Fudan University / Shanghai Medical College 2009

[Conway]

Hey,

I'm currently a student here in the inagural class at Fudan. I've been on ValueMD for quite a while, and I was just wondering if anyone out there is considering Fudan for the 2009 intake.

If anyone has any questions, I'll answer them honestly.

The website (albeit not a snazzy website) is here: http://www.fso.fudan.edu.cn/downloads/2009mbbs.swf

~CW

[jemini]

What are the requirements of this Medical School?
Does the MBBS recognized by other countries?
What's the ranking of this medical school in China?
How many foreigners there?

[drmatty]

Are there federal student loans available for this school? or private student loans for americans to attend?

[Conway]

To be eligible to apply, I believe you need to be at least 18 and a high school graduate, and if you're not from an English-speaking country, a TOEFL score of 550 (this was last year's requirement at least).

The MBBS is recognized by other countries (and is actually explicitly specificed on Fudan's IMED listing). Singapore, which has a specific list of schools it recognizes, recognizes Fudan as one of the universities in which graduates are eligible to work in Singapore.

Within China, Fudan is ranked #3, after Tsinghua University and Peking University. As far as I know, though, the other two universities do not teach in English.

Currently, our class is comprised of only foreigners, and has 17 students. The majority of students are overseas Chinese (ethnically Chinese, but born/raised elsewhere). We have students from the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.

Overall, there are quite a lot of foreign students here. Many are on exchange programs, while some are here for degree programs. There are students from all parts of the globe here, and the foreign student dorm is actually the largest of all the dorm buildings on campus, I believe.

As for loan programs, I don't think there are loans for Americans (I am American, and I am a self-paying student). The program is not one that is directly targeted at Americans - we are only some of the many nationalities here. There are students in our class who are here on scholarships - the Chinese government offers full-ride scholarships for top students. I have been told, however, that the Fudan Foreign Students Office is planning on offering scholarships for the next intake specifically for our program, and some scholarships directly aimed at American students.

[lkktony]

Hi, Conway
I have been following your insightful posting reg. Chinese medical school. You are a true asset to the forum.
I am very interested in applying Fudan University's 2009 intake but have couple questions in mind that would very much appreciate your kind input:
1. Do they have age limitation policy ? I am soon to be 40 years old and finally had the time and financial ability to pursue my lifelong passion in medicine but I was told that most of med schools in Asia does impose an age limitation policy on new applicants.
2. How's the prospect of a Fudan's MBBS graduate working in US or Taiwan ?

Best regards,

[Dr.Muddasser]

what is the fee of fudan university?
any scholarships available?

[Conway]

Sure thing,

As for age, there is no age limit. We have one mature student in our class currently, who has brought his family along with him. There is a minimum age of 18, though, I believe.

Fudan graduates are eligible to work in the US given that the USMLE exam (3 steps) are passed. Currently, I don't think Fudan graduates can work in Taiwan (though President Ma has recently announced that they will be recognizing major university degrees in Taiwan in the near future). So, we'll have to see how the political situation develops before that answer can be answered for sure. However, since last year, the cross-strait relations seem to be getting better (I flew from Shanghai to Taipei two weeks ago directly, and it only took an hour and 20 minutes!)

The tuition fee is ￥75,000 per year (a little over USD $10,000). There are some scholarships available, and notifications of scholarship applications and such are at the International Students Office Website at ???????????? (http://www.fso.fudan.edu.cn).

Hope this helps :)

[lkktony]

Conway,

How satisfied are you with the instructions received in Fudan ? Are the textbooks written in English and sold locally or you had to bring them from US ? Is the dormitory closed to campus and up to standard ?

I was actually living in HongQuiao, Shanghai from 2006-2008. Love the vibrancy of the city and hated the weather.

Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to answer our questions.

[Conway]

Hi LKKTony,

No problem at all - I'm actually on Chinese New Year break right now in Taiwan, so I have plenty of free time.

With regards to instruction, I am pretty satisfied, but as with any university, there are professors that are more liked than others, some who are stricter or more laxed compared to others. Overall, I am satisfied.

Textbooks that we have used so far are exactly the same as U.S. textbooks, except they are printed in China by a Chinese publisher. The only drawback to this is that some textbooks are in black and white. Others, however, are simply "International Edition" books, which are in color, and are identical to U.S. books, except they are softcover.

There are two separate campuses that you would study in as a medical student. The first year is at the Handan Campus (in Yangpu District, near Metro Dabaishu). Then, the remaining years are spent in Fenglin Campus (in Xuhui District, near Metro Dongan Road).

The dormitories for both campuses are on campus.

On the Handan Campus, the dorm is about 5 minutes ride to the center of campus. It's less of a dorm and more of a studio apartment building. It is in pretty nice condition, as it is the most newly-built residence hall on campus, I believe. The only drawback, in my opinion, is the rental fee - it's about ￥2700 a month for a single room, where if you share an apartment off campus, it can be as cheap as around ￥1000 a month. Double rooms are also available at about ￥2100/month, I believe.

On the Fenglin Campus, the dorm is right at the center of campus. The rooms there are a bit smaller than Handan, and the building is a bit older. I've visited it once during a tour. It is a little cheaper than the Handan Campus, at about ￥2400/month for single and less for double. I'm not too familiar with rental costs in Xuhui District, but I've heard it is a little higher since it is a more prosperous district.

(note: currently US$1=￥7, roughly)

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions :)

[lkktony]

Conway,

Thanks for your quick and thorough reply. Happy Chinese New Year !:fireworks:

I do have another question reg. the transcript and diploma translation after reviewing the application info. from Fudan's website. Did you have them notarized and translated in US or in China ? My high school diploma and transcript were in Spanish. It would be easier to have them translated and notarized thru a notary public here in California but would they be accepted in Fudan ?

Regards,

[Conway]

I'm not too sure about the translation of transcripts; Mine were in English, so I requested copies to be sent to me, and then sent in the ones printed originally from the school (so that they didn't have to be notarized). You can ask the FSO/ISO (ask for Mr. Z. - his email is xr_zhang@fudan.edu.cn. He should be able to know what's going on with regards for transcript requests.

I have a vague impression of having my high school diploma and college diploma notarized at a bank, but I don't remember if that was for my Fudan application or another school. Again, my suggestion would be to ask the International Students Office directly. Hope that's helpful.

[thekindofguy]

Wow conway. You are amazing. If there was one of you for every foreign medical school, the world would be a better place. :)

[Conway]

I'm just glad I can be of help!
Anyone, feel free to ask anything or PM/MSN me :)

[lkktony]

Hi, Conway
I'd like to ask you a personal question if you don't mind.
Have you thought of where to practice after you finish the program at Fudan ? Returning to US will certainly require you to take USMLE and apply a hard to get residency at US hospitals; Practicing in Taiwan will need to wait for government's decision on the issue of degree recognition and pass Taiwan medical board; Practicing in China seems to be the natural choice but you will need to deal with sponsorship/working visa and meager salary offers.
I am very interested in the opportunity presented by Fudan's program but find myself pondering about the prospects of working condition. Mind share your insights on the subject ?
Best regards,
LKKtony

[Conway]

Hello,
Yeah, it's a very important question to have in mind. Each student in our class has their own plan on where to practice. Many want to return to their home countries, such as Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, etc, while quite a few want to go to the US.

As for myself, I have a few options planned ahead for myself. The first is the take the USMLE. I've collected together quite a bit of USMLE prep material and plan on using them as a complement to the basic science subjects which begin this fall. Another option is to practice in China (such as Shanghai). There are quite a few expatriate hospitals here, which require bilingual physicians. I am fluent in Mandarin, so living in Shanghai hasn't been too big of a problem for me. A third option for me is to work in Singapore. There is a physician shortage there, and Fudan is one of the few medical schools whose degree is recognized there. Thus, I can work there without taking their licensing exam.

As for salary, Shanghai's expatriate hospitals pay decent amounts (a bit less than the US, but very generous for China). Singapore pays relatively well either, but also with a higher living standard.

As for Taiwan, I'm not expecting too much to work there as of yet. If the two sides work something out, it'll be another door that's open for me. If by the time I graduate, there hasn't been a change in policy, then that door would remain closed.

[lkktony]

Hi, Conway
Good action plans you've made. Thanks for sharing.
If it's not too much trouble, may I ask you to provide me and perhaps other interested students of a list of books you folks are currently using at Fudan ? It would be great to preview them before the program starts.
Best regards,
Lkktony

[Conway]

Sure! I'll post the list on Sunday, after I return to Shanghai, since my books are there. Sorry about the delay though.

[lkktony]

Hi Conway,
Do you happen to know if Fudan's MBBS program will prepare students for China's national unified exam (occupational medical licensing exam) ?
Regards.

[supergoh]

Do foreign students have to take entrance exam to enter Fudan Medical school?

[Conway]

Sorry about the delay - it's been hectic getting things settled since getting back to Shanghai.

First, the books we used first year (premed)
Biology by Raven et al (8e)
College Physics by Urone (2e)
General Chemistry (book I don't have right now, so I can't give you this one right now...)
Organic Chemistry by Wade (5e)
Calculus by Stewart (5e)
Computers for an Information Age by Capron (8e)

I am assuming that the course will prepare for the national exam, but we haven't gotten to that stage yet so the school administration hasn't discussed this with us yet. From graduates of the local student programs, I have heard that the national exam is very simple compared to the exams at Fudan, and generally graduates from Fudan pass it. However, this is coming from someone who went to a Chinese-taught program.

There is no entrance exam for entry into the English-taught medical program. An entrance exam is required if you are interested in the Chinese-taught program. However, depending on the situation and where you are in the world, an interview may be scheduled. I know especially of students in Singapore and Malaysia who have had interviews.

[drmatty]

conway,

is there anyway to get student loans? If i'm a USA citizen....do you think the school can somehow submit the paperwork to become federal aid eligible?

[Conway]

As far as I know, there are no loans available. You could possibly call the International Students Office at at +86 21 5566 4843 to ask about submitting the paperwork and whatnot, though in my opinion, the chances of this occuring at the moment are quite slim. (To call from the US, dial 011 before those numbers). Their working hours are 8:30am-4:30pm on weekdays, with a lunch break from 11:30-1:30. Remember, this is Beijing Standard Time.

Sorry I couldn't help more.

[lkktony]

Thank you very much Conway.
With your excellent command in Chinese language, passing the national exam should not be a problem to you.

[Tsubaki]

Dear Conway,

Hello! I am an undergraduate student from Japan. I am currently studying in Germany and I will graduate this year in June. I was actually thinking about applying to Fudan University but I don't know any Chinese. I am aware that the lectures are taught in English. I could probably understand most characters because I know Japanese but do you think this would be a major problem when living in China? Thank you very much!

Tsubaki

[supergoh]

Hi! Conway,do Malaysians need to have TOEFL results to enter Fudan University medical program?

[lkktony]

Folks,
You can send your inquiries directly to the contact below for detailed information:
张向荣 Mr.Kevin Chang

国际课程及奖学金管理部
复旦大学外国留学生工作处
中国上海市邯郸路220号 200433
Department of International Programs and Scholarships
International Students Office,Fudan University
220 Handan Road,Shanghai,200433,P.R.China
Tel:0086-21-55664843
Fax:0086-21-65117298
E-mail:xr_zhang@fudan.edu.cn

Try to send your inquiries in Chinese will result in higher success rate ! Speaking from my personal experiences....:roll:

[Conway]

Hey guys, sorry about the late reply!

Tsubaki, I don't think you would have too much of a problem understanding the courses, since everything is taught in English. All materials and textbooks are in English too. Eventually, you will need to learn Mandarin (and maybe even some Shanghainese!) to communite effectively with patients. We currently have one Japanese classmate here, though he is quite fluent in Mandarin.

It is perfectly possible to get by here without speaking a word of Mandarin, but in my opinion, it's best to learn Mandarin to make the most of your time here in Shanghai, both in and outside the classroom.

I'm not sure if Malaysians need to take the TOEFL. I'm assuming not, if the language of your schooling was in English. We currently have two Malaysians in our class; I could ask them if you'd like.

Hope this helps ^^

[Conway]

PS, Mr Z's email is xr_zhang@fudan.edu.cn. He's always helpful and responsive to any concerns that we bring forth to him!

