What subjects are taught in MBBS in China?

The curriculum for the English-taught MBBS in mainland China has three parts: Chinese culture and natural science courses; biomedical, behavioural, humanities, social-science, medical-ethics, preventive-medicine and clinical-medicine courses; and a graduation internship. These are set out in Article 13 of the Interim Provisions on Quality Control Standards for Undergraduate Medical Education in English for International Students (2007), issued by China's Ministry of Education. Under Article 10 of the same standard, each enrolling school sets its own course plan.

The English in this article is this site's translation of the Chinese text of that standard. For course length, internship and degree, see our Course and internship page.

Chinese culture and natural science courses

Article 13(1) lists the first part as Chinese culture education courses and natural science courses. These include China overview, Chinese language, medical Chinese, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and physical education. Each course requires a passing examination or assessment.

Biomedical and clinical courses

Article 13(2) lists the second part as biomedical courses; behavioural science, humanities and social science, and medical ethics courses; preventive medicine courses; and clinical medicine courses. Each course requires a passing examination.

The subjects each group usually includes are listed below.

Course group	Subjects the article usually includes
Biomedical courses	Human anatomy; histology and embryology; human physiology; biochemistry and molecular biology; cell biology; microbiology and parasitology; pathology; pharmacology; pathologic physiology; medical immunology; medical genetics; and courses in integrated forms reflecting these biomedical contents
Behavioural science, humanities and social science, and medical ethics courses	Medical psychology; medical ethics; social medicine; health economics; health law; health service management
Preventive medicine courses	Epidemiology and health statistics; community prevention; occupational health and safety; environment and health; drug toxicology; food hygiene; nutrition and disease; child and maternal health care; primary health care
Clinical medicine courses	Diagnostics; diagnostic imaging; internal medicine; surgery; obstetrics and gynaecology; paediatrics; infectious diseases; neurology; ophthalmology; otorhinolaryngology; stomatology; dermatology and venereology; psychiatry and mental health; anaesthesiology; emergency medicine; rehabilitation medicine; traditional Chinese medicine

Article 13(2) also lists clinical abilities: history taking; physical examination; auxiliary examinations; diagnosis and differential diagnosis; formulation and execution of diagnosis and treatment plans; clinical procedures; clinical reasoning; emergency handling; communication skills.

Clinical clerkships should be completed at the affiliated hospitals and teaching hospitals of the school where the student studies (Article 13(2)).

Compulsory and elective courses

Article 11 states that the school should reasonably integrate the teaching content of courses. The curriculum should include compulsory courses and elective courses, and the proportion between the two may be determined according to actual circumstances.

Graduation internship

Article 13(3) states that the school should carefully organize and reasonably arrange the graduation internship. The graduation internship lasts one academic year, not less than 48 weeks, and is arranged at the school's teaching hospitals or at teaching hospitals recognized by the foreign health authority. The school should strictly formulate the internship content and requirements according to the teaching plan, and must monitor the graduation internship. After the graduation internship, international students must take the graduation examination of the school they attend.

How each school sets its plan

Article 10 states that the enrolling school must, according to the needs of medical and health services, the progress of medical science and the change of the medical model, formulate a course plan that conforms to the school's actual situation in accordance with the Ministry of Education's basic requirements on China's medical undergraduate education standards and curriculum, and clarify the curriculum and its basic requirements.

Article 12 states that the school must have a dedicated functional body responsible for the course plan management of international medical students, planning and implementing the course plan under the guidance of the school's relevant departments.

Same goals as Chinese medical undergraduates

Article 3 states that the English-taught undergraduate medical education for international students should formulate the teaching plan according to China's medical undergraduate training objectives and requirements, train students in a way similar to Chinese medical undergraduates, and meet the basic requirements that China's medical undergraduate graduates should meet. On this premise, the school may appropriately increase or decrease relevant courses and adjust course hours according to the requirements of the students' home countries for medicine and the internationalization requirements of serving their home country or a third country after graduation.

Chinese language throughout

Article 14 states that Chinese, as a compulsory course, should run through the whole teaching process, to meet the convenience of students' study and life in China and the needs of contacting patients in later stages.

Sources

• Interim Provisions on Quality Control Standards for Undergraduate Medical Education in English for International Students (annex 1 to 教外来〔2007〕39号) — Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or professional-licensing advice, is not published by the bodies named, promises no admission, examination or registration outcome, and the official text and the regulator's own instructions prevail if they differ.