Foreign Student Experience

Cai Jia Ying: Malaysian Student

I am a foreign student from Malaysia my name is Jia Ying.  This is my fifth year at SHUTCM, I have completed four years of course work in medical theory; now, most of my time is spent interning in a school affiliated hospital.  Time has passed by so fast!  I will be graduating very soon!  I have already started saying my goodbyes to friends and teachers, it’s been quite emotional.   Prior to entering SHUTCM my impression of teachers were like elders who would tell you what to do and how to do something.  However, I found the teachers at this school played more of a friend role; we’re on the same level and will discuss issues like adults.  The teachers are watching us from a close distance and will be there to guide us when we have questions, they encourage to learn on our own.  I feel like I have grown quite a bit from going through this program.  One of the greatest benefits of having class at the international college in SHUTCM is making friends from all over the world!  Since we have to study and live together we have learned to accept, tolerate, and respect each other’s cultural differences and have become good friends.  Like the wise words of Mencius, “Use one’s strength to make up for one’s weak points.”  Not only have I made friends form different cultures around the world I have further broadened my world view enriching my life.  I am grateful for all the individuals I have met at school, you have helped me grow and mature, made my life richer and painted a colorful memory for me.

Wu Shan Ying: Korean Student

Hello Everyone, my name is Wu Shan Ying and I am a foreign student from Korea.  I still remember when I first came to this school and everything of different and difficult to adapt to.  Time is like running water, in a blink of an eye I am already in my 5th year.  Since our school is on a trimester system I feel like there’s lots of stress due to all the exams.  At times, I feel like my relationship with my classmates aren’t as close, wanting to escape this sea of bitterness and just go into the hospital to gain clinical experience.  This first time I went to the hospital and met the clinic teacher I was very nervous and my mind went blank!  Fortunately, every department had amiable and smart teachers/doctors which made my time there very enjoyable, I also learned a lot.  However, while in the clinic it made me think of the time spent in the classroom; it wasn’t for my teachers careful guidance and my classmates support and encouragement I wouldn’t be brave enough to conquer difficult obstacles and situations.  With the remaining time I have left at school I want to cherish this time we have with each other and the opportunity to learn from the teachers.

Wang Tian Zhen: Thai Student

In March 2013, I enrolled in SHUTCM’s Chinese language program.  I studied Chinese language for 9 months.  I came from Huaqiao Cong Shen University.  When I first arrived to China I was not accustomed to the culture here, it’s very different from Thailand; for instance, the weather, food, lifestyle, and environment.  I gradually become used to lifestyle here.  I find the teachers of all subjects to be very good and pay close attention to the student’s progress.  I am also happy to have the opportunity to participate in the school sport events because it allows me to exercise; I also have the chance to meet Chinese and other foreign students at these events.  The campus life is nice and transportation is quite convenient, there are buses and the metro nearby.

Chen Wen Tian: Malaysian Student

I’m Chen Wen Tian from Malaysia.  This is my 5th year at SHUTCHM and am currently interning at Yueyang hospital.  I am very grateful for the International College at SHUTCM and Shanghai government scholarship has lessened the financial burden on my parents; this allows me to better concentrate on my Chinese medicine studies.  I am very passionate about Chinese medicine because I like the feeling of healing a individual especially those who suffer from severe illnesses; nothing is more rewarding than seeing the smile on a patients face on the road to recovery!  Yueyang hospital is one of the best integrative hospitals (Chinese and Western medicine).  I have met some great teachers, for instance, the famous Chinese doctor, Zhu Nan Shun’s disciple Wang Cai Ren;  I also had the opportunity to learn wrist/ankle acupuncture techniques from teacher Li Shen and many more.   Not only are these teachers highly skilled they use so much heart and care to teach us students.  I’ve encountered some difficulties with understanding Shanghai dialect, luckily our school has provided Shanghainese language classes which is very helpful; I gradually pick up this dialect the more I hear it.  I really like Shanghai city, there’s always something exciting to do.  I have met many friends and participated in Malaysian embassy’s National Day banquet.  I have also participated in events related to caring for children with infantile paralysis, education of prevention of dementia of the elderly, the Expo and many more.  The school also supports us in putting on foreign student events like literature and arts banquet and award ceremonies.  I am about to graduate, I am very thankful for Shanghai and this school for creating so many beautiful memories for me.

