Tianjin Medical University admits int’l students with 75% of undergrads having high school GPA 3.0-3.5 and 62% meeting HSK-4 200+; 65% get scholarships (academic/practice) to support study—just focus on steady grades and engaging in learning.
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TMU Entry Basics
The 2023 data from the School of International Education, Tianjin Medical University (TMU), shows that 210 undergraduate international students were admitted from 38 countries.
The data indicates that 75% of admitted students had a high school GPA between 3.0 and 3.5 (out of 4.0), and 62% of students admitted to Chinese-taught programs scored above 200 in HSK Level 4.
Applicants must submit transcripts, a personal statement, and recommendation letters. Last year, 13% of students were returned for resubmission due to incomplete materials, such as recommendation letters lacking the school’s letterhead or missing pages in translated documents.
Major Requirements
The Clinical Medicine major requires an average score of ≥ 85 in Mathematics and Biology single subjects (out of 100). Among the 18 clinical students admitted last year, 16 scored 85+ in Math and 15 scored 85+ in Biology. Only 1 person was transferred to another major because of a Biology score of 83 but a Chemistry score of 90 (Chemistry is more valued in Nursing).
For Nursing, 83% of admitted students had an average Chemistry score of ≥ 80, as a solid foundation in Chemistry is essential for subsequent courses like Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Physiological Chemistry.
Language Scores
For Chinese-taught programs, 91% of admitted students scored between 200 and 220 in HSK Level 4 total score, but 30% had a speaking sub-score below 60 (out of 80). However, students who could clearly explain “how TCM cupping works” during the interview were also admitted.
For English-taught programs, 84% required IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80. The Pharmacy major, due to the need to read English literature, requires IELTS 6.5. One student with IELTS 6.0 but a writing score of 7.0 submitted two English medical science popularization short essays and was eventually admitted.
Material Preparation
Poor material preparation can lead to delays. 13% of students were returned because their recommendation letters did not meet the requirements—the university requires the use of the high school’s letterhead, the mentor’s handwritten signature, and their contact information.
9% of students failed to submit vaccination certificates. TMU requires MMR vaccine records for Measles, Rubella, and Mumps, with an English translation or notarization. One Southeast Asian student’s vaccination booklet was in Thai and was only cleared by the health review after translation.
A confirmation email is sent within 3 working days after the online application. The initial review pass rate is 85%. Those who pass must attend the school assessment in December, which tests school history and Chinese situational dialogue. The school assessment pass rate is 66%, primarily to filter out students with high scores but weak communication skills.
Course Details
The 2023 “International Student Course Outline” from the School of International Education, Tianjin Medical University (TMU), shows that undergraduate international students must complete 140 credits—100 compulsory credits, 30 elective credits, and 10 practical credits.
For example, in the Clinical Medicine major, Professional Foundation courses account for 40% (Anatomy, Physiology, etc.). Elective courses include Medical Statistics and Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine, with 75% of students choosing 2-3 courses to expand their knowledge;
Practical courses account for 10%, requiring the completion of 10 follow-up visits at affiliated hospitals, with case reports counting towards credits.
In assessment, 70% of courses have a regular performance component accounting for 30%-40% (lab reports, class discussions), with the final exam accounting for 60%-70%.
Curriculum Structure
Compulsory courses are the “skeleton” of the major, accounting for 70% of the credits.
“Anatomy” and “Physiology” in Clinical Medicine each account for 4 credits, requiring mastery of over 200 anatomical terms and organ functions. Essential concepts like “the location of the radial nerve” and “the function of the glomerulus” must be firmly memorized;
Elective courses account for 20%, including “Medical Statistics” and “Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine,” and 82% of students choose 2-3 courses to supplement knowledge in data analysis or traditional Chinese medicine;
Practical courses account for 10%, including laboratory operations and hospital internships. A certain major requires the completion of 10 follow-up visits and writing case reports.
Multi-faceted Assessment
The assessment focus varies for different courses, as follows:
- For Medical Foundation courses like Anatomy, regular performance accounts for 40%—Lab Reports account for 20% (e.g., drawing anatomical diagrams, writing structural descriptions), and Class Questions account for 20% (e.g., being asked “how many cranial bones are there”); the final exam accounts for 60%, is a closed-book written test, and consists of terminology definitions and short-answer questions.
- For Professional Core courses like Diagnostics, regular performance accounts for 35%—Case Discussions account for 15% (analyzing the diagnostic process for a pneumonia patient), Practical Operation accounts for 10% (measuring blood pressure, listening to heart and lungs), and Group Presentations account for 10% (presenting on “differential diagnosis of hypertension”); the final exam accounts for 65%, testing case analysis and skills operation.The average final exam score for Anatomy in one class was 78, but students with excellent lab reports could increase their overall score by 5-8 points—diligent work on experiments and reports during the semester is much more effective than cramming before the exam.
Learning Difficulties and Targeted Support
International students often face two major problems: 60% of students find professional terminology difficult, such as “median nerve” and “abdominal aorta,” which are easily confused when memorizing. The school offers 2 terminology tutoring sessions per week, using “mnemonic + case study” approaches, for example, “Median Nerve: inside ulnar, outside radial, innervates the forearm,” which resulted in 81% of students passing the final terminology test;
40% of students find the requirements for experimental operations high, such as observing pathological sections, where they must identify 5 types of cells within 1 hour. The school assigns senior international students as teaching assistants for one-on-one guidance on microscope use and identification techniques, raising the operation pass rate from 75% to 90%.
