In no uncertain terms, Aristotle concluded that "man by nature is a political animal." I get that. But let me put politics aside for a moment. Let me, as precisely and concisely as possible, bring up this burning issue concerning China's medical education: Professional English. 

Han Chinese is a uniquely beautiful language. There's no question about it. The question is, does China have to snub English as a medium of medical instruction? Nationalistic sentiment should never get in the way of popularizing medical English.

English had in fact been less impactful than French and German throughout the 19th Century. The Franco-German powerhouse in science inspired envy everywhere then. Eager to win world-wide recognition, America's pioneering medical scientists rushed to publish their works in French and/or German. Not surprisingly, in 1893 the peerless medical school in America -- Johns Hopkins -- opened its doors to only a small number of students who were fluent in both French and German. 

Today English prevails as an international language. Yet, the vast majority of medical students in China still speak little English. Their teachers do not generally fare much better in this regard, either. Needless to say, the Great Firewall doesn't help. Nevertheless, China's healthcare personnel have impressed me with their motivation to think, talk, read and write in English. Motivation alone is not quite enough, however. There's an acute need for formal training in professional English. 

For a good reason, English is a must in communications between and among medical professionals around the globe. China's medical students will have everything to gain from being fluent in the two most spoken languages in the world.

Author: Lingyang Jiang

Medical English: A Video Consultation Demo

Medical English: Case-based Learning (CBL) in a Teaching Hospital. My two cents: Listen, make notes, and try NOT to rely on closed captioning (cc).