Medical Chinese Resources
Build practical Medical Chinese skills with courses, clinical vocabulary, phrasebooks, textbooks and MCT study materials. These resources focus on the language used in healthcare settings, including patient communication, symptoms, medical terminology and clinical conversations.
Preparing for the Medical Chinese Test (BCT)? You can also practice with our free MCT test.
Courses & Lessons
★ Free UCLA course combines specialty-based Medical Mandarin with workbooks, Anki decks, lecture videos, clinical practice and cultural notes. UCLA Chinese Medical Interest Group’s Introduction to Medical Mandarin is designed for intermediate and advanced Mandarin speakers who want to strengthen communication in clinical settings. The 10-chapter course covers medical vocabulary and phrases across specialties, along with patient interviews, practice phrases, mock interviews and cultural notes. All materials are free and available on their website, including an introductory Mandarin guide, workbooks, Anki decks and lecture videos. You can also watch the Introduction to Medical Mandarin video or visit the Chinese Medical Interest Group at UCLA YouTube channel.
Free Course
★ Free learning materials from a University of Michigan Medical School Medical Mandarin elective. University of Michigan’s Medicine in Mandarin provides public access to learning materials associated with its one-credit medical-school elective. The lessons cover practical medical vocabulary and clinical Mandarin with Chinese characters, pinyin and pronunciation audio. The site is currently being rebuilt, so the main page can initially look inactive; use the lesson menu at the top of the page to access the available course materials. The university course is designed for medical students with intermediate to advanced spoken Mandarin, but the online learning materials can be accessed freely on the web.
Free Course MaterialsClinical Communication
★ UBC medical phrasebook evaluated as part of a published Medical Mandarin pilot program. University of British Columbia’s A Chinese-English Phrasebook for Medical Encounters is a free 14-page guide created by UBC medical students Meiying Zhuang and Wynn Tran for English-speaking medical students. It provides Mandarin pronunciation, simplified Chinese and practical phrases for introductions, urgent situations, pain and symptoms, patient comfort, medical interviews, medical history and body parts. UBC’s iCON collection also provides related Chinese-English resources covering medical terminology, body parts and organs, interview questions and additional health vocabulary. The phrasebook cautions users to recognize the limits of their Mandarin and not rely on it to manage a patient completely. Available on their website. Also see the phrasebook PDF, Medical Mandarin companion site, and the published study.
Free Web-Based
★ Free clinical Mandarin phrasebook with audio for practical medical communication. DLIFLC Chinese-Mandarin Medical Language Survival Kit is a free online medical phrasebook and reference from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. It covers registration, assessment, trauma, surgery, pain and medicine interviews, orthopedics, OB/GYN, pediatrics, cardiology, ophthalmology, neurology, exam commands, caregiving, post-op care, medical conditions, pharmaceuticals and diseases. Entries pair English with Chinese characters, romanized pronunciation and playable audio for common patient interactions. The interface is dated and the romanization is not standard pinyin, but the Chinese text and audio make it a useful clinical language reference. Available on the web.
Free Web-BasedTests & Textbooks
★ Built around the official Medical Chinese Test syllabus for systematic medical Mandarin study. MCT Standard Course is a textbook series published by Beijing Language and Culture University Press for learners studying Chinese for healthcare and clinical settings. The series covers medical vocabulary and communication related to internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, symptoms, diagnosis, examinations and treatment, with contributions from faculty affiliated with several Chinese medical universities and hospitals. Learn more on the web. Purchase from Purple Culture: MCT Standard Course series, 1A, 1B, 2A or other retailers.
Textbook Series
★ A multi-level medical Chinese textbook series designed specifically for international medical students. Practical Medical Chinese (实用医学汉语), published by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, progresses from foundational language study to preclinical and clinical medical Chinese. The series combines medical terminology, listening and speaking practice, and professional knowledge, while the Clinical books use realistic doctor, nurse and patient scenarios to practice history-taking, physical examinations, diagnosis and communication in different medical departments. The series has been used in university Medical Chinese programs and is especially useful for learners seeking structured, medically focused study; the Clinical volumes are best suited to learners who already have a foundation in Chinese. This is a paid print textbook series.
The series includes Practical Medical Chinese: Elementary, Volumes 1–4; Practical Medical Chinese: Preclinical/Basic, Volumes 1–4; four separate Practical Medical Chinese: Clinical books covering Surgery, Internal Medicine, Gynecology & Pediatrics, and Other Specialties; plus the companion Clinical Vocabulary Handbook of Practical Medical Chinese. Many books in the series are available from Purple Culture, with additional copies and volumes available through AbeBooks and other retailers.
Vocabulary & Study Tools
★ A pocket-sized bilingual reference with about 3,000 clinical terms for medical study and rotations. Clinical Vocabulary Handbook of Practical Medical Chinese is a printed reference book designed for international medical students and other learners who need practical clinical terminology. It organizes terms in both Chinese-English and English-Chinese sections, includes pinyin, and covers major specialties including internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, ENT, dentistry, infectious disease, neurology and dermatology. Appendices cover medical examinations, diagnoses, hospital facilities and commonly used clinical expressions. See book details on Purple Culture's website. Also available at other retailers.
Vocabulary Reference
★ Includes 640 medical Mandarin flashcards with audio on every card. Medical Mandarin Chinese: Defense Language Institute LSK Anki Deck is a community-created deck based on the Defense Language Institute’s Medical Language Survival Kit (also listed on this resource page). It provides 640 cards for practicing practical medical Mandarin vocabulary and expressions, with audio included throughout to reinforce pronunciation and listening.
Free Anki Deck