2. Synergistic development of medical education in different regions
Different living environments, behaviors, and economic situations lead to differences in the demand for medical resources between rural and urban rural and urban areas in China[9, 10]. The parallel running of multiple medical education mechanisms has produced a diverse range of medical personnel to meet the demand for healthcare services in different regions. The “5+3” integrated and 8-year medical graduates tend to stay in cities to provide demanding healthcare services. The 5-year undergraduate education and 3-year junior college education have been delivering medical personnel to rural areas in recent years[11].
In addition, China has been strengthening the training of primary health care personnel with a focus on general practitioners since 2017. The “Opinions on Medical Education Reform” issued by China clearly proposes to combine 3-year junior college education with a 2-year general practice residency training program to train as assistant general practitioners. The policy strongly supports the recruitment of rural students to medical schools, and tuition fees are waived for students who are oriented to rural areas after graduation, which is of great significance to the demand for personnel in rural areas[8]. The gap between urban and rural medical standards cannot be ignored. The establishment of hierarchical treatment and urban assistance to rural areas in China are also making efforts to promote the coordinated development of medical services.[12, 13].