Since the end of 2022, Traditional Chinese Medicine programme of Xiamen University Malaysia has resumed the practical training for their final-year students in Xiamen, China, which had been temporiraly halted during the pandemic.

Tang Kit Whye, a TCM undergraduate student of 2016/02 intake, shared his internship experience at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Q: Can you describe your responsibilities as a medical intern?
A: As a medical intern, I need to work at several different departments at the hospital - six at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, and eight at Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

My work at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University started with ward round. I was also responsible for maintaining medical records, documenting the patients’ symptoms and their tests results. Later, as I became more proficient, I was allowed to assist in patient consultation under the guidance of my seniors.

My duties at the TCM side are almost the same, with only one extra responsibility - the outpatient consultation. Different from the inpatient department, here you need to diagnose the patient’s disease immediately and give your treatment decisions.

Q: Was there any individual who left a lasting impression on you?
A: Yes, I met a particularly good clinical tutor in the Gastroenterology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University. What impressed me most is that despite the demanding workload during the pandemic, he insisted on doing detailed checkups for every patient and guided us through each case.

I distinctly remember one instance where a patient was admitted with severe stomach pain, but still sweating with pain when sent to our ward. It was my tutor who insisted on conducting a repeat CT scan, which revealed a gastric perforation. If it hadn't been him, the patient would have died in his hospital bed.

From that time on, I took my tutor as my model - From him, I learnt that my treatments to patients can always be more detailed. This was also a turning point for me, which changed my attitute and approach towards my clinical practice.

Q: Have you met any challenge during your internship?
A: I was assigned to be on call 24/7 across all the departments, even on Chinese New Year's Eve - I basically had no time to rest, let alone enjoy the reunion dinner. But I did have learnt a lot by taking charge of all the inpatients at that time.

Q: Is being a TCM practitioner in Malaysia different from that in China?
A: Yes, very different. TCM in Malaysia is mainly clinic-based, and practioners have limited exposure to seriously-illed patients. But this is common in hospitals settings. For TCM students, you can always learn more from the critically ill patients, gain insights into their prognoses, and identify conditions at an early stage.

Q: What do you think is the most rewarding aspect of clinical medicine?
A: I think the most rewarding aspect of clinical practice is experiencing the sense of accomplishment when your treatment is successful.

In clinical practice, medical knowledge will definitely be used, but the patient may not present with textbook symptoms. Surely some people's symptoms are very typical, but it is crucial to carefully assess each individual case, esp. those atypical ones, considering the potential risks and benefits of different treatment options. Some medical students don't enjoy clinical practice, but medicine is a human discipline and we learn the most from our patients.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for fellow students?
A: I think for medical students, the first thing we need to do is to figure out who we are and ask ourselves if we really like studying medicine. Clinical practice can be demanding. If you lack genuine interest, it may become a burden.

Each patient’s case is like a book that requires time and attention to understand - I think this is the most important thing I learnt from the internship. As my tutor often reminded me, every patient is my teacher.