[inprocess]

Hi Conway,
I just got into Fudan and I have some questions.
1) You said that you can practice in Malaysia, Singapore, USA..can I also practice in England or Australia? in btw, i'm not from any of those countries..i live in canada but want to practice elsewhere.
2) I've never been to China..I was wondering how it is there in terms of climate, is there lots of pollution there?..hows the living condition in china?
3) how r the exams? are they short answer multiple choice types? essay types? presentations?
4) I know you also said in USA, there are some exams that need to be written in order to practice...is that the same case with other countries like malaysia and singapore or can u just practice right after the degree?
5) are the classrooms big or small? ie about how many students are there?
Anyways thats all i have to ask..if more questions come up in mind, i will ask later .

Thanks in advance~

[inprocess]

Hi again,
I've got 2 more questions:
1) do the courses have major emphasis on physics and organic chem? because i don't have much background on those.
2) what do they usually ask during the interview?

[Conway]

Hi inprocess,

Thanks for your questions! You got accepted already? Congratulations! It's a bit odd, because for our class, notifications went out all at the same time in June. Perhaps they're doing something different this year.

1) You can take the Malaysian Medical Council exam only if you are a Malaysian citizen or have Malaysian relations in some way. Singapore is okay, though I've heard both that you don't have to take the Chinese board exam, and that you do. I looked at their form, and they ask if a license exam is required to practice in the country in which you graduated (the answer is yes), but they also give you the option of explaining why you haven't taken it. I would say that a valid reason is that the exam is in Chinese, and we were taught in English. Some day, I will call the Singapore Medical Council to make sure. We are eligible to sit for the PLAB and AMC for the UK and Australia, but I am not sure of the process there too much. I have heard that in recent years it is hard for non-EU and non-UK citizens to get a housemanship in the UK.

2) China is a massive country and its climate varies just as much as North America. Shanghai, however, is in a temperate climate, with a location right next to the ocean (the word Shang Hai means "on the ocean"). It is humid nearly year round, but with temperatures varying from in the 30s in summer to near 0C in the winter (it is 11:00am right now, and 7C outside). It rarely snows, but rains a lot in winter/spring. The summers are hot and humid. Pollution varies by day. Autumn has so far been the best time, with lots of clear skies. Like many big cities, pollution exists, and sometimes can be pretty bad. There are good days and bad days.

3) Exams so far have varied by subject. Most exams take the form of a portion of shor answer and a portion of long answer. We are only in the pre-med year, so it is hard to predict what we will have last year, especially with the proposed PBL (Problem-Based Learning) teaching method that will be implemented. Some elective classes have presentations (especially the ones with Monterrey's Exchange, from Mexico).

4) In order to practice, you must pass all the steps of the USMLE. To obtain a residency as a foreign graduate, you must have passed Step 1 and Step 2 before applying to residency. After residency you can fully practice. In Singapore, as mentioned above, there is no requirement to take another exam when you graduate from a list of recognized schools (Fudan is on that list). The only question right now is if as English-taught students, we would have a valid reason of not taking the Chinese License Exam.

5) Fudan is a massive university with four campuses. Our current classroom is relatively small because we have a small class. When we take some elective classes with local students, there are larger lecture halls that we use. Next year, since we are using PBL, our classroom is planned to be small also. However, this depends on how big your class is. Our cohort has 17 students right now, but it is likely that your class will be larger.

1') The courses this year cover all the pre-med courses, which include physics and organic chemistry. As long as you have taken high school chemistry and physics, you should be prepared for this introductory-level courses.

2') I did not have an interview (since I was in the US, and they said that it would be difficult to send someone over), so I'm not able to answer this question.

Hope that's helpful. Feel free to ask any more questions.

[inprocess]

Thanks a lot Conway!
About getting admitted, I actually got admitted within 3 hours of applying..is that odd? because I did find it strange but they called me for interview for June...so I'm guessing there's still a chance of them rejecting me if interview doesn't go well?
Are the lots of foreigners there?
I might have trouble with physics since I didn't take it at all in high school.
Is chinese language used during the 1st 5 years..I know we'll learn it in 1st year but when do we use it? And for internship, can it be done in different country other than China since I don't know mandarin.
Another thing, do we encounter/look at cadavers during the years?
Thanks~

[Conway]

No problem!

All students in our class are foreigners; no local students are allowed to study in our program, since it is only for international students. Overall, there are quite a lot of foreigners, though most are on short-term exchange programs. There are also some students here for degree programs.

Chinese is used in daily life, but classes are taught in English. Chinese language is taught starting in the first semester. I'm not sure how relevant it will be during our clinical years, but I assume some will be needed to communicate with patients and other hospital staff members.

Internship can be done in another country, but must be applied ahead of time with the medical school or hospital (in most cases, Zhongshan Hospital). Because regulations differ with each country, you might want to check with the Canadian Medical Council if the doing an internship abroad would cause any problems in licensure.

During regional anatomy, in the second semester of the second year, there is gross anatomy dissection, which usually entails studying our cadaver teachers. Unless there is a policy change, I am pretty sure we will be using cadavers also.

[supergoh]

Dear Conway,

Shanghai Medical College ,Fudan University is recognised by Singapore Medical Council with effect from year 2007.But the English taught undergraduate medical programme started in Shanghai Fudan University from 2008. It means the medical degree recognised by Singapore Medical Council is taught in Chinese ?

Can you contact Singapore Medical Council to determine whether the English taught medical programme is recognised by SMC?

Thank you.

[Conway]

I'll try calling them next week to see what this means. We are awarded the same degree as local students, I'm pretty sure, so I'm not sure why there would be a problem. But I'll do it just to make sure.

There are special cohorts for foreign students nearly every year, and no one in the past has faced problems with regards from different treatment from local students.

I'll post an update here as soon as I have news.

[Conway]

YouTube - Fudan University 復旦大å*¸

(A promotion video that came out last year for Fudan, for anyone who's interested)

Exception for the excessive amount of sunlight and flying doves, it's a pretty accurate depiction of the school

???? - ?? - ???? - ???? - ???? (http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjAyODI1OTI=.html)

(CCTV special on Fudan - about 20 minutes, in Chinese...slower to load outside of China)

[Conway]

YouTube - Riding Bikes Around Fudan University
Another video I found on youtube - some students riding on their bikes from north canteen to Teaching Building 2 (that's where our classes are this semester too)

[imura28]

Dear Conway,

I have a question about the MBBS program in the Fudan university. I finished high school in July 2007 in Indonesia and then I come to the US and study in the community college in Seattle,WA.

1. Why you choose to study medical in China? I mean there are a lot of other options such as in Singapore, Malaysia, Uk.

Is the degree from China widely recognized? because I heard that the medical profession in China is not respected as if in the US.

2. Why do you choose Fudan University? which one is better Fudan or Tianjin medical university or zhejiang medical university?

3. Is it very hard to get in to the program in the Fudan?

4. The curriculum in Fudan follo which country? the textbook that they are using is from which country?

5. I plan to go back to Indonesia or singapore to practise. Is that possible for me? because I don't want to stay in China.

6. Are the lecturers friendly to student and good at explaining? where are the lecturers come from?

[imura28]

Hi again,

I have more question. the first year class in the Fudan medical program is just like basic class like in the united states is the 100 level or 200 level introductory class, right? I mean I have not study physics at all and I am really worried about this. the physics is calculus based or algebra based? how many classes are we taking each quarter? In high school, I only studied biology and chemistry. Is the lesson there pretty hard? do we have to study everyday? I haven't studied the organic chemistry at all. would that be a problem for me?

[Conway]

1. Out of all the countries I could have gone to, I came to China for a few reasons. Fudan is a very well known school within China (and to a certain extent, outside of China), and that my grades were probably not competitive enough to get into countries like Singapore or the UK. I am also ethnically Chinese, which helps a little when it comes to living here and with language.

The degree is recognized like any other school listed in the WHO directory (and soon-to-be Avicenna Directories). Within China, the profession is not as revered as it is in the west, but it is still generally respected.

2. I chose Fudan because it is the best university in China offering a medical program in English. However, note that it is less experienced in teaching in English, and I was aware of this before I decided to come.

3. My year, it was relatively easy to get in, because it was the first year. I'm not too sure about the competitiveness this year.

4. Simply, the system follows the Chinese system, which is somewhat of a go-between between UK and US systems. In our 6-year program, we have one year of pre-med courses, two years of basic sciences, two years of clinical sciences, and one year of internship. Thus far, all the textbooks we've used are US textbooks.

5. It is possible to go to Singapore, though I'm not 100% sure whether taking a Chinese board exam is required or not. I'm not too sure about Indonesia.

6. The professors are generally friendly, with some who are exceptionally friendly. Almost all professors are Chinese but have studied and/or taught overseas. We currently have one professor who is originally from France, though.

The first year courses are similar to 100 and 200 level courses in US schools. Physics here is algebra based. We take about 4-5 courses each semester, with possible general electives. If you study, the coursework is managable. Yes, if you want to do well, you should study everyday. Organic Chemistry is taught here, and most people in our class didn't have a background in it prior to studying it.

Hope this helps!

[onlei_uc18]

Hi Conway:

I am interested in applying for the 2009 intake of Fudan U, however, do u know when is the deadline and how's the application process should be?
What are the things i need to get prepare before sending all my associated documents?
Did you apply online or thru those online agency or directly to the shcool?
Do u roughly know how much students they admit each year?
Do they require interviews? :confused:

Your ans is highly appreciated, thx

[Conway]

Sorry about the late reply - I've been really busy these past few days.

The deadline is 5/30 I believe (it is on the Fudan website (Go to ???????????? (http://www.fso.fudan.edu.cn) and click on English Taught Programs -> MBBS).

I can't think off the top of my head what you need to prepare in terms of documents, but it is all lined out in the document on the website.

I applied directly to the school; I don't think the school has authorized any agencies, so don't throw your money away on agents, unless you strongly feel that you need them (as you may have read on VMD, they're usually bad news)

The school is permitted by the government to admit a maximum of 60 students, but the school didn't get that many applicant last year. However, not everyone who applied was accepted, according to the FSO. Our admitted number was 30 some last year, with 17 ending up choosing to come to Fudan.

I think interviews are required if you are geographically near one of their foreign "exam" centers. I'm not sure about this - you'll have to ask your specific case with the Fudan FSO.

Hope this helps~

[inprocess]

Hello,
about the agencies..i actually applied through agencies..the agent is from Malaysia but his wife is in China...not sure if i did right thing based on what you're saying about the agencies...in btw, what is VMD..where can I read about the agencies?

As for interviews...I live in Canada, and they said that they will call me for an interview...the interview is going to be on the phone...i guess because of long distance.

[Conway]

Weird that they have agents...I don't think anyone in our current class went through an agent...

VMD is ValueMD, the forum you are on now.

It makes sense that they're doing phone interviews now...Best of luck!

[supergoh]

Dear Conway,

Have you contacted Singapore Medical Council about recognition of Fudan English taught MBBS?

[imura28]

Dear Conway,

I have a question. is it very hard to get accepted to the Fudan University if I apply by myself without agent? because I am really nervous cannot get accepted.

When you apply, do you send the document and do the school let you know whether they have received the document or not?

How long usually they will let me know about the admission decision?

Are the student body there diverse? I mean from many countries. it is not being monopolized by one country only, right?

The lecturers in the Fudan University, do they speak english clearly?\

In our first year in Fudan University, we just study basic thing like we are doing pre-med right? how about the second year?

Besides Fudan, what other good medical schools in China that using English as a medium instruction? I heard about Zhejiang university and Sun yat sen university? are they good? have you heard about that university before?

[imura28]

Dear In process,

may i know what is the name of the agent you are using?

how much is the fees?

[Conway]

Sorry, I haven't contacted the SMC yet - I will try to remember to call this week. I've put a post-it on my wall!

imura28, I don't think it will make a difference if you apply with an agent or without. In my opinion, if it does make a difference, they the admissions practices of said school should definitely be looked into...

I sent my documents so that they had to be signed for when they reached Shanghai. To further check, I called about a week later to check that the documents had actually been received.

All admission decisions are mailed out in the beginning of June, the closure of applications.

International students at Fudan are fairly diverse, though in general there seem to be many students from Korea, the US (particularly California), Malaysia, and Mexico. Our class make-up is quite diverse in terms of nationality, with students from nearly every continent. However, most students are of Chinese background, with many 1/3 of the class being from a non-Chinese background (including some people from Saudi Arabia, and of Indian descent).

Most teachers speak English well, and some very well. We have thus far experienced one lab instructor whose English is sub-par, but lab can still be done.

