Medical English for China

中文撮要：中国医界严重缺乏专业英语训练，窒碍国际交流及合作。西语为用，利医利华，可使更多人脱病脱贫。

 

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

 

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. Unsurprisingly, 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, either. Needless to say, the Great Firewall doesn't help. As things stand, there is an acute need for formal training in medical 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: Ren Qiulan