Politics · China · 4 hrs ago
China proposes practical graduation option for clinical medicine postgraduates
In China, clinical medicine postgraduates could graduate with practical work instead of a thesis under draft rules released on 22 October.
The option would apply to students in professional master’s and PhD programmes, which train people for specific careers.
Their practical work could include analysing a special clinical case or investigating a problem at a medical institute.
China has allowed engineering postgraduates to use a similar route since 2024, and other fields are expected to follow.
The change aims to assess students on work related to their professions, including contributions that could benefit patients and society.
Universities are encouraged to set their own requirements, but creating fair and consistent standards will be a major challenge.
The documents are drafts, and the source does not say when the rules will take effect.
China has proposed allowing professional master’s and PhD students in clinical medicine to graduate with a practical achievement instead of a thesis.
Draft rules released on 22 October say practical work could include analysis of a special clinical case or an investigation into a problem facing medical institutes.
The pathway is intended for professional degrees, which focus on solving problems in a particular line of work.
A clinical medicine student had already graduated through a pilot pathway in June, after developing software to help classify a rare spine condition and recommend treatments.
Experts say the approach could better reflect professional careers, but warn that clear, credible standards are needed to assess the work.
- Who
- Professional master’s and PhD students in clinical medicine in China.
- What
- Draft rules propose allowing them to graduate with a practical achievement instead of a thesis.
- When
- The draft policy documents were released on 22 October.
- Where
- China.
- Why
- Professional degrees focus on solving problems in a particular line of work, so the proposed pathway would assess students through work relevant to their careers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Tie Dazhao was selected as a pilot case for a practical PhD in clinical medicine.
Tie Dazhao became the first person to graduate with a practical PhD in clinical medicine.
Government-appointed education advisers released draft policy documents setting out rules for the clinical medicine graduation pathway.
- Eligible degrees
- Professional master’s and PhD degrees in clinical medicine
- Course length
- Three years
- Draft released
- 22 October
- Example practical achievement
- Analysis of a special clinical case
- First practical PhD graduate
- Tie Dazhao
- Pilot selection
- 2023
1 source
What people are saying
The real challenge is to develop credible, transparent and profession-specific standards for assessing practical achievements
This will encourage them to find problems in real life and to address the problem using a scientific way
What works for cardiology may not work for dermatology, for example
Some people may mistakenly think that graduation has become easier now that students can choose not to write a thesis