Leading Chest Hospital Attracts International Fellow Doctors

Medical experts in Shanghai, with advanced skills and efficient hospital management, are attracting an increasing number of overseas fellows.

Dr Dominik Flury, from Switzerland, is currently participating in a one-year fellowship program at Shanghai Chest Hospital, the nation's first specialized facility focusing on diseases of the heart, lung, esophagus and mediastinum. He said he applied for the program shortly after hearing about it from his colleagues and began training this October.

His primary aim is to enhance skills in robot-assisted thoracic surgery and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, which are advanced minimally invasive procedures that require only one to four incisions.

"I am keen to learn techniques and refine my skills in robotic surgery and complex minimally invasive surgery. I hope to bring the knowledge back to my country, along with the teaching process," he said.

According to officials from Shanghai Chest Hospital, the international visiting scholar program was launched in 2015 for medical professionals in the cardiothoracic field. To date, it has received international scholars from various countries, including the UK, Italy, India, Greece, Malaysia, Switzerland and Egypt. Their areas of expertise cover thoracic surgery, cardiology and ultrasound, and they typically participate in clinical skill training and scientific research collaboration.

"We offer a variety of fellowship training programs, ranging from a few months to a year. During their time here, fellows can see and treat a larger number of patients, which is different from what they experienced in their home countries," said Dr Li Zhigang, director of the thoracic surgery department at Shanghai Chest Hospital. "In addition to the volume of surgeries, we also perform many complex procedures.

"Furthermore, advanced techniques such as robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgery are developing rapidly in China. These fellows are eager to learn about these innovations through our training programs," Li added.

However, it's not only the international fellows who benefit from the program.

"The medical training system in the West is more established and advanced than ours. Feedback from these international fellows can help us improve our talent development strategy."

Li added that this approach is similar to teaching, as it also benefits the educators.