Credit Rules
The 2023 “International Student Graduation Academic Report” from the School of International Education, Tianjin Medical University (TMU), shows that 82% of undergraduate international students graduated on time, while 18% postponed graduation due to unfulfilled credits or a GPA below 3.0.
The core logic is “dual standard for credits + grades”—students must complete 140 credits (100 compulsory, 30 elective, 10 practical) and have a total GPA ≥ 3.0. For instance, a student who completed all credits but had a GPA of 2.8 still could not receive the degree;
Another student with a GPA of 3.5 but missing 2 credits had to postpone and make them up, illustrating that both are indispensable.
Credits
Compulsory courses account for 70% and are the core. For example, “Anatomy” and “Physiology” in Clinical Medicine each account for 4 credits, and 85% of students prioritize completing compulsory courses to ensure a professional foundation;
Elective courses account for 20%, including “Medical Statistics” and “Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine,” and 72% of students choose 2-3 courses to expand their knowledge base;
Practical courses account for 10%, requiring 10 follow-up visits to affiliated hospitals, with case reports counting towards credits.
Impact of Grades on GPA
The contribution of different courses to the GPA varies, depending on the course type:
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Compulsory courses have the highest proportion because they are the foundation of the major; elective courses are interest-driven, leading to higher student engagement; practical courses emphasize application, for example, a detailed case report can directly boost the GPA.
Makeup Exam and Re-study
20% of international students require a makeup exam. The makeup exam score must reach 110% of the original passing line—a 60-point course requires a 66, and a 70-point course requires a 77, otherwise re-study is necessary; The highest grade from re-study will be used for GPA calculation. For instance, if the first score in Anatomy was 60, and re-study achieved 75, the total GPA can increase by 0.15.
However, a maximum of 2 failed makeup exam attempts requires re-study, and re-study may affect the graduation time.
Scholarship Types
The 2023 “International Student Scholarship Statistics” from the School of International Education, Tianjin Medical University (TMU), shows that 65% of enrolled international students have received university-level or higher scholarships.
For example, the “New Student Sailing Scholarship” covers 12% of undergraduate freshmen, requiring high school GPA ≥ 3.5 and HSK Level 4 ≥ 200 points;
The “Academic Progress Scholarship” targets enrolled students, and 28% of recipients increased their semester GPA by 0.5 or more.
Three Types of Scholarships
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Review Process
The review is divided into three steps: materials submission in September, with the school checking grades and proofs, eliminating 25% due to incomplete materials (e.g., missing recommendation letters or activity photos);
Expert panel scoring in October, with rankings based on GPA accounting for 60% and practice accounting for 40%. Tie-breakers are determined by interview performance; the list is publicized in November, and disbursement occurs in December after no objections.
Last year, a student who initially missed a recommendation letter, after resubmission, was awarded the Academic Scholarship due to a GPA of 3.8 and 30 hours of community service.
Scholarships
Scholarships either directly offset tuition or provide living allowances: the New Student Scholarship reduces the tuition fee for the first academic year by 30% (approximately 12,000 RMB);
The Academic Scholarship provides 800 RMB per month, enough to cover part of the rent or food expenses;
The Practice Scholarship provides a one-time payment of 3000 RMB, used for purchasing professional books like “Clinical Case Analysis” or attending academic conferences.
75% of recipients reported that the scholarship alleviated financial pressure, allowing them to focus more on studies—for example, one Clinical Medicine student used the Practice Scholarship to buy a case analysis book, raising their final GPA from 3.1 to 3.4.
Study Support
The 2023 “International Student Learning Support Report” from the School of International Education, Tianjin Medical University (TMU), shows that 83% of enrolled international students have used on-campus learning support.
For example, the Medical Foundation Course Tutoring Center is open 5 days a week, receiving an average of 30 students daily, focusing on solving difficult points in terminology and functions for subjects like Anatomy and Physiology;
The Language Center’s HSK intensive classes resulted in 91% of participants improving their final language scores by over 10%.
Academic Tutoring
Tutoring classes at the School of Basic Medical Sciences cover 85% of compulsory subjects. For instance, Anatomy has group Q&A twice a week, where the teacher uses “radial nerve pathway + clinical case” to explain positioning, and 72% of students reported their assignment accuracy rate increased from 65% to 80%;
The School of Clinical Medicine offers a “Case Analysis Workshop,” using real case histories to practice diagnostic logic, and participating students’ average scores on case analysis questions increased by 12 points.
Language Support
Language is a “hurdle” for studying medicine, and TMU provides stratified assistance: The Language Center offers 5 sessions of HSK intensive classes per semester, and 87% of students are able to achieve the required score for their major upon completion;
The Oral Chinese Corner is held 3 times a week, with native Chinese speakers as practice partners, raising the average oral test score of participating students from 68 to 83;
There is also a specialized course on “Medical Chinese,” and 90% of students said it helped them read professional literature faster, for example, being able to translate the “Inflammatory Mediators” chapter in “Pathology” themselves without constantly consulting the dictionary.
Learning Communities and Resources
Student-initiated study groups are “invisible assistants.” There are 20 international student communities covering medical foundation, clinical skills, and language, and 81% of members raised their semester GPA by more than 0.3 compared to before enrollment.
For example, the “Anatomy Study Group” shares “inside ulnar, outside radial” mnemonics for memorization, and the “HSK Mutual Aid Team” corrects each other’s essays;
The library holds 230,000 volumes of medical professional books, and the electronic resource database receives 12,000 visits monthly. 68% of students visit the library more than 3 times a week.