On March 1, the Ministry of Education announced the 2020 list of recorded and approved undergraduate majors of higher education institutions. Among these was Tongji University’s new undergraduate major "Rehabilitation Physical Therapy".
An official of Tongji University reported that China is an aging nation with a changing disease profile, dramatically booming economy and improving technology. As the healthcare reform continues, Chinese society is now asking for an improvement in rehabilitation medicine. The study of rehabilitation medicine in China started in the 1980s and has seen rapid development in recent years. Since the implementation of the Healthy China policy, the development of rehabilitation medicine in China has entered a new stage, where the rehabilitation services which help to promote and improve the function and mobility of the human body have gradually become a significant part of the formation of the healthcare system. According to the public data, however, the disparity between the huge demand for rehabilitation therapy and the shortage of rehabilitation medical resources in China is becoming increasingly prominent. Therefore, it is highly responsible and necessary to increase the number of rehabilitation professional practitioners and strengthen the training of rehabilitation medical professionals.
Yangzhi Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Tongji University (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center)
Tongji University has been well-prepared to open the undergraduate program of "Rehabilitation Physical Therapy". In recent years, the university has actively cooperated with the Shanghai Disabled Person's Federation and built the Yangzhi Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Tongji University (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), which marked a pioneering cooperation between key universities and specialized rehabilitation hospitals for talent training in China. More rehabilitation therapy teaching bases, talent training hubs and rehabilitation medicine research bases centers are being built through the coordinated efforts of multiple parties. To strengthen the foundation of teaching experience and scientific research, Tongji University gathered the teaching resources of several affiliated hospitals to establish the Rehabilitation Medical School which is based on the professional service platform of Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center. Later in 2014, the undergraduate program of "Rehabilitation Therapy" was opened, aiming to cultivate talents of rehabilitation physical therapy who match the education standards of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT). The undergraduate program underwent an educational review by WCPT in June 2019 and received the highest level of approval with a validity period of 5 years.
A patient receiving rehabilitation therapy
A patient receiving rehabilitation therapy
A patient receiving rehabilitation therapy
The approved undergraduate program "Rehabilitation Physical Therapy" is more in line accordance with the international classification of rehabilitation medicine than the former "Rehabilitation Therapy" program. Rehabilitation Physical Therapy is dedicated to cultivating not only qualified students with good professionalism, systematic knowledge of clinical and rehabilitation medicine, proficient clinical skills and practical ability of basic rehabilitation therapy, but also outstanding people with critical thinking and teamwork ability, humanistic care, innovation, and international vision. The program tries to provide students with comprehensive education, to ensure their improvement and growth in knowledge, ability and personality. Graduates of Rehabilitation Physical Therapy are expected to independently engage in physical therapy work in various medical and rehabilitation institutions at all levels and lead the development of rehabilitation therapy in China.
Graduates of the 2014 class of Rehabilitation Therapy
Group photo of the graduates of Rehabilitation Therapy
Source: https://news.tongji.edu.cn/info/1003/76708.htm
