SICHUAN UNIVERSITY |
West China Center of Medical Sciences |
¡°Rigor, Diligence, Unity, Dedication¡±
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WCUMS Period (1985 --
2000)
Between 1985 and
2000, the University went through a period of considerable development,
beginning with the change of name to West China University of Medical
Sciences (WCUMS) in May 1985.
As of June 2000,
the University had eight schools: School of Basic Medicine, School
of Stomatology, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Public
Health, School of Pharmacy, School of Continuing Education, School
of Forensic Medicine; four departments: Department of Foreign Languages,
Department of Maternal and Children¡¯s Health, Department of Humanities
and Social Sciences, Department of Physical Education; three training
centers: Health Science Training Center for Administrators, Pharmaceutical
Management Training Center, Medical Continuing Education Training
Center; four research centers: Birth Defects Monitoring Center of
China, Perinatal Research Center, Dental Implantology Center of the
Ministry of Health, and Evidence Based Medicine Center,12 research
institutes, 27 research departments, five university hospitals, and
one university pharmaceutical factory.
The principal teaching
mission at WCUMS is undergraduate education, with postgraduate education
a priority, and adult education and continuing education as vital
extensions of this mission. The University strives constantly to improve
the quality of its teaching and to upgrade the curriculum. By 2000,
15 programs had become provincial key programs and 29 programs had
become university key programs.
Students are required
to take the following oath:
¡°Medicine
relates to people¡¯s health. People entrust their lives to us.
As I enter this shrine
of medical wisdom, I make this solemn vow:
I will devote my
life to the cause of medicine. I love my motherland. I will be loyal
to the people. I will adhere to strict medical ethics. I will respect
my teachers and observe discipline. I will study diligently and constantly
in order to perfect my medical skills and to develop myself in all
possible aspects ¨C morally, intellectually and physically.
I determine to do
my utmost to alleviate people¡¯s suffering caused by illness, and to
improve their health. I will devote myself to the holy medical practice.
I will heal the wounded and comfort the dying. I will spare no effort
in serving my patients. I will strive all my life for the development
of medical causes in my motherland and for the physical and mental
health of humanity¡±.
The four university
hospitals were accredited as ¡°excellent hospitals¡± by the State and
Sichuan Province. The construction of five multi-media reading rooms
has been completed.
In 1988 the programs
in Medicine and Stomatology lengthened their curriculum from five
to seven years. The brightest students were selected from the five
year program to enter the seven year program, while the remainder
remained in a five year program. As of 2000, 300 highly qualified
individuals, proficient in clinical skills and English, have graduated
from the seven-year program, which has received an excellent evaluation
from the Ministry of Education.
The University has
12 five-year programs in Medicine, Stomatology, Preventive Medicine,
Hygiene and Analysis, Forensic Medicine, Nursing, Medical Laboratory
Technology, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Clinical Pharmacology,
Maternal and Child Health, Science and Technology English. Elective
courses in humanities and social sciences are also available to the
students.
As of 2000, development
of postgraduate education was well on its way with seven post-doctoral
degree programs. The University has been approved by the Ministry
of Education for accreditation of doctoral degrees in Basic Medicine,
Bioengineering, Preventive Medicine, and Stomatology.
Continuing education
is developing and expanding. Within the past few years, the first
School of Medical Continuing Education in China and Pharmaceutical
Management Training Center were established at the University and
the new Qingyang campus was constructed for the development of adult
education. They offer a wide range of programs approved at both State
and Provincial level and graduate large numbers of medical professionals
in various fields.
Research is also
a priority at the University. Since 1985, nearly 2,000 research projects
have been conducted with funding of RMB 60 million. The University
has exceeded the national average of projects awarded by the National
Natural Science Foundation of China and has also obtained scientific
research funding from other sources.
During this period
many of the research projects have been recognized with awards, including
479 projects that have won the Scientific Research Achievement Prize.
Among the many significant achievements, three new products have been
developed and are being manufactured by the University Pharmaceutical
Factory. They are: ¡°Shengmai Injection¡±, ¡°Le Mai Granule¡± and ¡°Triphaser
Contraceptive Tablet¡±, all of which have received awards. The CDIC
artificial tooth implantation technique was acknowledged as one of
the 100 achievements of the past decade by the Ministry of Public
Health and has been promoted nationwide. The Dental Implantology Center
has already developed into a comprehensive entity of science, education,
industry and trade.