In the first year at Fudan, pre-med subjects are taught (such as Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Calculus, etc). The second year onwards is actual medical courses. Our study plan can be see at our class website: Home ?(Fudan MBBS Wiki)? (http://www.fudanu.com) --> Discussion --> Our 6-year study plan.

Zhejiang University and Sun Yat Sen University are both really good medical schools within China. I have a friend at Zhejiang University and he seems to like it there. Fudan is the only school that teaches medicine in English in Shanghai, from what I know. Sichuan University also teaches in English, and is quite a respectable school.

Of note is that Fudan does have the highest tuition in the country in terms of English-taught programs. I believe it's more than double than the tuition at Zhejiang University, and living costs in Shanghai are the highest in China. However, in exchange, Shanghai is an amazing city to live in; it is a world metropolis, and is a really good clinical teaching setting, due to the massive number of people who live here, and thus, the clinical cases that'll be run across during clinical teaching.

In my opinion, agents are NOT needed to apply to Fudan - I've talked to Mr Z, the director of the program, and never has he mentioned anything about agents. None of our classmates applied through agents; we all applied directly, as far as I know.

[inprocess]

Hello imura28,
my parents actually found out about this university and agent..the email address that i've sent my documents to is on the website...and the guy's name is Stephen Teo (CEO) (for some reason its not allowing me to post the email address on this forum..but it's on the website)


website: chinaenglishmedium.com

as for fees, i'm not sure how much my parents gave but there is a fee section on the website...check it out.

In btw, I also haven't taken physics at all or organic chemistry..so i'm in same boat as u.

[imura28]

In Process,

Have the university interviewed you? when are you going to start in the Fudan University? May I know why you choose to go to the medical school in China and not other country like Singapore,etc.? and why you choose Fudan university?

[inprocess]

Hi Imura28:

No, I haven't had the interview yet..it will be a phone interview..when my parents asked the guy what sort of questions they'll ask, he said like 'why you want to be a doctor'..
I applied for this september but I was thinking to ask them if they could postpone it till next sept 2010 since I want to finish my undergrad..
as for applying to other countries: I looked at IMU in malaysia but I don't think I have the requirements. I think it's hard to get into the US...
I haven't looked at singapore..but good thing is this medicine school is recognized in singapore...I even emailed the medical council to make sure.
I did apply to Zheijang also with Fudan..the guy suggested Fudan.

[imura28]

Dear Inprocess,

If you apply through that agent, do they guaranteed for sure you will get in to the university?

If you don't mind, can you check with your parent how much do you pay? I just want to know because maybe I want to use that agent.

[lkktony]

Hi, Conway
I understand the tuition for first year of pre-med program at Fudan is approx. US 10000. Any idea on the second year's and forward ? Most if not all Med. schools in China charge a lower tuition rate for pre-med courses and raise them after first year.
Best regards,
Lkktony

[Conway]

As far as I know, the tuition is the same for each and every year of the program...

[Conway]

I just called the Singapore Medical Council on licensure, but they didn't know the answer to my specific question. Thus, they said that they will get back to me within a week. As soon as I hear a reply, I'll post it on here.

[inprocess]

Hi imrua28,

I just got an email from the agent saying that I can start telling people I know that I will be going to Fudan so I guess it is guaranteed.
I asked my dad, he said he paid 300 for processing fee...I guess its some more expensive than just applying directly to the university since we are paying to an agent.

[inprocess]

Dear Conway,

Have you contacted Singapore Medical Council about recognition of Fudan English taught MBBS?


Hello,

I did email them about it since I also wanted to know about practicing in Singapore. They replied back and said that it is recognized over there. This is the reply:

I refer to your email below

2 The practice of medicine in Singapore is subject to medical registration with the SMC. The SMC would consider granting medical registration to International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who possess a basic medical qualification obtained from the schools listed in the Schedule, subject to an offer of employment with an approved healthcare institution. The list of schools can be found on Singapore Medical Council. You may apply for medical registration if your basic medical qualification is from Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University.

3 Any foreign-trained doctor who possesses a basic medical degree from a medical school where the medium of instruction is not in the English Language must submit evidence of proficiency in English Language in the form of either the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or Occupational English Test (OET) before the SMC considers his or her application for medical registration. The doctor must achieve the following minimum score:
· IELTS - Minimum score of 7 for EACH component (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking).
· TOEFL - 250 marks for computer-based test or 600 marks for paper-based test or 100 marks for internet-based test
· OET - Grade B and above 4 To be considered for medical registration, IMGs are also required to pass the relevant national licensing exam in the country where they obtained the basic medical degree if this is a pre-requisite to medical registration and practice in the country. In other words, you'll have to pass the national licensing exam in China before you can be considered for medical registration with the SMC.

5 Please visit our website, smc.gov.sg for more details on medical registration.

Thank you

[Conway]

I also got a reply from them today:


2 The practice of medicine in Singapore is subject to medical registration with the SMC. The SMC would consider granting medical registration to International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who possess a basic medical qualification obtained from the schools listed in the Schedule, subject to an offer of employment with an approved healthcare institution. The list of schools can be found on Singapore Medical Council (http://www.smc.gov.sg/html/1153709442948.html).

3 IMGs are also required to pass the relevant national licensing exam in the country where they obtained the basic medical degree if this is a pre-requisite to medical registration and practice in the country. That is, you'll have to pass the national licensing exam in China before you can be considered for medical registration with the SMC.

4 Doctors who did not take the national licensing exam in China may apply for conditional medical registration after they have obtained a registrable postgraduate medical qualification such as MRCP, MRCS, FRCS, etc. The list of registrable postgraduate medical qualification is attached for your reference



5 Please visit our website, www.smc.gov.sg (http://www.smc.gov.sg/) for more details on medical registration.

Thus, if we do not take the Chinese license exam, we would have to do a Masters in Medicine degree in the UK, Ireland, Singapore, or get board certified in the US or Canada.

[dt]

Thanks to inprocess and Conway for the updates on Singapore licensing.

I am now curious about the Chinese national licensing exam.

- Does one have to be a Chinese resident or citizen to write the exam? Or, can anyone write the exam like Canada's and the US?

- How frequent is the exam scheduled?

- What is the level of Chinese required to read/write the exam? Will the 5 Fudan's chinese courses in the med curriculum be sufficient?


Aside: I noticed that Singapore's selective in which school they accept -- no Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Philippines schools.

[Conway]

Any graduate of a medical program in China can take the licensing exam, regardless of nationality. I'm not sure if those from other countries are given.

I'm not sure how frequently the exam is given; I'll have to check on that.

I doubt that the 5 Chinese courses taught in our program will be enough for us to sit for the licensing exam.

However, today our class spent some time with the classes above us, and someone had mentioned that the a translated version of the license exam (in English) has been given at Wuhan and Zhejiang Universities. I've asked the school administration to check on this possibility, and they said they'd get back to me regarding the possibility of having a traslated version administered to our classes when we graduate.

[ngonglan]

Hi conway ..i'm a malaysian doing my final yr in russia now , and i wish to knw is there any postgrad program in fudan uni or any specialist course offered in fudan uni??and another question is ,if fudan uni do have specialist course ,can i work in singapore as a specialist after finishing the specialist course in fudan??thx ..

[Conway]

Hi ngonglan. What school are you at in Russia?

I don't think a postgraduate degree from Fudan will help you if your goal is to practice in Singapore. First, your degree in Russia must be recognized. If it is recognized by Singapore on their list, and if you don't take the Russian license exam, you will need to do a postgraduate qualification at a recognized US, Canadian, UK, Irish, or Singaporean postgraduate institution.

List of recognized undergraduate schools: Singapore Medical Council (http://www.smc.gov.sg/html/1153709442948.html) (You must have done undergraduate medicine here first)

If you have graduated from one of the schools above, you may substitute the Russian licensing exam with a postgraduate qualification from one of the following on this list: Singapore Medical Council (http://www.smc.gov.sg/html/1192421827577.html)

Hope that helps!

[inprocess]

Hi Conway,

Do u know where I can find pictures of Fudan university or if u have some pics so that I've an idea of how the university looks like from inside and outside.

Thanks.

[ngonglan]

Hi conway thx for your fast reply =)...unfortunately Russia is not in the list :(...so sad ..so is there any specialisation coruse in fudan ??if they do , do you know any freinds doing their specialisation in Fudan??

[Conway]

There are specialization courses here, but they are all taught in Chinese. Thus, if you are fluent in Mandarin, they would be a possibility.

I have seen online, though, that Peking University offers masters programs in specialties in English. Perhaps you can look into that if your preferred medium of teaching is English.

[onlei_uc18]

Hi Conway:

It's me again, I called Fudan last week and talk with the guy that u mention from previous post. The only thing i am still unsure is regarding to the application fee. At the time when you applied, did u mail them a CASH CHEQUE?? or you directly paid cash to the admission office??? because the admission guy said Fudan won't accept money order, and currently i am in Canada, so how can i send them the fee???
Also regarding to CASH CHEQUE as he mentioned, is that a personal issued cheque without the heading??? if that is the case, then how can I be sure they receive my money, the way he mention cash cheque made me feel insecure. because a issued cheque without heading, then anyone can cash it into their bank, and not the school itself. Can u please tell me how u send your application fee while u r in US???

thx alot, very much appreciated!!!

[Conway]

Hi onlei_uc18,

I sent my application with an official check / bank draft from my bank (my credit union offers it for free; I think HSBC wanted $5USD for it). Basically, I think it is a check from an institution such as a bank or credit union, as opposed to a personal account.

I think an official check, made out in US Dollars should be fine. Perhaps you can go to your bank and see if they offer such a service...

Hope that helps!

[onlei_uc18]

Hi Conway:-
-
yes, most of the Canadian bank do have money order or bank draft services. But, will -the bank draft require the receive address or bank account (which in this case Fudan University). What is the heading did u put as the receiver name; like did u put down just Fudan University or something like Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University. Because i know the name must be correct and exact, if not they might not be able to cash the money out!!!

thx for your fast reply

[Conway]

I think I just listed it as Fudan University; it should be cashable with that heading...

[Ikaya]

Hi everyone,
I'm a 5th year medical student from the University of Melbourne (that means I'm in the middle of my clinical years and currently doing practical stuff in the hospitals). I'm currently researching places to do my 4 week medical elective at the end of this year/early next year and was wondering if anyone knew of any contacts from the Fudan medical department that I could email (or even direct contacts from the affiliated teaching hospitals such as HuaShan hospital would be good). I speak fluent chinese and also fluent shanghai dilect, reading is ok but writing chinese is a bit of a hassle for me. If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks ^_^

[Enoch]

Hi Conway,

Do you know if a student can get credit for undergrad-level courses taken in the U.S. already? I've completed undergrad and grad school already. It'd be nice not have to repeat chemistry and physics again - and maybe cut a year or two shorter.

Thanks!

[Devaan]

Hi, Inprosess

I noticed you had mentioned in one of your posts that you had used Mr stephen Teo as an agent...
I have also applied through him...
I'd like to know if he is a reliable agent and if he did come through on all the services his site offers....
Also how long did he take to get back to you after you applied....?

[inprocess]

Hi Devaan,

I sent my application stuff via email and I actually got a reply the next day...they accepted my application within 3 hours.
He then told me to send my original stuff by mail.
He sent me an email saying although they still have to fix a phone interview date, I can start telling people I'm going to Fudan.
My parents did talk to him on phone and so I'm hoping he is reliable but i'm still waiting for the interview. In between, what's his website?

[Conway]

Electives can be done here - I think you'd have to call up the medical school's international exchange office (note that it might be a different office than Fudan's Handan campus).

As for transfer credits, I don't think the school accepts any (I've graduated too, and they didn't accept any of my credits). However, they do have exemptions that you can apply for. These basically exempt you from attending the class you've already taken, but you still have to sit for the final (and in some cases, the midterm).

[supergoh]

Dear Conway,

Are there many Fudan medical graduates getting residency in USA?

[Conway]

With respect for the English-taught program, we are the first batch, so for the English program, we will be the first class applying for residency in 2014.

As for graduates of other programs, there are many Fudan graduates in the US. Google Fudan University, Shanghai Medical College, or Shanghai Medical University + whatever speciality and you'd see some right away.

[inprocess]

Hi
Can any1 give me suggestions to whether or not I should finish my undergrad degree? I will be done my third year by this month and I have one year left..not sure if i should complete it because most courses I have remaining are kind of pointless..for example: animal physiology, cellular physiology, psychology, etc

in btw, Conway, is ur class the first english taught batch?

