The above tables show that Taizhou University has four disciplines that are ranked within the top 1% in ESI (Essential Science Indicators), and this achievement has placed TU in the 9th position among higher education institutions in Zhejiang.
On September 15, TU achieved a significant milestone as the discipline of clinical medicine entered the top 1% of ESI global rankings for the first time. This marks our 3rd discipline to achieve this status this year, following Material Science in January 2023 and Environment/Ecology in July 2023. In total, our university now boasts four disciplines in the top 1% of ESI global rankings. We rank 9th out of 60 undergraduate institutions of higher learning in Zhejiang Province. The top 8 institutions have 21, 12, 9, 7, and 6 ESI top 1% disciplines respectively. Notably, our university stands out as one of the institutions with the most ESI top 1% disciplines among those labeled as “xueyuan”–which refers to a higher education institution that is yet to be elevated to a university status–in the province.
On a national scale, among 428 colleges and universities with ESI top 1% disciplines, our university ranks 184th alongside 42 other institutions in China, and we are the 3rd highest among those labeled as “xueyuan”. It is worth noting that only 3 universities have clinical medicine disciplines ranked in the top 1% of ESI disciplines in the current round of rankings.
In recent years, TU has been diligently implementing a three-step strategy, aiming to acquire university status, secure accreditation as a doctoral degree-granting institution, and ultimately, excel as a leading university. We have prioritized strengthening our academic disciplines’ leadership position, enhancing degree programs, and fostering the quality development of academic disciplines. This effort aligns with Taizhou’s local industry characteristics, guiding us in strategically planning and developing our academic disciplines. We have methodically optimized our discipline distribution, concentrating our efforts on refining key disciplines, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, and advancing degree program applications. These efforts have borne fruit. Since January of this year, 3 of our university’s disciplines have achieved recognition in the top 1% of ESI global rankings, marking significant progress both in the number of recognized disciplines and their rankings.
This year’s ESI statistics revealed TU’s research accomplishments over the past decade. During this period, we have published 4,171 papers indexed in the ESI, marking a growth of 197 papers from the previous year. These papers have garnered a total of 51,269 citations, an increase of 3,531 citations from the previous year, with an average of 12.29 citations per paper. Notably, we have produced 82 top papers, including 81 highly cited papers and 4 hot papers. In the field of clinical medicine, we’ve contributed 529 ESI-indexed papers in the last ten years. These papers have amassed a total of 4,185 citations, averaging 7.91 citations per paper. This category includes 4 top papers and 4 highly cited papers.
Clinical Medicine Discipline Profile
The clinical medicine discipline is classified as a first-class discipline (Class B) in Zhejiang Province’s 14th Five-Year Plan, with Oncology designated as a key field of study in Zhejiang Higher Education’s 12th Five-Year Plan.
The clinical medicine program is a collaborative effort between the School of Medicine and affiliated hospitals. Within this discipline, we are proud to have 7 experts who receive the State Council’s special allowance, 3 individuals honored with the National May 1st Labor Medal, and 1 distinguished member serving as a scientific and technological leader under the Provincial Ten-thousand Talents Plan. We also count more than 20 members who have been recognized as part of the province’s 151 Talents Project, and 9 individuals who have distinguished themselves as innovators in provincial healthcare, and our team includes 2 doctoral supervisors and 77 master’s supervisors. Over the past decade, the department has spearheaded over 100 national and provincial research projects, contributing 529 research papers to prominent domestic journals such as Cell and Clinical Cancer Research.
By leveraging the expertise and strengths of both the university and affiliated hospitals, the Clinical Medicine department has established over 10 specialized teams within its secondary disciplines. These include areas such asoncology, internalmedicine, surgery, clinical laboratory diagnostics, and orthopaedics, each with its own unique focus:
1. Oncology: Specializing in surgical treatments for thyroid and breast cancers, conducting fundamental research, exploring molecular markers of malignant tumors and cellular signaling, and engaging in evidence-based research for comprehensive tumor treatments.
2. Internal Medicine: Researching the mechanisms of atherosclerosis and aortic coarctation, along with clinical diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, the department is involved in transbronchoscopic interventional therapy and the application of “3E” technology (ERCP, EUS, ESD) with clinical and basic research. We also contribute to both basic and clinical research related to liver failure.
3. Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics: Focusing on single gene genetic disease testing and related fundamental research, rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases, tumor molecular diagnosis, and drug action mechanism research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with the Shanghai National Engineering Research Center for Biochip, the department successfully developed one of the earliest domestic new coronavirus antibody detection kits, and this kit has been used in millions of cases worldwide. Additionally, in partnership with Westlake University, we achieved the first successful profiling of proteomic and metabolomic data from COVID-19 samples, and this research was published in Cell.
4. Surgery: Specializing in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, lung and esophageal cancer surgeries, liver and gastrointestinal cancer surgeries, surgical nutrition research, and clinical basic research related to lung, liver, and gastric cancers.
5. Orthopaedics: Focusing on clinical and basic research concerning skeletal muscle injury repair, osteoporosis, acute spinal cord injury, minimally invasive bone fracture treatments, and advancements in sports rehabilitation technology.
The clinical medicine department prioritizes the symbiotic relationship between discipline advancement, teaching, and talent nurturing. The undergraduate clinical medicine program began enrollment in 2010, received accreditation from the Ministry of Education in 2017, and attained recognition as a top-tier provincial program in 2019. Subsequently, it was designated as a first-class national undergraduate program in 2021.
The teaching development in clinical medicine is marked by distinctive features. We have successfully implemented a goal-oriented curriculum system, drawing the attention of the National Teaching Instruction Committee. Over the years, the pass rates for our graduates in physician exams have consistently ranked among the top one-third of medical colleges and universities in China. In 2021, we achieved the highest pass rate in our province and ranked 5th nationwide with an impressive pass rate of 91.84%.
Our track record with clinical medicine undergraduates is equally impressive. Over 90% of them took the Postgraduate Entrance Exam, and more than 50% of students have reached the initial pass score, with an admission rate of over 40%. In recent years, our students have excelled in national innovation and entrepreneurship programs for college students and various skill competitions at all levels, showcasing remarkable results in talent cultivation. The clinical medicine department has nurtured numerous outstanding medical professionals, making significant contributions to society.