Another significant
achievement lies in the successful development of new drugs which
have earned approximately RMB 2.8 million. Researches on live-targeted
interferonan ti-osteoporosis drug (XW-630), polynucleotide vaccine
for hepatitis B/C and some anti-cancer drugs, such as quercetin and
vaso-inhibitory factor, shows promise.
The University encourages
its research team to share their findings and has seen a steady increase
in the number of articles published in international journals. WCUMS
compiled and published 14 academic journals, and among them the ¡°WCUMS
Journal¡±, won a number of prizes and has been widely quoted.
It was the goal of
WCUMS to rank among China¡¯s top caliber universities and to commit
itself to the economic development of Sichuan Province. To achieve
this goal, university officials devoted themselves to the development
of key disciplines.
The University has
four affiliated hospitals which serve as the centers for clinical
medical education, clinical medical research, medical prevention,
and medical services for Southwest China
Founded in 1892,
newly built in 1940s, extended in 1950s and from then on, what would
eventually become the First University Hospital is
a well-equipped general hospital with a capacity of 1,235 beds and
286 clinical specialties. The hospital was elected the ¡°Class A Hospital
of the Highest Grade¡± in 1990 and is also listed among the ¡°One Hundred
Best Hospitals¡± of the Ministry of Health. It houses the International
Clinical Epidemiological Network Second-level Training Center, the
Pharmacology Research Base of Ministry of Public Health, the Sichuan
Provincial Rehabilitation Center for Poliomyelitis, the Sichuan Provincial
Rehabilitation Center for the Deaf, the Sichuan Provincial Center
for Burns First-Aid, the Training Base for Critical Diseases of the
Ministry of Health and the Base for the Modernization of Traditional
Chinese Medicine.
The Second
University Hospital, based on the former Departments of OBS/GYN
and Pediatrics, was founded in 1989. It is the largest Women¡¯s and
Children¡¯s hospital in Southwest China. It enjoys the title of ¡°Baby
Friendly Hospital¡± awarded by the Ministry of Health and WHO. In 1998,
it ranked among the highest ¡°Grade A¡± hospitals for women and children
in China. The Hospital has a capacity of 299 beds and 460 staff members.
Also located in this hospital are the China Birth Defect Monitoring
Center, the Prenatal Research Center, and the Emergency Center for
Acute Respiratory Tract Infection in Children.
Founded in 1917,
the Hospital of Stomatology has the honor of being
the earliest base for dental therapeutics and dental education in
China. It now ranks among the ten best city hospitals of Sichuan Province.
Currently, the Hospital has a capacity of 220 dental chairs and 507
staff members. In 1991, with the approval of Ministry of Public Health,
the Dental Implantology Center was set up. It is the first of its
kind that integrates teaching, research, clinical practice and production.
The Fourth
University Hospital was first founded in 1976 under the name
of the ¡°Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment Hospital¡± and
was renamed in 1994. The Hospital has a capacity of 130 beds and over
150 staff members. Besides being a training base for doctors of occupational
health and diseases, it also houses the Sichuan Provincial Occupational
Toxication Base and Pneumoconiosis Diagnosis Group.
The University Hospitals
all take pride in their strong foundation and high level of diagnosis
and treatment. During the past decade, they have taken a lead in China
and have reached advanced international standards, e.g. Stomatology.
More than 5,000 patients have benefited from its tooth implantation
technique. Examples can also be found in clinical medicine such as
the clinical diagnosis and treatment of fundus diseases.
The patients come
from provinces and regions in southwest China and northwest China,
Taiwan Province, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as from Sichuan Province.
Some patients are overseas Chinese and foreign guests who are visiting
or working in Sichuan. A large number of these patients come with
difficult and complicated diseases. In 1982, the First University
Hospital successfully treated Machida Koono, a Japanese mountaineer
who had been stranded by heavy snow in the mountains of Ganzi Prefecture,
Sichuan Province. Apart from saving life and fighting diseases, the
four hospitals also offer professional guidance and provide assistance
to more than 100 medical and health units in more than 60 cities and
counties of Sichuan province alone, as well as to Shenzhen, Hainan,
Macao, Xinjiang and Yunnan as well.