Liu Yi Ping:  Malaysian Student

Upon graduating from middle school I was at a loss and had no direction.  By chance, I saw a newspaper article on Malaysian government’s recognition of four Chinese medicine school’s diploma (from China).  I thought to myself Chinese medicine is pretty interesting and without hesitation I successfully applied and got accepted into SHUTCM.   After encountering Chinese medicine I realized my decision was correct because Chinese medicine encompasses thousand of years of profound history and philosophy; it has great clinic results and backed up by scientific research.  The Chinese and Western medical education I receive at this school provided me with a broader perspective giving me a leg up among my peers at the hospitals.

Alice Feng: US Student

I am a Chinese-American hailing from the windy city of Chicago, Illinos (USA).  I am a first year student in the English Acupuncture and Tuina program at SHUTCM.  I enrolled in this school to follow my passion for helping and healing people while deepening my understanding of Chinese healing arts.  I rather enjoy the small classes because it fosters a more intimate teacher-student relationship; this setting allows for better communication and engagement between students and teachers.  The teachers are accomodating and will tailor their curriculum (when possible) based on the students needs.  Since the English program is quite new, it’s exciting to be apart of this growing and learning process of developing such a program.  Since I am bilingual, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to help edit and translate for the school; this is a great way to sharpen my Chinese language skills!  The school administrators are all very hardworking and caring, they try their very best to cater to our needs and we appreciate it very much! The students in my class have also become my friends, we help each other and study together from time to time; having this support system is imperative to academic success in any school!  I am grateful for the teachers, students, friends, janitors (ayi), the shanghai government’s generous scholarship and the beautiful campus for making my time at this school worthwhile.

Cindy Lu Canada

Hello, my name is Cindy Lu. I am a 5th year studentfrom Vancouver, Canada. My five years at SHUTCM have been characterized by thepeople around me. I have met many interesting individuals here, they include mypeers from other countries, local Chinese students I met through student clubs,professors, and doctors...many of whom are now my closest friends, each withtheir own story and set of beliefs. What better way to gain a new perspectiveon how to use herbs than discussing it with a 75 year-old doctor? Time flies when studying in Shanghai.I know that I have learned from the people around me. I know that I have grownand become a trained medical professional. During my internship at Shu-GuangHospital this year, it is the day-to-day excitement of meeting new patients andlearning different ways of thinking like a doctor that makes each day uniqueand worthwhile.

The opportunity for personal growth at SHUTCM is immense. I could not be morethankful.

Leva 立陶宛 Program of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture)

(Pan-English Lectures)

I chose SHUTCM after months of researching various TCM universities. Not only is it ranked as one of the top TCM universities in China, but also it is located in amazing Shanghai!  The university has implemented a great curriculum for the TCM and Acupuncture program in English. The curriculum has a comprehensive and well-defined course selection and places great emphasis on hands-on experience. Courses are taught by professors who are very experienced in their fields and always willing to help. Even though English is not a native language to any of the professors, they do their best to teach the classes as effectively as possible. The board and staff take feedback from the students into consideration and take action accordingly to ensure constant improvement of the program. Because of the small class sizes, classmates become like a family. The knowledge and friendships gained from an experience at SHUTCM make it a truly great place to the oversea students!

Hello my name Saish and I am from India!

I came to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2010. Since then I have been studying here. During the first two years I was studying Chinese. And the amazing thing about the teachers here is that they turned a non-Chinese speakerinto a fluent Chinese speaker! With their help, I started my undergraduate programin Acupuncture and Tuina in 2012. At the beginning with all the new conceptsand Chinese lectures it was hard to digest because the ways of teaching and examination are significantly different from Indian system.  But the subjects taught here are very interesting.

At the beginning when I looked at the thickness of the book I didn’t want to studyat all but as the teacher started to teach I realized that what we need tomaster or what we will use practically not necessarily be available in the textbook. Chinese medicine mostly relies on clinical experience and the laws ofnature. Even the exams are different here; I thought they would be difficult asthey are back in India. Actually the teachers will help us review all thecourses before we have an exam. So the exams are no more annoying. Secondlythis type of system gives preference to acquiring knowledge over marks in exam.

Initially when I saw tons of western medicine courses, I was confused Icame here to study Chinese medicine or western medicine, but later I realizedthat Chinese and western medicine are inseparable like yin and yang.

Another thing about school is that every year the school organizes various events like sports,cultural festival, various competitions etc. Only studying medicine nothingelse doesn’t work in today’s world does it? The key is balance! In conclusion Ilike studying in shanghai university of TCM!