Who teaches MBBS students in China?

On an English-taught MBBS programme in mainland China, the teaching staff are the school's responsibility under the 2007 Ministry of Education quality-control standard. Every discipline shall have teachers able to teach the planned courses in English, and foreign teachers may cover no more than 20 per cent of total teaching hours. These rules describe what the standard requires of a school; they do not describe any one university's current staff.

The English text below is this site's translation of the Chinese document. For the course length, internship and degree structure behind these staffing rules, see Course and internship.

Teachers for every discipline

Article 24 of the 2007 standard (Ministry of Education of the PRC, Interim Provisions on Quality Control Standards for Undergraduate Medical Education in English for International Students, annex 1 to 教外来〔2007〕39号) states that every discipline shall have teachers able to teach in English and able to teach, in English, each course prescribed by the teaching plan.

Foreign teachers: hours, courses and licences

Article 24 of the 2007 Ministry of Education standard sets the following limits and conditions for foreign teachers:

• Teaching hours of foreign teachers may not exceed 20 per cent of total hours.
• Each foreign teacher may take on no more than one core course.
• A foreign teacher shall hold the degree level, or the corresponding professional and technical title, required by the discipline of the teaching task undertaken.
• A foreign teacher of clinical practice courses shall hold a licence to practise medicine in China or a temporary licence.
• The employment of foreign teachers must comply with relevant national provisions.

Vetting and pre-service training

Article 25 of the 2007 Ministry of Education standard requires the school to have a strict teacher-qualification vetting and teacher-development selection system. Teaching staff must, before taking up their posts, be trained in teaching ability, English proficiency and knowledge of policy toward international students; only those who pass may take up their posts. The school shall also create conditions for teachers' further study.

English-teaching supervision group

Article 18 of the 2007 Ministry of Education standard states the school shall establish a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the curriculum plan, a supervision mechanism for teaching quality, and an English-teaching supervision group. The group's role is to monitor implementation of the curriculum plan and the academic progress of international students, and to ensure problems are found and resolved promptly.

Related questions

Are foreign teachers allowed to teach most of the MBBS course in English?

No. Article 24 of the 2007 Ministry of Education standard states that teaching hours of foreign teachers may not exceed 20 per cent of total hours.

Does the standard require a teacher to speak Chinese?

Article 24 requires teachers to teach in English and Article 25 requires training in English proficiency; Article 24 and Article 25 set no Chinese-language requirement for teachers.

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.