are there too.

 

Question: Which agency did you use to apply to Yanshan, or did you DIY? I have self-applied online to Shandong and Huazhong.

 

13 hours ago, ZC said:

plan to pursue clinical work in China they definitely expect that level of Chinese or stronger

 

Certainly, no question about that. I am just concerned that I no longer have time to prepare for HSK intermediate or advanced. But during studies, I will undoubtedly immerse and ace those exams. 

 

Question: Which agency did you use to enter the Uni where you are now, or did you also DIY?

 

10 hours ago, imron said:

Customising their promotional literature

 

imron admin, sir, merely translating a Mandarin brochure into English does not a medical course make. Surely 

 

43 minutes ago, abcdefg said:

they all really had to struggle

 

Yikes. Did the applicants have any Mandarin background? If not, it is near-death, no? It is like me listening to Thai, for example.

 

[imron]

10 minutes ago, lakesandrivers said:

merely translating a Mandarin brochure into English does not a medical course make. Surely

Exactly!

[emuboy]

Sweet as, go hard then.

I applied through the Chinese Scholarship Council. I'm only here on a language program however they offer to sponsor degrees as well. Check out this thread: https://www.chinese-forums.com/forums/topic/55435-2018-csc-scholarships/

 

[lakesandrivers]

14 hours ago, emuboy said:

Check out this thread:

 

Thank you, coincidentally someone from an agency I contacted emailed me today about scholarships, too.

Then I read this on the thread you pasted, and I cracked up:

 

"ENGLISH-TAUGHT COURSES

If you are applying for courses taught in English, be aware that these are often new and designed to attract high-fee paying foreign students. Check your scholarship will cover the fees. Also be aware that levels of English among teaching and administrative staff might not be as high as you want, and that new courses could be very disorganised - or sometimes just not exist. If possible try and find people who've already done the course. "

 

Thank you for the friendly reminder. But that insinuates that high-fee paying foreign students are being played the fool. Try AUD 90,000 p.a. for full-fee paying medical spots in Australia. They are the real fools, I think. That is why Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) are ultra-competitive at only AUD 10,000 p.a. thanks to ultimate government subsidies. That is where I lost the battle, but perhaps not the war. In China, I am looking only at those recognized by the Australian Medical Council (AMC).

 

As a side note, what the AMC recognizes the Canadian medical authorities do too. Not sure what their lover's story is ... 

[js6426]

On 4/3/2018 at 6:00 AM, lakesandrivers said:

Where is CUCAS, you might ask. Well, their results were the first to come up when googled, but along with the negative vibes rhyming with scam. But the truth is still out there.

 

I used CUCAS when applying for a mandarin course here in China, I found them to be great.

 

I wish you luck in applying, and hope you'll let everyone know how you got/are getting on!  I'm currently doing a bachelor's in Harbin, and I can attest to the fact that it would have been difficult with absolutely 0 Chinese, not only because of the course, but more because of the admin side of things.  Your course may well all be in English, but that says nothing of all the admin stuff you have to deal with.  I wouldn't change your plans based on this, but it's certainly something to be aware of.

 

You seem like a really intelligent guy, but I would also be careful you don't put too much on your plate.  If you are looking at doing medicine, teaching English on the side to make money, and getting your Chinese to a high enough level that you will be fine in a clinic, you are going to have a LOT on your plate. 

[Flickserve]

On 04/04/2018 at 9:18 PM, lakesandrivers said:

AUD 90,000 p.a. for full-fee paying medical spots in Australia.

 

Wow, business must be good for the Australian Universities.

 

Can definitely see the market for Chinese Universities.