Doctor Education

We have spent a few days each week visiting rural doctors to evaluate communicable disease reporting (see blog of 11/16). The doctor in this picture (white coat) is 27 years old and has been working for 9 years. So, I asked how much education he could have if he began working at 18. This is what I was told.

He probably didn't have good enough test scores to get into high school, so he went to a vocational school where he learned to be a doctor. All doctors at the township level have this level of training. The next level up in the health care system is the county level. After graduating from high school, medical university is a 5 year program with a bachelors degree. This completes the training for the county level doctors. After the bachelors degree you can continue on to a 3 year masters program. Graduates from the masters program work at the provincial level hospitals. Finally, if you go on to get a PhD in clinical medicine, you are allowed to work at a national level hospital. If someone is truly ill, they do not go to the township level hospital. The township level hospital is for minor illnesses and routine visits, such as childhood immunizations and family planning. I was fortunate to visit all levels of hospitals during my stay here.