With the development
of the medical and healthcare industry, the University Hospitals strive
to better serve society. In 1993, a golden-card membership system
of medical care was established in the medical service center of the
First University Hospital. In 1999, the Gold Card Hospital was completed
and began to provide special medical services for its members and
to patients from overseas.
During the ¡°WCUMS¡±
period from 1985 ¨C 2000, the University made all possible efforts
for improvement. To this end, a great deal of emphasis has been put
on the following:
1. Infrastructure
2. Renewal of facilities and equipment
3. Modernization of the library
and access to information
4. The University archives
5. Computer education,
audio-visual education and experimental animals
The new library facility
was completed in 1983 and has since become the University¡¯s information
service center. It has a CD-ROM retrieval system, Internet retrieval
terminal, multi-media integrated management system and fully implemented
computerized management system. The library has set up its own catalogue
and literature database to enable reference to and inquiry on the
Internet. The database has 80,000 bio-medical catalogues and literature
titles and more than 5,000 standard MARC journals at home and abroad.
Transfer to the libraries of 11 other medical colleges and universities
in China resulted in both social benefits and economic returns. In
1996, the network connection of China Medical Information Net (CMINET)
for the southwest part of China was established, which provides inter-connection
between CERNET and the Internet.
The library is the
largest biomedical library in Southwest China and owns more than 720,000
books and journals, including 3,600 journals in foreign languages
and 1,600 in Chinese. It is equipped with 1,100 seats. Apart from
the routine services offered, the library also offers courses in medical
information retrieval.
The University Archives
were set up in 1986 and were expanded in 1995. The Archives are responsible
for the management, direction, supervision, collection, storage, and
supply of the University¡¯s archives. Scientific research is carried
out here and a management network has been established. Apart from
the responsibilities mentioned above, the University Archives are
responsible for the Exhibition Hall of University History.
With the development
of modern science and technology, audio-visual education has gone
through the three stages of films, videotapes and digital electronic
materials. The University is Sichuan Province¡¯s ¡°Excellent and Exemplary
School in Audio-Visual Education¡±.
The Laboratory Animal
Center of WCUMS was established in 1984 and was ranked among the seven
major national breeding sites. Between 1984 and 1990, the Center gradually
established Grade I, Grade II and Grade III laboratory animal rearing
facilities and set up a supporting system for breeding and production
management. Meanwhile, technology rooms for microbiology genetics,
parasitology, nutrition and veterinary medicine were built, together
with a complete system to control, supervise, and guarantee production
quality. Since 1990, special attention has been paid to the research
on breeding and species-reserve technology for high-grade experimental
animals and on repair and renewal of high-grade experimental-animal
facilities, micro-organism examination, feed development, and animal
experiments.
Apart from doing
research, the Center provides more than 50,000 experimental animals
annually for teaching and scientific research. It has been granted
26 certificates of quality, including eight grade three¡¯s for nude
mice, one for feed, and grade one, grade two, and grade three certificates
for animal experimental conditions. The Center provides experimental
animals and their feed to not only the University, but also other
units in Sichuan, Tibet, Gansu, Yunnan, Guizhou, Shanxi, and Chongqing
etc.
Being open and international
is a worldwide trend in higher education reform and development. It
is also one of the major features of all top-rate universities. In
order to be among these, WCUMS devotes much effort to international
exchanges and cooperation for the benefit of its personnel and cooperative
research work. Between 1985 and 2000 more than 3,000 were sent abroad
for advanced studies. The University also signed cooperative agreements
with 41 foreign colleges and universities, research institutes and
foundations. During these years, the University has sent 13 medical
teams to such countries as Mozambique and the United Arab Emirates,
and invited 9,800 overseas specialists to Sichuan. Their coming has
enlivened the academic atmosphere at the University and brought information
on frontline science and technology.
