Misconduct costs doctors their licenses

Beijing municipal health authority has revoked the medical licenses of a former senior surgeon and a resident physician at a major Beijing hospital for violations of professional ethics and academic misconduct, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.

The disciplinary action follows an official investigation that attracted widespread public attention after the two doctors' extramarital affair and personal misconduct emerged in April. The case has prompted scrutiny of loopholes in surgical oversight, professional ethics and medical school admissions.

According to the commission, the former senior surgeon, surnamed Xiao, arbitrarily left an operating room mid-surgery while the patient was under anesthesia. He departed along with his assistant following an argument with a nurse at China-Japan Friendship Hospital in July.

"He prioritized personal emotions over patient safety and failed to understand his responsibilities as a physician, and the potential medical risks posed to the patient by his actions," the commission said in a statement.

Xiao's extramarital relationship with the resident physician, surnamed Dong, also constituted "a severe violation of professional and medical ethics" and caused "significant negative social impact", it said.

Xiao was dismissed from the hospital and expelled from the Communist Party of China earlier this month. His medical license has been revoked by the Beijing municipal health authority, and he is banned from practicing medicine for at least five years. The hospital received a formal warning, a corrective order and financial penalties.

Dong, who graduated from an elite medical training program in China, was involved in a sexual relationship with Xiao during her residency, according to a letter published by Xiao's wife in April.

Authorities said Dong falsified academic records to gain admission to a four-year doctoral program at Peking Union Medical College — one of China's most prestigious medical schools. Her dissertation was found to contain serious instances of plagiarism, and several of her academic papers involved violations of research integrity, including improper authorship and duplicate publications.

Peking Union Medical College has revoked Dong's degree and graduation credentials. Local health authorities have also revoked her medical qualification and license, according to the commission.

The "four-plus-four-year" doctoral program that admitted Dong combines undergraduate and medical studies and targets top international university graduates from nonmedical fields. It was designed to integrate medical education with interdisciplinary training and to reform the traditional eight-year path to becoming a doctor in China.

The commission said the case has exposed flaws in the program's admission criteria, clinical training supervision, thesis review procedures and student ethics education.

"Peking Union Medical College is currently undergoing thorough rectification," the commission said. "The commission is working with the Ministry of Education to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot program and promote reforms."

The commission is carrying on deeper probe into institutions and personnel involved in the case and will hold those violating rules and regulations accountable.