An international education initiative at Shanghai East Hospital affiliated with Tongji University is entering a fruitful phase, as the hospital celebrated the first cohort of graduates from a Sino-German medical program, jointly developed with Tongji University School of Medicine.
The program has received more than 60 medical students from eight German institutions for exchange and study in China. According to the hospital, the initiative serves as a pioneering model for cultivating medical talent with a global perspective and fostering deep collaboration in medical education between China and Germany.
The Sino-German program focuses on clinical medicine, employing a long-term educational model of five-year undergraduate studies followed by a six-year doctoral track. Launched in 2021, the program initially admitted about 15 students per cohort and expanded it to 30 students by the fifth cohort to meet the country's demand for medical talent.
In May 2025, students from the 2021 cohort pioneered study exchanges at several hospitals in Germany. The initiative has become a regular part of the program, allowing students to engage in frontline clinical work alongside German doctors. Students have the opportunity to observe local hospitals' cancer exercise rehabilitation schemes and learn about the humanistic care and individualized approaches in cancer radiotherapy.
The program has also facilitated more mutual learning and exchanges on various levels between the two nations. In October, Tongji University School of Medicine and Shanghai East Hospital received invitations from German professors, some inviting Chinese healthcare workers to visit Germany and others seeking to collaborate with the Shanghai medical institution on multi-center clinical research projects.
"The innovative educational system of the Sino-German medical program aligns with the hospital's goal of cultivating versatile medical talent and creating a more advanced, humanistic and detail-oriented hospital environment," said Li Ming, Party secretary of Shanghai East Hospital.