In June 1999 the
University¡¯s scholarship program for students from overseas was approved
by the Ministry of Education. The University has also hosted international
conferences and study classes. Considerable financial aid has been
received from such organizations as World Bank, China Medical Board,
CIDA, Rockefeller Foundation, HF, HOPE, WHO and Issa Industry etc.
as well as government loans from World Bank and several foreign countries.
Cultural activities
at WCUMS take various forms. The ¡°Huaxi Culture and Art Festival¡±,
held in early summer, offers students an opportunity to participate
in various contests, while ¡°Charm of Autumn in Huaxi¡±, held later
in the year, is a theatrical event which also educates students on
the importance of patriotism. Other performances include ¡°Classic
Folk Music Concert¡±, ¡°Cross-talk and Comic Play Evening¡±, ¡°Campus
Singer Concert¡±, ¡°Lectures from Famous Writers¡¯, ¡°Hi-FI Concert¡±,
and ¡°Famous Vocalist Concert¡±. These events are supplemented with
art appreciation and other cultural/educational sessions throughout
the year.
Each of the schools
and individual departments has its own talent. From the School of
Basic Medical Sciences (SBMS), the audience enjoys ¡°Light of SBMS¡±;
from the First School of Medicine (FSM), ¡°Wind from FSM¡±; from the
School of Pharmacy, ¡°Autumn Ripples¡±; from the Foreign Languages Department,
¡°The English Drama Festival¡±; from the School of Stomatology (SS),
¡°Sound of SS¡±; from the School of Forensic Medicine, ¡°Starry Night--Cross-talk
and Comic Play Competition¡±; from the Department of Maternal and Child
Care (DMCC), ¡°Star of DMCC¡±; and from the Department of Humanities
and Social Sciences, ¡°Dancing Festival¡±.
The social tradition
at WCUMS is strong. As a medical university, WCUMS gives its students
a strong sense of social responsibility and extends culture, science,
technology, and health care to the surrounding area. The Volunteer
Youth Service Program sends teams made up of teachers and students
into rural, underprivileged areas to offer a variety of social and
medical services to those in need. In the past several years, more
than 45 teams of specialists and other personnel have gone out on
such missions. The high quality of their services has been cited by
the Youth League Central Committee, the Youth League Provincial Committee
and the Youth League Municipal Committee.
Students have also
volunteered their time during the summer vacation for social experiences.
The Local Youth League, Residents¡¯ Committee and Family Member Committee
at Dayi County, Chongzhou City, Jingjiang District and Wuhou District
have all supported this practice. With their help, regular bases that
provide social services have been set up and their efforts have been
fruitful. Students who have served society in this way have gained
a strong understanding of its importance.
Over the past several
years, some 24,000 individuals have taken part in this effort and
18,000 patients have benefited directly from their services. 24,000
reports on social practice have been produced and 23 related projects
have been completed. 37 teachers and students have been honored by
Sichuan Province and Chengdu City and 16 teams have won national,
provincial and/or municipal award. WCUMS has been awarded the title
of ¡°National Advanced Group in College Students¡¯ Social Practice¡±
by the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, Ministry
of Education and Youth League Central Committee two years in succession.
In November 1999,
the University was designated by the Central Government as one of
the one hundred key universities to receive major government support
and concern for the 21st century under the ¡°211 Project¡±.
With the approval
of the State Planning Commission, seven disciplines became key disciplines
of the ¡°211 Project¡±. They are: Clinical Dentistry, Pathology and
Pathophysiology, Surgery, Medicine, Occupational Health and Environmental
Hygiene, and Ophthalmology.
As of 2000, or 90
years of its existence, the University had turned out a total of 35,884
students. Of these, more than 33,000 were after 1949, including almost
3,000 post-graduates. Between 1985 and 2000, the University¡¯s greatest
growth period, the number of post-graduate students rose from 500
to 1246.
The University has
a history of nearly one century, during which time it has experienced
many difficulties and hardships and experienced frustration on the
path to glory. In their words: ¡°It is a mirror that reflects the history
of China¡¯s higher education. Showered in the first glimmer of dawn,
the old, yet new WCCMS, shines with youth and vigor. Nurtured by our
motherly Huaxi, we take pride in having a mother great as such. We
would spare nothing to bring her a more beautiful future. May WCUMS
be blessed!¡±
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