[Conway]

In my opinion, you should finish your bachelors degree. It gives you many more options down the road.

And yes, we are the first English-taught batch (2008)

[supergoh]

Wow! I found out in a website stating that there are so many Fudan medical graduates practicing as specialists in USA.

No wonder all of you are keen on entering Fudan medical programme.

[imura28]

Dear Conway,

I have a question.

1. As a Fudan University MBBS graduate, will we get the same certificate with people who join the chinese program?

2. As a Fudan graduate, will we be able to do our residency or internship in UK or Australia? will we be able to do our specialization or master degree or further training in UK or Australia?

3.After we graduate from Fudan, will we get the license to practise in China?

4. Do you have a complain about the Fudan MBBS program in term of the lecturer, facility or class content?

5. The first year in Fudan MBBS program is just like pre-med year, right? so we study the basic science? I mean even for those people who only have little knowledge of chemistry or physics will find it fine to follow the lesson?

6. In Fudan MBBS,will we use the real cadaver or we just use the model to study? do you know when we will use the real cadaver?

7.If we graduate from university in China, will we find it hard to do further training in overseas like in UK Or in Australia? because I think in China, the medicine that they use might be different from other country, because they are using chinese character?

8. if you don't mind, can you tell me what textbook you are using? do the school has their own bookstore to buy the textbook?

9. do they have the single room for one person only in their dorm.? is it better to live in the school or in the apartment outside the school?

10. the campus that we are going to study MBBS in Fudan is located in the city center or not? which campus we are going to study? is it the same campus with the other chinese program.

please reply my question.

thanks,

Imura

[imura28]

Hi Conway,

In Fudan MBBS program, the class that we take each semester is fixed or we can choose like in the US? I mean in the US, We can choose the class that we want to take each semester on our own.When we can start do the elective class? I mean which semester?

[inprocess]

Hi Conway,

I have one question:
The mbbs program is 6 years, right? 5 years of studying and plus one year of internship? because I read on some website that it's between 5-7 years so I wanted to clarify.

Thanks.

[inprocess]

I got another question:

During what months do we get holidays? and can we stay there during the holidays or do we go back to our country and also if we go back, do we have to bring everything with us or can we leave some stuff at the residence campus?

Thanks.

[Conway]

The class schedule is pretty much set (we get to know our classmates really well), except for electives, which we take with other Chinese or exchange students.

The English-taught program is 6 years, and is equivalent to the local students' 5-year program. There is also a 7-year program taught in Chinese (leading to a Masters degree) and an 8-year program in Chinese (leading to a Doctoral Degree).

The summer holiday is July-August, and Chinese New Year Holiday is mid January - mid February. There are other breaks (ranging from one day off to a week) for Mid-Autumn Festival (in September), National Day (First week of October), Grave-Sweeping Day (April), Labor Day (5/1), Duanwu Holiday (Late May), and the school has a school-wide sports day, which we have off in mid May this year.

You can leave things in residence, but you'd have to pay for the rent. If you live off campus, you usually rent throughout the breaks, so that isn't really a problem.

[Conway]

In reply to imura:

1. As a Fudan University MBBS graduate, will we get the same certificate with people who join the chinese program? -

We get the same degree, but we take 6 years instead of five.

2. As a Fudan graduate, will we be able to do our residency or internship in UK or Australia? will we be able to do our specialization or master degree or further training in UK or Australia?

You can do housemanship in the UK if you take the PLAB, and in Australia by passing the appropriate parts of the AMC.

3.After we graduate from Fudan, will we get the license to practise in China?

To practice in China, you have to take the Chinese national license exam. It is in Chinese, but I have heard that it can be translated into English for batches of English-taught students, though I'm not sure.

4. Do you have a complain about the Fudan MBBS program in term of the lecturer, facility or class content?

As with anywhere, people complain - some more than others. In my personal opinion, it is alright here - professors seem to know their material, overall. The facilities are a bit older (buildings from the 1950s - but it is an old university), but are enough in my opinion.

5. The first year in Fudan MBBS program is just like pre-med year, right? so we study the basic science? I mean even for those people who only have little knowledge of chemistry or physics will find it fine to follow the lesson?

Yes, as long as you have had some exposure in high school, these courses should be okay if you put in effort to study.

6. In Fudan MBBS,will we use the real cadaver or we just use the model to study? do you know when we will use the real cadaver?

We use cadavers, from what I've heard from our seniors. They are used in Regional Anatomy, in the second semester of the second year.

7.If we graduate from university in China, will we find it hard to do further training in overseas like in UK Or in Australia? because I think in China, the medicine that they use might be different from other country, because they are using chinese character?

As long as you can pass appropriate exams for those countries, you can do further studies there. Of course, you would have to prepare on your own, because programs here don't prepare people to be doctors of a certain country (for example, I'm planning on taking the USMLE, and will have to prepare on my own).

8. if you don't mind, can you tell me what textbook you are using? do the school has their own bookstore to buy the textbook?

We are using Wade's Organic Chemistry, Stewart's Calculus, and Raven/Johnson's Biology for this semester's courses. I'm not sure about the other years just yet. The school has its own bookstore, and there are other new/used bookstores around campus also.

9. do they have the single room for one person only in their dorm.? is it better to live in the school or in the apartment outside the school?

There are both single and double rooms in the international dorm. It is nicer to live in dorm to meet people, but it is also more expensive than living off campus.

10. the campus that we are going to study MBBS in Fudan is located in the city center or not? which campus we are going to study? is it the same campus with the other chinese program.

The first year is at Handan Campus, in the northeast part of Puxi (Puxi is considered the "city", while Pudong is more suburban in a sense). The other years are at Fenglin Campus, which is in the southwest part of Puxi in Xuhui. If you can find a Shanghai metro map, the Handan Campus is near Chifeng Road on Line 3, and the Fenglin Campus is right at Dong'an Road on Line 4 (the purple circle line).

[inprocess]

Hi Conway,

Thanks for replying. I got more questions that came up on my mind:

1) is there internet facility in the residence? do you have to pay extra or is it included in the fees? I have a laptop from canada, do you think it will work there, I mean in terms of the outlet?
2) are the residences close to the campus/university? approximately how many minutes walking?
3) once I'm done 5 years, and my internship, I can work as a doctor after writing the exams or do I have to do masters and phD?

Thanks in advance~

[Conway]

1) Yep, there is broadband DSL internet, but you have to buy a card from the front desk (pre-paid), varying from ￥25 to ￥100, with different time credits and different speeds (512K and 1M). If you have a 3-prong plug, it should work if you get a power strip from any of the "marts" around school (there is a Wal-Mart right down the road from the dorm - about 2-3 bus stops).

2) The foreign student dorm is at the northwest edge of campus - about a 5 minute bike ride to the core class buildings. Walking, maybe 10-15 minutes?

3) Yes, you can work as a doctor after taking the Chinese licensing exams, but you wouldn't be as specialized as those with Masters or or Doctoral degrees. This is if you're working in china. If you want to work elsewhere, you'd have to go through the necessary exams for those respective countries.

[imura28]

Hi Conway,

thanks for the reply. sorry for keep asking you a question.

1. I have two choices between going to IMU malaysia/ International Medical University and Fudan University. IMU is a private medical university in malaysia.while Fudan is a top school in China and in the world. But, in IMU i can do my clinical training in australia, or UK? Which university you might advise me to go? what is the advantages?

Sometimes, I have doubt in my mind whether the MBBS program in China is good or not? because not many people go to China to study western medicine and also I think the mbbs degree from China is not as prestigious as mbbs degree from UK,Australia or USA. But, I know lately many people go to China to study. So, I am still confuse. Do you have any advice?

2. In Fudan, when we will get our clinical training? and when we will get exposure to patient in the hospital?

3. In China, if we take the 7 year program, is that means that we get specialization/ further training in certain area? like maybe we can be called dermatologist instead of general practitioner.

4. I know that the curriculum in Fudan mbbs does not prepare us to take any exam in certain country? is that means we are following international curriculum?

5. Even though, the curriculum in Fudan does not prepare us to take any exam in any country, but we will still can do the exam well,right? I mean I think we should be prepared because the material that we are studying is the same for every country, or do you think is different? and also Fudan MBBS is using the textbook from US. So, I think it shouldn't be a problem?

thanks,

Imura

[supergoh]

Dear Conway,

In which year of study in China,do you recommend us to take USMLE?

[inprocess]

Hi Conway,

I got few more questions:

1) when u went to China, did you get culture shock? (not sure if u can answer it if u r from China itself)
2) can we use laptops in class or do we need to print off the slides? do profs provide slides ahead of time?
3) for organic chem and physics, since I don't have much background on any of them (i do have background of general chem), i'm not sure how hard it will be for me but are chem and physics just taken in the first year or do u continue taking them in 2nd, 3rd...years.
4) how many courses/labs do you take per semester?

Thanks a lot~

[Conway]

Hi imura28,

1. I have two choices between going to IMU malaysia/ International Medical University and Fudan University. IMU is a private medical university in malaysia.while Fudan is a top school in China and in the world. But, in IMU i can do my clinical training in australia, or UK? Which university you might advise me to go? what is the advantages?

If you are not from any of the countries in which IMU has affliations, it does sound like a pretty good plan. (Are you Canadian? Because if so, I don't think you can do their partner medical school program). I know someone who did the IMU thing (he's from Malaysia) and he seems to be doing fine in Australia right now. I'm not too familiar with IMU's teaching, etc, so I cannot comment too much on that.

Sometimes, I have doubt in my mind whether the MBBS program in China is good or not? because not many people go to China to study western medicine and also I think the mbbs degree from China is not as prestigious as mbbs degree from UK,Australia or USA. But, I know lately many people go to China to study. So, I am still confuse. Do you have any advice?

You are right in saying that the degree from here is not as prestigious as UK, Australia, USA. However, people are here for various reasons - costs, proximity to family, less competition to enter, among many. My advice is, if you can afford it, and can get in, to go to one of the aforementioend countries to study medicine

2. In Fudan, when we will get our clinical training? and when we will get exposure to patient in the hospital?

Clinical training is done in one of Fudan's 10 (12?) affliated hospitals, though most are done at Zhongshan Hospital near the medical campus. There is also Huashan Campus near Jing'an Temple, and the new Children's Hospital in Minhang. Patient exposure begins the fourth year, I believe.

3. In China, if we take the 7 year program, is that means that we get specialization/ further training in certain area? like maybe we can be called dermatologist instead of general practitioner.

If you take the 7-year program (not available in English at Fudan), you will be specialized WITHIN CHINA. Do note that this is not recognized in most other countries.

4. I know that the curriculum in Fudan mbbs does not prepare us to take any exam in certain country? is that means we are following international curriculum?

We are following the Chinese curriculum, while using American / UK / translated Chinese learning materials.

5. Even though, the curriculum in Fudan does not prepare us to take any exam in any country, but we will still can do the exam well,right? I mean I think we should be prepared because the material that we are studying is the same for every country, or do you think is different? and also Fudan MBBS is using the textbook from US. So, I think it shouldn't be a problem?

We can still sit for the exams, but the method in which the questions are asked will be a little different. Thus, you would be less prepared than someone who's been tested the way of the USMLE / PLAB / AMC, etc throughout their medical school career.

[Conway]

I have heard of two recommended times to take the USMLE: after the basic science teaching (after year 3), or after the program has ended. Personally, I plan on taking it after the 3rd year.

And for inprocess's questions:

1) when u went to China, did you get culture shock? (not sure if u can answer it if u r from China itself)

I am of Chinese background, so maybe the shock wasn't as bad, but there were some aspects that did shock me - that people don't generally stand in line, little kids still pee / poop in the street (I saw one outside of Pizza Hut!). But after a short while, I have grown accustomed to life here, and enjoy it quite a lot.

2) can we use laptops in class or do we need to print off the slides? do profs provide slides ahead of time?

We can use laptops in class, or print off slides. It depends on the professor, if they give slides before or after the lecture. There is wireless in most buildings, though it can be painfully slow at times.

3) for organic chem and physics, since I don't have much background on any of them (i do have background of general chem), i'm not sure how hard it will be for me but are chem and physics just taken in the first year or do u continue taking them in 2nd, 3rd...years.

