Source: SYSU News Center
Written by: SYSU News Center
Photo by: Shi Shuoping, Zhong Haolun, Xia Lei, Cai Shanshan
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

From October 19 to 22, 2015, the expert group of the Working Committee for the Accreditation of Medical Education of Ministry of Education (MOE) is paying a site visit to Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU). On the morning of October 19, the Opening and Working Report for the Accreditation of Medical Education at SYSU was held in Swasey Hall on South Campus.

The 11-member expert group is made up of the Chair Prof. Gui Yonghao from Fudan University, Vice Chair Prof. Wang Weimin from Peking University, members Prof. Zhao Qun from China Medical University, Prof. Liu Xuezheng from Jinzhou Medical University, Prof. Fiona Lake from The University of Western Australia, Prof. Richard Hays from University of Tasmania, Prof. Li Yan from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Prof. Yu Fang from Zhejiang University, and secretaries Xie Ana from Peking University, Lu Man from Peking University and Feng Dandan from Central South University.


The medical sciences at SYSU have a balanced and complete disciplinary structure as well as outstanding strengths in several fields. The excellent traditions of “Three Basics” (study and practice basic theories, basic knowledge and basic skills), “Three Rigors” (insist on rigorous attitudes, rigorous requirements and rigorous methods in all teaching activities), and “Three Early Involvements” (early involvements in clinical training, scientific research and social practice) have developed into the current medical training model of “Promptness, Integrity, Strictness and Practice” and “have a benevolent heart, have both virtue and skill”. SYSU’s medical education has become a brand for cultivating high-level clinicians, and enjoys a good reputation in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and South East Asia. SYSU’s multi-disciplinary advantages will promote the overall development of medical education because on the one hand, the development of medical sciences need the support of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and on the other hand, a comprehensive medical education must put emphasis on humanistic and scientific qualities. Medical education should serve the social needs and national major strategic needs. By combining the major needs of the nation and the healthcare needs of the people, SYSU will cultivate more first-class medical talents.

As for the future development of medical education at SYSU, Prof. Luo Jun said that in the “Thirteenth Five Year Plan” and even a longer period, the University will focus the medical education resources on the cultivation of outstanding clinicians, implement the system of “clinical doctoral supervisor” and the “undergraduate clinical tutor”, improve the medical education management system, deepen the reform in clinical professional title promotion, transform the organizational form of clinical medicine research, and further expand the space for development in medical education.

Prof. Luo Jun stressed that the accreditation of medical education, as an overall assessment on the quality of medical education, will have profound significance for the development of medical sciences at SYSU. The University will give full support and make positive improvements.
After the opening ceremony, the expert group held discussions with the university leadership, administrative departments, teaching steering committees, School of Public Health, community representatives, Career Development Counseling Center and the human resources offices of the affiliated hospitals.

In the afternoon, Prof. Li Mengfeng, Vice President of SYSU and Dean of Zhongshan School of Medicine, presented a report on the state of medical education and teaching affairs to the expert group in the Reception Room on North Campus. His report covers seven aspects: overview of the medical school; resources for medical education; goals, objectives and mission; curriculum planning & the teaching system; reform & achievements; teaching and education assessment; and continuous reforms. He pointed out that Zhongshan School of Medicine has adopted the discipline-based curriculum planning to explore and implement curriculum integration and establish the ‘243’curriculum system, pioneered in experimental curriculum integration in China, and promoted teaching reform through the construction of Teaching Quality Project. The School encourages early involvement in scientific research to foster students’ critical thinking skills, research potential and innovation, cultivate students’ comprehensive quality and guarantee students’ sustainable development. The School has developed multi-level and multi-metric educational evaluation system as well as the students’ academic performance assessment system, and made progress in international collaboration in medical education. He said that Zhongshan School of Medicine will take this opportunity of accreditation to adopt new concepts in medical education and new approaches to effective teaching and learning, integrate the teaching of biomedical sciences and clinical medicine courses, improve and optimize the incentive mechanism to encourage good teaching, improve the assessment system for teaching quality, and conduct more international exchange and collaboration in education.

The expert group also visited the Medical Museum, Medical Library, Museum of Medical Specimen, Clinical Skills Training Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, and held interviews with teachers of basic medical courses and junior medical students.