Challenges for China's medical education in the coming post-COVID-19 era

The year of 2020 has been overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical workers throughout China have played critical roles in battling severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and saving lives. The whole of society has now fully realized the significance of medical workers and many began to think about medical education in China: How can we further improve medical education for the next generation of clinicians, medical scientists, nurses, public-health workers and administrators related to medical care, so that they are well prepared to meet societal needs for medical care in the ever-changing world? In this panel discussion, medical-education experts from several prominent medical schools in China gathered to discuss the reform and future development of China's medical education. Xiang Chen President of Xiangya School of Medicine, Vice President of Central South University, Changsha, China Baorong Chi Professor of Norman Bethune Health Science Center of Jilin University, Changchun, China Yiqun Hu Vice Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China Yang Ke Professor of Peking University Health Science Center, former Vice President of Peking University, Beijing, China Ming Kuang Vice President of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China Mengfeng Li President of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China Hongbing Shen President of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China Xuehong Wan Professor of West China Medical Center, Vice President of Graduate School of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Hong Yan President of Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Vice President of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China Guoqiang Chen (Chair) Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.