My Journey to the Promised Land

[Komarue]

My Hope:

Spring of 2007 move to China and complete a intensive study course of advanced Chinese. Fall 2007 Complete a field study focusing on integration of traditional medicine with western Medicine in a cultural community aspect. Return to USA For Christmas 07.

My Background:

I am a current undergrad student at Brigham Young University studying Chinese and will be applying for medical school in 2008. I lived in Taiwan for Two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, the Mormons, and returned to the US late 04, since then I have finished the 2nd year Chinese courses at my University (I actually tested out of level 1 and the first semester of level 2, won't let us test any higher). I will be completing Level three Chinese over the next 7 months or so (spring/summer terms as well as fall) and hope to delve into a little literature and writing over the next year as well.

My Chinese:

I can read about 1500 traditional characters and have begun switching to simplified. As for writing that number is a very very dismally small number of characters (I like the computer too much) but is growing as I work on it every day. My ability to speak is excellent, for Taiwanese Chinese, and my listening comprehension is only limited by my vocabulary. I however will not kid myself. I could "live" in Taiwan/China but my speaking/listening ability is not what I would qualify as fluent.

My Questions:

I have perused many websites and spoken with different professors on campus about how I should go about planning my trip and I thought that it would be prudent to ask all of you as well! The following are questions that if anyone can point me in a good direction of the answer or know the answer, either would be fantastic.

What universities teach Medicine in China?

Are they currently performing any medicine related research that a foreign student could be involved with?

What intensive Language programs for college level Chinese (native) are there?

How would one go about finding housing?

Are people open to hosting a Foreigner?

Where do you find information on visas?

A list of Scholarships for students going overseas to study Chinese?

Do field study opportunities relating to medicine, anthropology, sociology exists?

If so, where can you find information?

How would you go about renting an apartment in China as a foreigner?

Where is information on Government regulations of where you can / cannot live?

What types of Visa's are needed to live where and what qualifications must you fulfill to receive them?

What are good cost estimates, housing, food?

How do you find out those costs so you can budget appropriately?

Will USA medical insurance provide cover over seas?

If not, who, what where, how much for medical insurances in the PRC?

Would purchasing audio/visual (video recorder, voice recorder, computer etc) equipment in the PRC be a good idea?

What are the governmental restrictions placed upon media created in country?

What medically related volunteer operations have a presence in china?

What are some native volunteer organizations that promote public health?

Know any good places to eat in Beijing?

Conclusion:

I don't expect all these questions to be answerable; in fact this list is more for my reference as I must answer most of these questions myself in order for me to see my hope become a reality. I am also open to suggestion on what I should do in China to have the most success, language wise, culturally and academically.

My sincere thanks,

Komarue

PS

I most likely will create a Blog about my experience and hopefully it will help those that have interest in the future.

[novemberfog]

Will USA medical insurance provide cover over seas?

If not, who, what where, how much for medical insurances in the PRC?

Though I sure some insurance providers may have global policies, in general they do not like to cover people abroad. There are private companies that offer health insurance, though it is a bit pricy.

If you are going as a student, I imagine you would have some sort coverage from the school, like a student insurance plan. I am sure someone can comment on this though.

[mlomker]

We've all asked a lot of these questions and most of them can be answered here, on eslcafe, and by reading blogs of people that are already there.

Insurance is a question for your provider. There are policies for individuals but the affordable ones are more along the 'catastrophic' line for $600/yr than anything resembling an HMO. Then again, medical care is cheap albeit painfully slow in China.

There are many schools specializing in medicine in China. The real issue is that they likely won't be recognized where you come from, so it may be a waste of your time.

China offers a lot of scholorships for students of Chinese but you need to be under 25 yrs old, which is what ruled me out. Otherwise it's pretty cheap. Costs really depend upon your lifestyle expectations and whether you are living in a city like Harbin or in Shanghai. I've figured that my budget would be between US $6-15k per year, depending upon school and location. Private schools cost 3x+ over a public college and the major cities have rents that are up to 3x the provincial capitals.

All of my Chinese acquaintances tell me that electronics are cheaper in the US.

[mind_wander]

Hi,

Here is information about visa's in China, http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/faqv/default.htm.

Sam

[wushijiao]

How would you go about renting an apartment in China as a foreigner?

You can go through an agency, but they might take a fairly big cut of the money. If you can make a Chinese friend, see if they can find a few places on-line, and then you can go look at them. Look for a good place as far as quality, location...etc, but also make sure you like the landlord. I've lived in three places in Shanghai, and each time we try to make sure the landlord is a decent guy. In all three cases, when things have broken, we've had no problems getting them fixed.

Other people that I know, however, who have not taken the landlord's personality into consideration when renting, and have thus faced fairly annoying hassels whenever some problem arises.

[rose~]

I don't know if you know, but you can't undertake any missionary activites in the PRC or bring in religious materials for distribution, that means more than one copy of the Bible etc. I wonder if we ever crossed paths in Taiwan...

What universities teach Medicine in China?

I can't answer this, and I don't know anything about TCM, but I will say that I have met A LOT of foreigners here studying TCM in Hangzhou, it seems to be famous University for it. There is a useful list here, which also highlights the place in Zhejiang as being good. I found some info here, but I suspect that those foreigners may have all gone with some program where they paid a lot to study there.

How would one go about finding housing?

Through an agent (中介), on the internet for example here or through your University if you live on-campus.

In Shanghai, an agent will take 30 per cent of one month's rent. That is universal and a regulation. I don't know about other places. Here it is usual to pay three or four month's rent at the start as well. "付二押一".

Are people open to hosting a Foreigner?

I would stick my neck out here and say no, not uless you are paying them. I know about this organisation but have not used them:lotus homestay.

How would you go about renting an apartment in China as a foreigner?

I notice that you speak Chinese already. That being the case, it should not be difficult to find an appartment at all. If you will be a student here, you may want to live on-campus for convenience and to save money.

Know any good places to eat in Beijing?

Good places to eat everywhere. Literally.

Where is information on Government regulations of where you can / cannot live?

As far as I know, all the regulations about where one can and cannot live have been dropped, were dropped around 2002. They have in Shanghai. You don't have to live in a foreigner-only place anymore. Others may want to advise on other areas. Remember to register at the local Police Station when you move somewhere, and bring away a yellow form which shows you have registered residence. You don't need to do this if you are in a hotel, they do it for you.

What intensive Language programs for college level Chinese (native) are there?

I am not sure about your question here. If someone already has native-level Chinese, then thy don't need to go on a language program, perhaps I don't understand.

What are good cost estimates, housing, food?

A famous Shanghai bogger, Wang Jian Shuo wrote about this here.

But bear in mind Shanghai is very different to the rest of China. Still, I think it is worth looking at.