They are just taken in the first year. The 2nd year onwards it is "basic sciences" classes in medicine (pre-clinical courses such as anatomy, pathology, physiology, etc).

4) how many courses/labs do you take per semester?

Including electives, there are about 5-8 classes, with a total of 20 some credits per semester. For first year, there is chemistry lab the first semester, and physics and organic lab the second semester.

[imura28]

Dear Conway,

Can you give me your friend's in IMU email or phone number? or does he/she has an account in valuemd? where can I see his/her post in valuemd?

do you think the lecturer in Fudan is good? I mean the way they teach and their attitude to student?

how about the content of the material? is it good?

because I heard in some schools in China, they way they teach is not good, many people complain.

thanks,

imura28

[lkktony]

imura28,
If you have to be rely on others to spoon-feed you on the pursue of a career in medicine perhaps this field is not for you. Answers to 90+% of your questions had been answered previously by Conway and you would not even try to research a bit on your own.
Neither Medicine nor China is for faint of heart or :bla::. Find a quiet place, meditate, and ask yourself if you are truly a Doctor material before sending in your application to Fudan. If you do decide to go Fudan after all, please do let me know your real name because................................ I don't want to seat next to you !

[imura28]

Lkktony,

can you just mind your own business? I am just asking conway for the advice and it seems that he doesn't feel irritated by it. I have done research on my own. YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL WHAT I AM GOING TO DO. who wants to sit next to you? :rolleyes:

[Conway]

We're all going to be doctors here. Let's not turn this into recess...

Imura, It would be nice to read through the threads more carefully, though I am still ok with answering your questions.

Tony, you do have some valid points, but VMD's not ok with name-calling, etc. I think you might want to remove those before getting an "infraction" by one of the moderators.

And we're all going to be colleagues, and we will meet those we hit it off with, and those we don't. Let's try to at least coexist peacefully for the better of our future patients!

[imura28]

Conway,

thanks for your advice and sorry for keep asking you a lot of questions. Next time, I will read the threads more carefully.

thanks,

Imura

[lkktony]

Ahhh.... See how good of a influence I am now? I've made Imura a better student already.:dancing:

[inprocess]

Hi Conway,

I have few more questions:

1) how many credits is one course? and in total how many courses and labs do we take for the total 5 years?
2) are the classmates in ur batch around same age group or different?
3) are the classmates from variety of different backgrounds? are people friendly?
4) another thing, when profs speak english, can u understand them clearly? and lastly, when u go to stores around campus, do the people in the stores speak english well?
5) lastly, is it safe around campus..i mean is there enough security?

Thank you~ :)

[Conway]

1) how many credits is one course? and in total how many courses and labs do we take for the total 5 years?

Each course can vary from 2-5 credits, with 2 credits being on the low end, for elective courses, and 5 to major courses. Our "6-year-plan" can be seen at our class website at Home ?(Fudan MBBS Wiki)? (http://www.fudanu.com) and clicking on "Discussion"

2) are the classmates in ur batch around same age group or different?

We have students ranging from 17-48, though most are either straight out of high school or in their early 20s.

3) are the classmates from variety of different backgrounds? are people friendly?

Everyone is friendly, and we have people from various background, though there are more people from Chinese backgrounds than other backgrounds.

4) another thing, when profs speak english, can u understand them clearly? and lastly, when u go to stores around campus, do the people in the stores speak english well?

Professors speak English well, and can be understood most of the time, though there are always sometimes when things aren't as clear as a native speaker. The people in the stores around campus do not speak English, for the most part, this is China, after all :P It is pretty accessible though, going to the Wal-mart at Wujiaochang isn't THAT different from going to Wal-mart at say... Wilmington.

5) lastly, is it safe around campus..i mean is there enough security?

The campus is very safe, from what I know. The only thing to watch out for is bike thefts. If you buy a Giant or Phoenix brand bike, it's likely to get stolen if you don't have it locked extra securely. Even if it is securely locked, it might get stolen. I don't think you will have any physical harm done to you, or robberies, etc, though.

[imura28]

Conway,

Have you studied any physics class in Fudan university? I mean not the lab one. Do you know which chapter from the textbook they cover? Do they cover all the chapters from the textbook, which chapter do they cover?

How about the general chem.? do the school cover the whole textbook? or they skip some part?

thanks,

imura

[Conway]

Yes, I've taken physics. Most of the book was covered, though some were skipped, though I'm not sure which ones were skipped.

For chemistry, the last few chapters were not covered. The material is definitely more condensed than US college courses. I would roughly say that 2 US semesters of material are covered in one (albeit slightly longer) semester here.

[imura28]

Conway,

do you think the material that we study in Fudan is much harder than in US college? because the material that is supposed to be in two semester in the US, in China they make it one semester.

I have very little exposure to physics during my high school year, do you think I will find it very hard to follow the class in Fudan?

How about the exam?

Is the way they teach and grading system in Fudan quite the same with tHE US system?

thanks,

Imura

[Conway]

The material isn't harder per se, but it is more condensed. That's how I see it, at least.

I think that if you put in extra efforts and attend class, and go and see the professor when you need help, you will be okay.

Exams vary between courses and professors, but if you put in work, they're passable.

The teaching system varies between professors. Some are almost like American professors, while others are more conservatives because they havent' taught overseas. The grading system is similar to the US, except 60 is the pass mark as opposed to 65. If you fail a final exam, you are also allowed to sit for a retake before the next semester starts (during break). If you pass that, you can pass the course with a D- (no matter what you get on the actual exam)

[Dr. J2]

Any graduate of a medical program in China can take the licensing exam, regardless of nationality. I'm not sure if those from other countries are given.

I'm not sure how frequently the exam is given; I'll have to check on that.

I doubt that the 5 Chinese courses taught in our program will be enough for us to sit for the licensing exam.

However, today our class spent some time with the classes above us, and someone had mentioned that the a translated version of the license exam (in English) has been given at Wuhan and Zhejiang Universities. I've asked the school administration to check on this possibility, and they said they'd get back to me regarding the possibility of having a traslated version administered to our classes when we graduate.


Dear Conway,

Can you pls keep us updated once you get confirmed information regarding the English Version of the license exam and the frequency of conduction?

Thnx...

[Conway]

Sure, I'll post something here as soon as I hear from our school admin

[imura28]

Conway,

May I know what general chemistry textbook you are using in Fudan MBBS program?

thanks,

imura

[Dr. J2]

Hi ngonglan. What school are you at in Russia?

I don't think a postgraduate degree from Fudan will help you if your goal is to practice in Singapore. First, your degree in Russia must be recognized. If it is recognized by Singapore on their list, and if you don't take the Russian license exam, you will need to do a postgraduate qualification at a recognized US, Canadian, UK, Irish, or Singaporean postgraduate institution.

List of recognized undergraduate schools: ......... (You must have done undergraduate medicine here first)

If you have graduated from one of the schools above, you may substitute the Russian licensing exam with a postgraduate qualification from one of the following on this list:

Hope that helps!

Hi Conway,

What happens if the degree is not on the SMC list? does it mean they will not recognize it and we can't work there? what would be the solution for such an issue as their list is very limited ?

Thnx ...

[inprocess]

Hi Conway,

Thanks for the website :).

So according to the website, in first year in total we take 15 courses (7 in one semester and 8 in the next one) and i guess the remaining of courses is divided between 2nd,3rd,4th,5th, and 6th year, right?

There are some internship courses but I thought in 6th year you do internship in the country you choose to do it and you get paid for it..so not sure about that..can u clarify that.

Another thing, when do you suggest to take the exams for the country you want to practice in....i mean can u practice during your study years or do you do the exams after getting the degree?

Thanks a lot!
You've been great help!

[Conway]

Yes, the remaining courses are divided amongst the remaining years.

The 6th year of internship by default is in China, but can be done in another country if you apply (and pay extra to that particular hospital).

When I say practice, I mean practice medicine, as in work, or have a license to practice medicine, or in other words, be a doctor. Thus, you can only practice medicine after you have a license, after you get a degree ;)

[inprocess]

do you have any idea how long it takes to complete the exams in order to practice..or does it depend on each country? ie.i mean how many years to finish the exams

also, about the extracurricular activities, I know that there are sports club and chess club, are there debate or speech clubs and dance/performance clubs?

another question, can u cook at the uni residence?

thanks :)

[ozy]

I have a telephone interview with Fudan this weekend. Any one has any idea what it's like? Or the kind of questions they might ask?

[inprocess]

Hi ozy,

I haven't had the interview yet but my parents asked them what sort of questions they will ask and so these are the questions they will ask:
1) why you want to do medicine? ie. why become a doctor?
2) why choose fudan university?
3) and your future plans?

in btw, after how long r they interviewing u..i mean after how long since they accepted u because its been almost 2 months for me since I got admitted but no interview yet.

[ozy]

Hey inprocess

These are the conventional questions, I am looking forward to them. But I had an interview with Warwick and they asked questions like:
What's your favourite book?
What's your favourite character of all the books you've read and why?
And they even asked me to ask them questions, so I was wondering if Fudan might throw some random questions too.

I sent my application earlier this month, don't remember the exact date, but somewhere in the first week of this month. I received an email from Mr. Zhang that he would be calling me for a telephone interview over the weekend but didn't call so I guess what he meant was after the weekend. Because the admission office, I think, is closed on weekends. Or maybe he just forgot. :P
I'll call and check tomorrow if I don't receive the interview call today.

[imura28]

Ozy,

when you said Warwick, do you mean university of Warwick in the UK? Do they call you to your cellphone or to your house phone?

thanks,

[inprocess]

Hey ozy,

I'm not sure if they will throw random questions like Warwick..
I applied through an agent and he told me he will call 2nd week of april on a Saturday for interview but he hasn't yet..so I contacted him and he said he will let me know this week..
in btw, did u apply through an agent or directly to the university.

[ozy]

Hey imura28

Yes I meant university of Warwick in UK, they called on my cell phone. Warwick, or for that matter most universities in UK usually do not call but there are exceptions.
And I just got over with my interview with Fudan, I think it went just fine. He asked the same conventional questions, and in the end he asked me to ask him questions too.

To inprocess
Hey. I applied directly. Where are you applying from btw?

[ozy]

Oh and he said the result would be published next week.

[imura28]

Ozy,

If you don't mind, can you tell me how many questions Fudan asked you during interview? can you please tell me what question do they ask you?

How Fudan admission commitee inform you about the interview time? by email?

what question we need to ask them?

about the result, how they are going to tell you? by email or phone?

thanks,

Imura

[ozy]

Hey Imura

The first question they asked was to introduce myself. Then they asked me why I wanted to do Medicine. After that they asked for my future goals. There were one or two more questions on the same line, I don't quite remember. But don't worry, it's not hard. Just try not to be nervous. And when they ask to ask them questions you can ask them anything you'd like, for instance I asked them why they had a 6 year programme compared to a normal 5 year programme, and they answered. Then I asked them a few questions about Student Associations.

They will inform you of the interview via email, or that's how they informed me. And when I asked them how will they announce the result, they said it would be next week via email. So I have my fingers crossed.

Ozy

[inprocess]

Hi ozy,

for the interview did u call them or they called you? becuz they asked me to call them.

I applied from Canada.

[ozy]

Hey inprocess,

I called Mr. Zhang to check why he didn't call over the weekend, as he stated in the email, and he took my interview right there. So basically, I called. It wasn't my finest interview, lets see what happens.
So did you call them for the interview?

[inprocess]

Hi ozy,

I haven't called yet. They said to call on Wednesday morning...well for me it's Tuesday night.
How long was the interview? I mean how many minutes?

[ozy]

Hey inprocess

It was quite short. I would say 15-20 minutes.

[tanglewood]

First off thanks for all the info guys this is one of the most informative forums I’ve read. I have a couple of questions Inprocess I emailed the same company as you did today how long does it take for them to respond. Also I have graduated college I did not have a great gpa does this matter? How long was the whole process start to finish? Anyone else who has info regarding admittance to Chinese medical schools feel free to chime in especially Conway. Thanks guys.

[ozy]

Hey tanglewood

I don't see why you need an agent when you can apply directly. It's pretty straightforward. You just need to mail all the forms and documents to the university.

Ozy

[inprocess]

Hi tanglewood,

I got a reply from them the next day, so it's pretty fast reply.
Although I sent them my bsc current grades with my high school grades, they only looked at the high school grades..so I don't think they will look at your college grades.
The process to get accepted didn't take long but to get the interview done, it took some time..I had to wait for about 2 months to get an interview date...not sure if you have to wait that long.

