The Chinese higher education system is structured according
to disciplinary distinctions. All health care personnel
are educated on parallel tracks for each separate role
category even if all programs are under the same roof of a
medical school. All national medical colleges have programs
of Chinese medicine, public health, and nursing, in addition
to medicine. All collegiate programs except one are
five years in length, each preparing clinical doctors, doctors
of Chinese medicine, public health doctors and nurses,
respectively