"In recent years, China has made great achievements in medical education. I hope to equip myself with excellent medical skills here," Gozel Bekberdiyeva, a 24-year-old medical intern from Turkmenistan, told People's Daily Online.

Gozel came to study medicine at Xinjiang Medical University in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in 2017. She is now an intern at the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital affiliated with Xinjiang Medical University.

Gozel Bekberdiyeva, an international medical student from Turkmenistan, is now an intern at the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital affiliated with Xinjiang Medical University in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [Photo courtesy of Gozel Bekberdiyeva]

In the past years, Gozel has gradually got the hang of learning Chinese, and gained considerable practical clinical experience, bringing her closer to realizing her dream of becoming a doctor.

"I look forward to making contributions to the medical field in my hometown after I return home," she said.

Taking international cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as an opportunity, Xinjiang Medical University has aligned itself with international standards in terms of educational content and methods, attracting and cultivating a good number of international students with global perspectives through an all-English curriculum featuring a combination of TCM and Western medicine.

Like Gozel, Nagymetzhan Minar from Kazakhstan is also an international medical student taking an internship at the TCM hospital affiliated with Xinjiang Medical University.

"I came to China in 2016, when I was 18 years old and was very interested in TCM. My father is also a doctor, so I hope I can become a doctor who saves lives like him in the future," said Minar.

Nagymetzhan Minar, an international medical student from Kazakhstan, takes an internship at the TCM hospital affiliated with Xinjiang Medical University in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [Photo courtesy of Nagymetzhan Minar]

With the support and encouragement of her family, Minar came to study TCM at Xinjiang Medical University. She has been impressed by the progress and development of China's medical field, and has been full of curiosity and thirst for knowledge about the Chinese language and TCM during her studies.

"We have learned TCM practices like acupuncture and massage. They were very hard for me at first, but I have acquired a lot of knowledge step by step," she said, noting that TCM is an interesting and difficult subject for her.

Doctors at the TCM hospital affiliated with Xinjiang Medical University are very warm-hearted toward international students, according to Minar, who added that students can always get patient guidance here whenever they need help.

"China is a heartwarming place. I hope I can continue my studies after graduation and use my medical knowledge to open a clinic when I return home," said Minar.

(Source: People's Daily Online)