Hope this helps~

[tanglewood]

Thanks for the quick response guys. Ozy I am a bit concerned about my grades. I have good science scores but lets just say I took the very scenic route through college. Do you think this will matter if I apply directly? Inprocess he responded today as you said, how much were your grades a factor? He suggested Xian Jiao Tong University because I am 27 and said the 4 + 1 program might be best. Anyone have any comments about this? thanks guys

[ozy]

Hey tanglewood

Well your grades will not change either way, so it's best you apply directly. But really, do whatever you think is best for you. If you're satisfied with the agent, then go for it.

[tanglewood]

Seriously thanks for the advice Ozy, to be honest I am comtemplating doing both. If I apply to some via an agent and some directly I feel I have the best chance. Again I have good enough science grades, but some of my others.... Anyway ho you guys know which of these schools is 'best' for coming back to the US and Conway, Inprocess, Ozy know how much my grades matter at Fudan? I have heard that if I have the right grades in the right classes it wont matter. Thanks guys

[ozy]

Well they do not have any specific grade requirement that I know of, but during the telephone interview I had, they asked me why I had a C grade in my Mathematics. So I'm sure if you have anything above that you're on a safe side. If not, apply anyway, since you've graduated college I assume you have a good chance of getting in.

Ozy

[tanglewood]

Last major question guys do you know where in the US that we could practice as graduates from China. I've read on the California medical boards website that many schools that just started english programs are not approved? Also any one know about xianjiaotong university?

[inprocess]

Hey tanglewood,

My grades were mostly in 70s and some in 80s..none in 90s..
since u got good science grades, I don't think u should worry.

[ozy]

Last major question guys do you know where in the US that we could practice as graduates from China. I've read on the California medical boards website that many schools that just started english programs are not approved? Also any one know about xianjiaotong university?

Hey

I think you can practice anywhere in US provided you have a good USMLE score. All the school needs for its students to be eligible to give USMLE is to be recognized by WHO, which Fudan is. Could you post a link where it says what you stated about California Medical Board? Thankyou.


Ozy

[tanglewood]

If you google 'California approved medical schools' it will take you to Cali's web site. If you look at the third paragraph from the top, that starts with 'Warning:' you will see what I am talking about. I would have posted a link but I do not have enough post

[ozy]

Yeah, I just read it. Well we can hope that Fudan receives approval from Medical Board of California when it applies for recognition. And I think it will, lets hope for the best.

Ozy

[imura28]

Tanglewood,

As you mentioned, the california medical board does not approve new english taught program right? How about other state? but that's only if we want to practise in the US, right? how about residency/specialist/further training in the US? Will we be able to do residency/further training in the US after we graduate from Fudan MBBS program?because I plan to do my residency in the US.

Do you have any info about doing specialist/residency in the UK or Australia?

Knowing that the California Medical board does not approve, do you still want to go to China to do MBBS?

thanks,

Imura

[imura28]

Ozy,

Will we be able to do residency/further training in the US after we graduate from Fudan MBBS program? because I plan to do my residency in the US.

Do you have any info about doing specialist/residency in the UK or Australia?

Knowing that the California Medical board does not approve new english taught program to practise, do you still want to go to China to do MBBS?

thanks,

Imura

[imura28]

Conway,

sorry to bother you again. I have a question. have you heard that the california medical board do not recognize the new english medical taught program, thus if we want to practice we cannot do that, do u know about that?

I am not sure that is about the practise there or about doing the residency?

will we be able to do residency/specialist/further training in the US as a foreign graduate? where to check?

thanks,

Imura

[ozy]

Ozy,

Will we be able to do residency/further training in the US after we graduate from Fudan MBBS program? because I plan to do my residency in the US.

Do you have any info about doing specialist/residency in the UK or Australia?

Knowing that the California Medical board does not approve new english taught program to practise, do you still want to go to China to do MBBS?

thanks,

Imura

Hey imura28,

Yes, we will be able to do residency in the US provided we pass the USMLE. Besides US is not the only place I have in mind for my residency so despite the fact that Fudan is not recognized by California Medical Board(which it might be in a few years) I'd still like to go to China.


Ozy

[imura28]

Ozy,

May I ask personal question, why you choose to go to the medical school in China? I mean why not other country. which school in China do you apply? thus, we can still do our residency in california, right? but, we can't practise in calif.?

thanks,

[ozy]

Hey imura28,

Well first of all I've always wanted to go to China. In China I've only applied to Fudan since its in the top 3 of all Chinese universities and the other two do not have programs in English. Also because China is a booming economy, while countries like America and England are facing recession, hence inflation. Besides for America you need to have a bachelor's degree so the total time is 9 years to be an MD, whereas medicine in UK is PRETTY expensive (total cost per year can sum upto £30,000 or more). Hence China, since it is affordable (although Fudan is the most expensive one of the Chinese lot) and the quality of education is also really good. And then the authentic Chinese food too. Oh, and the Great Wall :p


Ozy

[lkktony]

Hey imura28,

Yes, we will be able to do residency in the US provided we pass the USMLE. Besides US is not the only place I have in mind for my residency so despite the fact that Fudan is not recognized by California Medical Board(which it might be in a few years) I'd still like to go to China.


Ozy


In order to be able to do residency in the US, all students must pass USMLE and compete for " MATCHING" . Each year, approximately 16,000 U.S. medical school students participate in the residency match. In addition, another 18,000 "independent" applicants, including former graduates of U.S. medical schools, U.S. osteopathic students, Canadian students, and graduates of foreign medical schools, compete for the approximately 25,000 available residency positions. US Hospitals usually takes US med students first because space are limited and sponsoring an IMG involves ton of paperwork for them. These days, even new US nursing graduates has problem finding job in California because of budget freeze.

Although not impossible, those of you who wants to practice in US should get REAL and consider other less popular states like North Dakoda, New Orleans or even Montana :cool: I would jump on any chance I get even if I don't get paid.

[inprocess]

Hi ozy,

I wanted to know when they interviewed you, to which country they called you..i mean in which country were u at when they called you? because I wanted to know during the interview, could u hear them well..i mean didn't you hear some background noise?

[skrine]

hi everyone,
i am applying to fudan and wondering anyone from malaysia also applied to fudan 6yr mbbs. besides, i applied through a agent in malaysia and they said i get the place to fudan, but the offer letter will me send to me in around june or july.so i would like tat know will there be any conditioner offer for me to get in the uni?

[ozy]

Hey inprocess

I live in Pakistan, and I was in Pakistan when I had the interview. There was no disturbance in the line at all. Besides, I just received an email from Fudan that I have been accepted and that I would receive the official admission notice in June. I'm really excited.

Ozy

[ozy]

So how many of you are seriously considering Fudan?

[inprocess]

Hi ozy,

Congratulations..I also just got an email about being accepted.
Although I got in, I'm still not sure if I should go..
does any1 have doubts....I mean it's usually hard to get in a medical school..and as for some of us who do not have grades like 80s and 90s, don't u find it weird?
Are u taking Fudan seriously, ozy?

Another thing, does anyone know after the 6 yr degree, what type of doctors can we become? i mean there's only general physician I can think of..but what else?

Hi skrine,
I didn't apply from malaysia but I applied through an agent that lives in malaysia...when I got the place for fudan and I didn't have the interview yet, so I kept asking them about the interview date..and he told me not to worry and that I got accepted...but eventually later I did do the interview..and got accepted...so I don't think there's any conditional offer unless it depends on the type of grades u got.

[skrine]

hi inprocess,
if nt mistaken, i think after 6yrs of studies, we only can practise as GP, to get specialist i think have to proceed to masters.

i really hope can get in to fudan, just that i am worry about the recognision of the degree in Malaysia....T.T

[inprocess]

not sure if u can practice in Malaysia..but I know u can practice in Singapore..u can contact malaysian medical council..thats how I found out about singapore.
hmm..doesn't mbbs mean bachelors and masters together?

[lkktony]

[QUOTE=inprocess;1086776]Hi ozy,


Another thing, does anyone know after the 6 yr degree, what type of doctors can we become? i mean there's only general physician I can think of..but what else?

After the 6 year program in Fudan, you are merely a med school graduate with Bachelor of Medicine. You will not " automatically " become a doctor of any kind. You must pass Chinese national medical licensing exam ( tested in simplified Chinese as of now) to be able to practice in either China or Singapore. If you plan to practice in US, you must pass USMLE, compete for " Matching " and complete an one year residency training.

Fudan's program is an once in a life time opportunity for many but you need to do research and know what to expect out of it.

[ozy]

Hey inprocess

Yes I'm taking Fudan very seriously. Not only because it is recognized by WHO but also because Fudan itself is one of the best universities. As for MBBS, the degree is same whether you do it from Fudan or from elsewhere in the world. It's how much hard work you're willing to put is what matters the most. Btw what are your options inprocess? I got admitted to Warwick, SOAS and York for Political Science but if I prefer this course over an MBBS degree it would be a suicide. :p Hence I'm really looking forward to Fudan.

[ozy]

Hey lkktony

Have you applied to Fudan? Did you get an offer, and if yes, is Fudan your priority?

[ozy]

doesn't mbbs mean bachelors and masters together?

MBBS means Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

[supergoh]

hi inprocess,
if nt mistaken, i think after 6yrs of studies, we only can practise as GP, to get specialist i think have to proceed to masters.

i really hope can get in to fudan, just that i am worry about the recognision of the degree in Malaysia....T.T

Hi! Skrine.

You need to pass qualifying exam in order to practice in Malaysia.The qualifying exam would be deliberately set very difficult for you.

I recommend you practice in Singapore.If you have a certain level of Chinese proficiency ,I recommend you take the Chinese medium in Fudan.

[keefsun]

hey ozy.

I am also very interested in joining fudan's 2009 medicine intake! I am filling up the application now. Would like to ask about the section which says Place of Examination and Place of Interview, Does that mean the place where I would like to take the entrance exams and interview?

Anyway just a short intro, I am graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Life Science) from the National University of Singapore this June and I've decided that I want to make medicine my career.

Conway do you have any idea how competitive the program is? I heard that Fudan University is one of the most selective universities in the People's Republic of China.

Thanks for answering to my queries. Hope to see you guys in Fudan 09.
(:

[ozy]

Hey keefsun

You just leave that area blank where it says about the interview and the examination. That's for the local students. However you will have a telephone interview once your application has been processed by the university. Shoot any questions you have regarding the application, I'd be glad to answer.


Ozy

[skrine]

Hi! Skrine.

You need to pass qualifying exam in order to practice in Malaysia.The qualifying exam would be deliberately set very difficult for you.

I recommend you practice in Singapore.If you have a certain level of Chinese proficiency ,I recommend you take the Chinese medium in Fudan.

thx goh,
erm, why u recommend me take Chinese?actually i thought of taking the 5yrs Chinese mbbs course, as one of my friend taking it now, but i scare i cant handle those chinese scientific term because i learn it all in english when i was secondary and Pre-U course.

[skrine]

Hey inprocess

Yes I'm taking Fudan very seriously. Not only because it is recognized by WHO but also because Fudan itself is one of the best universities. As for MBBS, the degree is same whether you do it from Fudan or from elsewhere in the world. It's how much hard work you're willing to put is what matters the most. Btw what are your options inprocess? I got admitted to Warwick, SOAS and York for Political Science but if I prefer this course over an MBBS degree it would be a suicide. :p Hence I'm really looking forward to Fudan.

hi ozy,
really hope that i can see you in fudan this sept. But seems like most of you all elder than me,btw i m 19 :)

[ozy]

Hey skrine

Im 19 too, I'm doing A-Levels.

[supergoh]

thx goh,
erm, why u recommend me take Chinese?actually i thought of taking the 5yrs Chinese mbbs course, as one of my friend taking it now, but i scare i cant handle those chinese scientific term because i learn it all in english when i was secondary and Pre-U course.

Hi! Skrine.

The reasons are below:

1.The Fudan English medium MBBS is very new.It just started last year.It may lack experience in English medium teaching.

2.The Fudan University is famous for its Mandarin medium medicine.

3.You can easily learn English medical terms at the same time when learning Chinese medical terms since you have learnt them in English before.Actually it is to your advantage if you can master English and Chinese terms.

I learnt science in Mandarin in primary school,Malay language in secondary school and English in Pre U.I dun think language is a problem.It is understanding of science which matters the most.

