The malfeasance and sexual scandals in China's medical field A look at the drawbacks of medical doctoral education

Abstract

The incidents of dereliction of duty and sexual misconduct at China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Peking Union Medical College Hospital in 2025 rapidly intensified, involving surgeons abandoning their posts during operations, allegations of sexual abuse, and fraudulent doctoral degrees. These events have become a pivotal case for scrutinizing medical ethics, equity in medical education, and academic integrity within the country. This study uses the incident as a focal point and, through a comparative analysis of the North American MD/PhD "clinical-research dual-track system" and China’s "clinical-research mixed-track" model, systematically examines the institutional vulnerabilities and societal repercussions underlying the case. The research identifies a breakdown in power structures as the immediate cause of the incident, wherein surgeons prioritized personal emotions over patient safety, thereby compromising the quality and safety of medical care. Furthermore, the "4+4" doctoral program has been distorted into a channel of privilege. Critical stages such as admission review, training allocation, and thesis defense have been infiltrated by nepotism, revealing entrenched systemic issues in academic governance and a deficiency of external oversight. This article seeks to contribute to the advancement of medical education modernization and health governance reforms by exposing the stratification of academic factions, eradicating academic misconduct and power abuses, and restoring trust among physicians, patients, and the broader public.