Some Malaysians went to Japan to study medicine in Japanese.I think it is much more difficult for them although some Japanese words are derived from Mandarin.But I think you should have no problem in handling Chinese scientific terms since you are not going to learn Chinese Traditional Medicine in Chinese .(I assume you have a reasonable level of Chinese proficiency ,at least PMR level)

[keefsun]

thanks ozy!
anyway mind if i ask how did you do for your A levels?
:) I'm not sure they will look at my bachelor degree or A levels results. :(

[ozy]

Hey keefsun

If you've done your bachelors degree that is even better. I had straight As in my AS, but in your case I don't think they would even look at your A-level result as you have a bachelors degree.


Ozy

[inprocess]

Hello:

Ozy - my other option was to finish my undergrad degree and maybe look for a job....I applied to one more university in China through a different agent and I got in..but my doubt is to whether study in China or not because of the English.

Supergoh - u said that the English medium teaching is inexperience because it's new....i mean how much English do the profs know?

Lkktony - u said I need to take the chinese licensing exam if I practice in Singapore but I think Conway mentioned that u have the option to not write the exam if you have a good reason ex: a good reason is that the exam is in Chinese, but we were taught in English.

[ozy]

Hey inprocess

I'm sure the professors speak good English otherwise they would'nt have started the programme in the first place. The upside of this programme is not only you get an MBBS degree but you also get to learn Chinese and from what it is worth it is one of the major languages, hence better job prospects. And Medicine itself is the safest profession by far, so I think you should definitely come to Fudan.


Ozy

[keefsun]

Thanks ozy. :) I'm just worried about the competition for places. haha. But it's weird they told you that you got accepted before the closing date of application which is 30 May.

[ozy]

No problem keefsun. Well I guess it's first come first get. :P

[keefsun]

hey ozy. a few more qns abt the app form.

Did you take HSK/TOEFL or anything? I am from Singapore which is english speaking and I can speak and write basic chinese. However I have not taken any tests!

What do you write under the Major? Is it Medicine?

Do i need to have a contact person in China? Is this compulsory?

thanks!

[keefsun]

ozy do you happen to have msn?

[keefsun]

inprocess. how did you get accepted within 3 hrs of applying? U applied online?

[supergoh]

Hello:

Ozy - my other option was to finish my undergrad degree and maybe look for a job....I applied to one more university in China through a different agent and I got in..but my doubt is to whether study in China or not because of the English.

Supergoh - u said that the English medium teaching is inexperience because it's new....i mean how much English do the profs know?

Lkktony - u said I need to take the chinese licensing exam if I practice in Singapore but I think Conway mentioned that u have the option to not write the exam if you have a good reason ex: a good reason is that the exam is in Chinese, but we were taught in English.

Hi! Inprocess.

I just said that Fudan university might lack experience in teaching English medium medicine.After all, Fudan university has been teaching Chinese medium medicine for so many years.

I do not doubt the English proficiency of the professors.

I just compare the Chinese medium with the English medium.If I am not wrong,the Chinese medium is much cheaper than English medium.Correct me if necessary.

As a wise consumer,we should always choose lowest amount of money in exchange for highest quality product.This is just my opinion.

[Conway]

I actually recommend the Chinese program over the English program as well, as there is higher competition within the Chinese program, and there are many more years of experience in carrying out the teaching in Chinese.

I'm not saying the English program is bad, just that the Chinese program is better. It would be ignorant and misleading of me to say that the English program is better in every way compared to the Chinese program.

The Chinese program is also less expensive, and 5 years in duration. However, this could pose a problem for those who aren't fluent in Chinese.

[ozy]

Hey supergoh

Chinese medium may be cheaper, that's because the English MBBS course is for the international students. And take any university, the fee for international students is always higher than the residents.

[inprocess]

Hello:

Keefsun - I did send my application stuff through email to an agent..ya I got reply from them within 3 hours..I guess after the agent send it to the university..not within 3 hrs right after I applied.


I guess I'll stay in the English medium..I will probably have difficulty with the Chinese medium since I don't know chinese at all...is there anyone who doesn't know any chinese at all?
Ya it's true that for international students it's usually more expensive.

[ozy]

I do not know Chinese at all, except for Ni Hao which I know when I called the university and it probably means Hello. So inprocess i guess we are in the same boat. :)

ozy

[inprocess]

ozy - lol yah...i just bought a chinese-english book..just to get started..
do you know or anyone else know if we will be taught how to write in chinese or is it just for oral (communication)?

[ozy]

Well there are seperate classes for Chinese, I'm sure they will teach us how to write. Besides, there won't be a point until and unless we practice writing. I think I should get a chinese-english book asap.


Ozy

[lkktony]

Hello:

Ozy - my other option was to finish my undergrad degree and maybe look for a job....I applied to one more university in China through a different agent and I got in..but my doubt is to whether study in China or not because of the English.

Supergoh - u said that the English medium teaching is inexperience because it's new....i mean how much English do the profs know?

Lkktony - u said I need to take the chinese licensing exam if I practice in Singapore but I think Conway mentioned that u have the option to not write the exam if you have a good reason ex: a good reason is that the exam is in Chinese, but we were taught in English.

Inprocess,

Didn't you post an e-mail sent from Singapore Medical Counsel back in March 2009 regarding the passing of Chinese licensing exam ? What part of the email did'nt you understand ?

I was told yesterday that Fudan's MBBS 2009 intake is full. Not taking any more applicants. :faint:

[inprocess]

lkktony:

I understood the email that I posted. You mentioned in one of your replies that u must take the chinese licensing exam in order to practice in Singapore but I was just letting u know and some others know that u don't have to take the chinese board exam in Singapore if u have a good reason.

[ozy]

Inprocess,

I was told yesterday that Fudan's MBBS 2009 intake is full. Not taking any more applicants. :faint:

Hey lkktony

Are you sure about this? Because a couple of my friends were planning to apply too.

[supergoh]

For those who want to learn Chinese language,work hard.

Chinese language is actually easier than English language.At least ,Chinese language is not grammatically complex as English.There is no present or past tense for Chinese language.

A good level of Chinese proficiency is good for your clinical years in Fudan university as China patients are not expected to communicate with you in English.

[keefsun]

hey lkktony. who did you hear that news from. I thought the deadline for application is 30 May 2009?

[keefsun]

hey guys. i just called fudan. wat lkktony said is true. the places for mbbs2009 is full. :(

[Conway]

Wow, I didn't think it'd fill that fast. Congrats to those who've gotten in!

[skrine]

hi supergoh,
thanks for your advice.But is it ok for me to change from english mbbs to chinese program(although i get offer to go for the english program)?
By the way, are you in the 5yrs mbbs?
=p

[skrine]

hey guys. i just called fudan. wat lkktony said is true. the places for mbbs2009 is full. :(

oh my god!
is that means that we have 60 candidates in the future 2009 class?
or is it the chinese mbbs?

[supergoh]

hi supergoh,
thanks for your advice.But is it ok for me to change from english mbbs to chinese program(although i get offer to go for the english program)?
By the way, are you in the 5yrs mbbs?
=p

Hi! Skrine.

Sorry.I dun know.

I just intend to apply for medicine in Peking university next year.

[Conway]

They only took 32 students this year, according to what Mr Z told us.

You CANNOT switch from the English to Chinese medium, as the Chinese medium is applied through an examination (I believe you can still sign up for that though). Thus, the two have different maens of getting in. You contact the same office for that though

[lkktony]

lkktony:

I understood the email that I posted. You mentioned in one of your replies that u must take the chinese licensing exam in order to practice in Singapore but I was just letting u know and some others know that u don't have to take the chinese board exam in Singapore if u have a good reason.

No offense but I think you are misleading. Read the e-mail again and tell us where does it stipulate an applicant can void the condition of passing national licensing exam by simply submitting a good "excuse" ? This type of assumption could cost one dearly in the pursue a medical career and even life of a patient if you ever become a doc. :nono:

[ozy]

So how many of you are considering Fudan? Those who got in?

[inprocess]

No offense but I think you are misleading. Read the e-mail again and tell us where does it stipulate an applicant can void the condition of passing national licensing exam by simply submitting a good "excuse" ? This type of assumption could cost one dearly in the pursue a medical career and even life of a patient if you ever become a doc. :nono:


I know that the email says u need to write the chinese licensing exam but I was not talking about the email...I was talking about what Conway said earlier :

1) You can take the Malaysian Medical Council exam only if you are a Malaysian citizen or have Malaysian relations in some way. Singapore is okay, though I've heard both that you don't have to take the Chinese board exam, and that you do. I looked at their form, and they ask if a license exam is required to practice in the country in which you graduated (the answer is yes), but they also give you the option of explaining why you haven't taken it. I would say that a valid reason is that the exam is in Chinese, and we were taught in English. Some day, I will call the Singapore Medical Council to make sure. We are eligible to sit for the PLAB and AMC for the UK and Australia, but I am not sure of the process there too much. I have heard that in recent years it is hard for non-EU and non-UK citizens to get a housemanship in the UK.

[inprocess]

I most probably will be considering Fudan..
where do u intend to practice, ozy?

[ozy]

Fudan, for sure.

[ozy]

Anyone else who will be joining Fudan?

[imura28]

Conway,

have you ever heard about Zhejiang university? is their mbbs program is good? how about the facility, are they good? do you know where the student body there mainly from? when y0ou apply to medical program in China, do you consider Zhejiang univ?

I could not find much info. from their website.

[imura28]

ozy,


have you ever heard about Zhejiang university? is their mbbs program is good? how about the facility, are they good? when y0ou apply to medical program in China, do you consider Zhejiang univ?

I could not find much info. from their website.

[ozy]

Hey imura28

I can't really say whether their program is good or not, however, I did not consider Zhejiang when I applied to China. Infact I only applied to Fudan.


Ozy

[imura28]

Ozy,

may I know why you don't consider Zhejiang? why you choose Fudan?

[Conway]

I know there are many students who are at Zhejiang University, they have about 80 students per class. They're also recognized by the Singapore Medical Council, they've been teaching a few more years than Fudan in English, and Hangzhou is a beautiful "garden" city about an hour by train from Shanghai. In addition, the tuition is a lot cheaper than Fudan. Maybe you could start a new thread for Zhejiang Univerisity, and maybe it'd catch the attention of others who may know more?

[ultrasc]

hi, i wish to clarify.

for fudan, the 6 years, it is inclusive of housemanship right? are we given the option to complete the houseman ship of 1 years in our home country, which means the duration of the course is only 5 years?

in addition, i wish to know if we can apply in advance. becos i am from singapore and i have to serve 2 years national service, i hope to be able to apply now and reserve a slot for the 2011 course.

thanks for helping.

[amatzz]

ni hau! i applied to both zhejiang and fudan and got accepted for both. though i have personally chosen to go to fudan. this thread helped me alot guys! thanks! i guess il be seeing some of you then! che che (GOD I SUCK AT THIS!) :D.

[Dr. J2]

Hi Amatzz, have u applied recently to Fudan as it seems the admission is closed for 2009 intake??

Hi Imura28 and IKKtony, where did u apply finally??

[amatzz]

Hey,

I'm currently a student here in the inagural class at Fudan. I've been on ValueMD for quite a while, and I was just wondering if anyone out there is considering Fudan for the 2009 intake.

If anyone has any questions, I'll answer them honestly.


~CW


hey conway,

sorry to disturb ya bro. well iv done a bit of research and according to the statistics 2 percent of the population there are muslims. i just wanted to know about halaal food there. in shanghai are there any places which sell food that is halaal as i cannot eat non halaal food. thank you very much in advance.

[amatzz]

Hi Amatzz, have u applied recently to Fudan as it seems the admission is closed for 2009 intake??

Hi Imura28 and IKKtony, where did u apply finally??


hey Dr. J2,

well i applied quite a long time back, since the beginning of april. yeh yeh i heard about the closing. anyways have you applied? or were ya thinking about applying? if you havent then you could try zhejiang. according to topuniversities.com it is the seventh in china. and second to fudan when taking into account the MBBS english program. though it has alot more experience since it started earlier than fudan.

[Dr. J2]

In fact I wanted to apply to Fudan, but it seems too late.. any how I am considering TMU as I have some constrains regarding the location of Zhejiang Uni.

[chaulee]

Hello guys,

I am new here, please give me some advices regarding with studying at Fudan University for MBBS International program.
I actually directly applied to the school in March and until now haven't heard any response from the School yet. I seriously worried about it. I tried to reach Mr. Kevin Chang a few times already via email as Conway had posted his email add. earlier, but no responses from him! So, could you tell me how long does it usually take to know the response from the school? I afraid that it will be too late for me to send a new application to the school. I think i am in a dead situation now! :(

[ozy]

Hey Chaulee

The best way to reach Mr. Chang would be to call him during office timing. (9am to 4pm).
Here's the number: 00862155664843


Ozy

[chaulee]

Thank you Ozy,

I have called to the Tel. no. you posted this morning. The man ( I guess should be Mr. CHang) told me the program is already closed ( some days in May). I wonder how long it usually take for the school to inform the applicants about the result cause i have been waiting for almost 2 months already! Besides, i don't understand that why I never get any response to my inquiries from Mr. Kevin Chang at all after the application was sent out.

I really want to know if the school have never ever received my application to begin with or it have but waiting for the program to be closed then send out all the results to the applicants at once? Btw, i cannot even get the answer from him cause he could talk to me only for a minute!:doh:

[ozy]

Hey chaulee

I believe that the application decisions have already been made. I got a reply regarding my application. But I'm not sure if every application has been processed. Try calling again maybe.


Ozy

[inprocess]

Hi Chaulee,

I also applied in March and got a reply..If you sent your application by mail, there should be a tracking number where you can track the status of your application and check if they received it.

[chaulee]

That's right, i totally forgot about it! :shock: gosh! but thanks to inprocess for the advice!

I feel my body temperature varies right now! ahrrrr......!!!!! hahaha!.....anyways, thanks for your reply, Ozy!!

[Conway]

Regarding Halal food, it is very plentiful in Shanghai. There is a Halal dining hall, and a room specifically for Muslim students (it's in the North canteen, 2nd floor). There are also restaurants all around that are halal.

[inprocess]

Hi Conway,

I just wanted to know 2 things:

1) How far are the apartments from Fudan university? is it more further than the campus residence or less?
2) I read somewhere on the website that they don't allow cooking in the residence. I just wanted to know if we are allowed to have microwave and toaster in the residence.

Thanks in advance.

[amatzz]

Dear Conway,

Thank you very much bro!!! that boosted my morale alot! i thought i would really suffer when it comes to food there :D. your a vital asset to this forum!

[zidrem]

Hi Conway,

I just wanted to start by thanking you for all of the great information you have presented here; it is really useful for those of us interested in going to China!

I just had a few questions because I am in kind of an unusual situation; I am a junior in biomedical engineering at a top 10 school in the US and I have a 3.9 - I could easily get into a US MD program, but I hate living here and really would like to go to school in China and practice there (even if it is passing up a great opportunity for a US degree). In any case, I had some questions regarding going to fudan's MBBS program after finishing my undergrad degree here:

(1) As I understand it, the first year in the MBBS program covers pre-medical subjects such as chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. However, in my undergraduate school, I have already studied each of these subjects for an entire year. In fact our year-long organic chemistry course uses the same exact textbook (by Wade) as the fudan program, and I received a 4.0 in the class. I was wondering if it is possible for a student like me (who has already completed these premedical classes) to either skip the first year of the MBBS program or to test out of the general science classes.

(2) I realize that the application requires high school transcripts. In my case, would it make more sense to send my undergraduate transcripts instead? These would be more recent and relevant indicators of my academic skills.

(3) Since I am fluent in Chinese, would it make more sense to apply to the English MBBS program or the normal Chinese MBBS program? Are foreign students allowed to apply for the Chinese MBBS program? And if so, what are the main differences between the two programs (other than the language medium)? I recall that you said that the Chinese program is better in some ways.

(4) Given that I will already have an undergraduate degree (as well as substantial research experience) in biomedical engineering, would it make more sense to apply to one of Fudan's Master's programs? If I am interested in doing a specialty like surgery or dermatology, would it be possible for a student like me to apply for a master's program in surgery and then become licensed as a doctor afterwards? Or are these programs only for people interested in research specifically?

(5) How does specialization work in China? I really want to specialize in orthopedic surgery (or something similar to this) - does an MBBS allow you to do things like that?

I apologize for the lengthy post - the questions may be stupid, but I am not very familiar with the medical education system in China. In any case, I really appreciate your (or anyone else's) time answering my questions. This is very important to me, and the lack of information in this end of the world has been stressing me out.

Thanks!

[drmatty]

Is fudan university fafsa approved for financial aid? Or any private loans available?

[waslove]

hey,
Can someone plz let me know the list of MD courses available at Fudan U in english?

[Conway]

To all the '09 MBBS Students: We (the '08 class) has a class wiki that many of you may have visited, and we're splitting it this summer into sub-pages so that each class can have their own separate wiki. The '09 batch can be found at http://09.fudanu.com. The main page will be changed to a general main page as soon as finals are over for the '08 class (since our course materials are still on the current '08 page).

The fall class schedule is found on there, as well as a link to the PDF of the university timetable for Fall 2009. Enjoy!

[inprocess]

Thanks for the schedule Conway.

Does anyone know if there will be an English version for the china licensing exam?

[Conway]

We asked Mr Zhang last week, but he doesn't know yet. He says he will be talking with them and trying to get an English version for us.

[ozy]

Hey

Has anyone received their admission material? Or does anyone know when we will get it? The email said I will get it in June and June has almost come to an end.


Ozy

[Conway]

I went to the FSO office to see Mr Z last week, and I saw them sitting on his desk. He said something about mailing them out in late June, so I'd assume they're on their way...

[chiroworld]

hi Conway

I have a question regarding the english taught mbbs program.
Singapore medical council recognize english program in China listed in their schedule??

[Conway]

Yes, they do, given that the requirements are fulfilled, which is to be licensed in China. Therefore, we need to take the licensing exam in China in order to practice in Singapore. The licensing exam in China is mainly given in Chinese, but the provincial or municipial authorities giving the exam can translate it for a batch of test takers if it is requested successfully by the school. Our school admin says it will do this for us once it is available, and I believe Wuhan University has already done this in the past.

[chiroworld]

another Question is HSK test is required to graduate?? no need to take?

[Conway]

I know that at Fudan we don't require the HSK to graduate, at least nothing has been mentioned to us.

I've read on the other threads about this requirement. I think I've read something about students at Tianjin Medical University needing to fulfill this requirement.

[chiroworld]

I know that at Fudan we don't require the HSK to graduate, at least nothing has been mentioned to us.

I've read on the other threads about this requirement. I think I've read something about students at Tianjin Medical University needing to fulfill this requirement.
any idea on this medical school (四川 university)?? they have english program. but I am not sure this uni is reliable.. they sent admission notice, jw202 to me. in the envelopment, there is no futhure info in it..
I want to ask ppl on this thread regarding medical school in china, after graduation, the pathway without backup plan.. wiill result in diving your head into bare ground..
this university is listed on smc listig, too

I am uncertain that my country medical licensing authority recognize chiniese medical degree.they are picky about china stuff. my country is close to japan.. I almost should give up its vague hope.. in 2004 their evalution on one of medical shool in china was under their minium requirement.. result was negative..it's due to the fear of mass-inflow for study abroad

I have two option.. to go to china school or eastern eruope...

tell me pros and cons of this option! any input would be greatly appreciated!

[chiroworld]

btw when is the orientation date?? when the class start for 1st sem.

[Conway]

Sichuan University is a really good medical school in China, though I'm not too sure on its English program. Their Chinese-taught program is safely within the top 10 in the country.

By saying your country is close to Japan, which country is it?

Fudan's classes start September 7, with registration for new students / orientation beginning the week before. Each school has their own schedule, so I'm not sure about the others.

[Rookie2009]

H All

I am so gratefull to all the info from this forum.
1. Does anyone have info on admission on postgraduate medical study in UK/Ireland/US/Australia/NZ after Fudan MBBS? i.e. eligibility, length of study etc

2. I guess another pathway to registration in most developed countries is to obtain a post graduate fo UK/Ireland/US/Aus/NZ after Fudan MBBS. Correct?

If all's well, we will meet soon!

[amatzz]

Hey

Has anyone received their admission material? Or does anyone know when we will get it? The email said I will get it in June and June has almost come to an end.


Ozy


i dint receive mine as well!!! sent Mr. kevin a message today. hopefully we will get it soon.

[ozy]

I hope so. I emailed him, will call him too tomorrow.

[heximeng]

i dint receive mine as well!!! sent Mr. kevin a message today. hopefully we will get it soon.


I have just received my admission package. However, I am already in China, so I might be the first ;)
It was sent out yesterday via EMS.

[amatzz]

OWW!! heheheh thats good. i think it will come here after a month :D! coz i live in tanzania. though i will call em today just to make sure that they remembered to post it to me.

[Robert Dodgson]

Hi Conrad
This may seem way out in the distance from your discussion...
I am trying to get some candid opinions about medical facilities in China
To be more specific, as we all know the development of everything in china is continuing in an ever increasing pace, health care facilities are no exception, what I want to know is where would I go in China (Shanghai) to get an ultra-modern health care facility built
I am an architect living in Shanghai, just next to jiao tong uni in fact. I have several clients who are interested in investing in health care and R and D facilities here...the problem is every design institute will claim that they are health care experts...but the are not, typically the design institute with healthcare expertise and beautiful images of giant hospitals in thier portfolio see no difference between a hospital and a cerain grade of hotel
What I need to find is a Chises specialist group dedicated to health care that can proceed to construction of a project
Sorry for such a long winded explanation
I hope you or somebody may be able to give some suggestions
thank you

[inprocess]

Hi Conway,

I wanted to know which chinese language is taught - cantonese or mandarin?

Thanks.

[Conway]

It is taught in Mandarin

[keefsun]

hey ozy. have u called mr zhang? anyway i've also received my admission package. (:

anyway if u're in the current 09 MBBS batch at Fudan, do pm me so I can add u on MSN and we can chat!

cheers!

[ozy]

I finally got the package. I'm feeling too lazy to start with the process, and the reporting date is 29th August!!!! That's too soon.

[amatzz]

WOOHOOO!!! got my package as well. :D

[cStar]

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to say thank you Conway and the rest of you for posting this. I actually just discovered this and it answered a lot of questions I had. I really wish I found this earlier!

I was accepted a while ago too and have received my admissions package about a week ago. I look forward to seeing the rest of the Fudan MBBS 2009 batch soon. We'll probably be helping each other along the way anyways haha! ;)

I'm also wondering...in our admissions package we got a Physical Examination Form (identical to the one we got when we applied). Do you think it's best to redo the exam or wait to do it during orientation?

[heximeng]

I hope so. I emailed him, will call him too tomorrow.
@Ozy: Sorry, I cant reply to your message, only after 5 posts. :(
Anyway, I applied from Germany...
You?

[ozy]

Pakistan. So I'll be seeing you there...

[winzz]

to conway,

hello there nice to see you reply all questions in this thread hehehe that's nice!!! i want to ask about master degree medicine in fudan, is there also available in english program?? because i stuy medicine in guangxi province with english based program and like to continue my study in china but in different city because i heard shanhai, beijing, and other big cities have a good reputation esp in medical college.

[Conway]

For physical examination, I'd suggest you do it at the foreign student dorm during registration week. During that week there isn't that much "official" stuff to do, and most foreign examinations are "rejected" anyway = =

As for masters programs, I don't think there are any taught in English at Fudan. I believe Peking University has masters programs taught in English.

[cStar]

Thanks Conway! I'll be seeing you and everyone else soon.

Yeah I thought it was probably better to get it done there. That way I would have saved the hassle of doing it twice.

[winzz]

@conway
how do u know that peking univ has a postgraduate program taught in english?? can you give me some more info about this?

[amatzz]

DARNIT!! all rooms are fully booked!! they put me on the waiting list. hey conway do you think there is a chance that there will be an empty single room when i come there on the 25th of august? if not then what do you suggest i do?

[Conway]

I don't know - I do know of some people last year who had to end up living off campus near school because the school ran out.

This thread has become too long - I am starting a new one about housing...

[imura28]

nway,

I have a question about the textbooks. do we have to buy the textbook in our home country or Fudan has their own bookstore that provide MBBS textbooks? which one is cheaper to buy the textbooks in China or in US? Approximately, how much is the cost of textbook? like the cheapest and the most expensive. I just want to know because I live in the US. and maybe if it is cheaper in the US, I will just buy it here. is the textbook in colour ot black and white?

thanks,

Imura