Media reports that medical students practiced illegally at Peking University First Hospital have immediately caused a public outcry. But the key issue is the conflict between the current exams regime for medical licenses and the medical training system.

Medical graduates must pass national exams before they obtain a license to practice medicine. However, graduates with a bachelor's degree must first work one year in a medical institution. The exams take the graduate several months to complete.

In other words, in order to obtain a license a graduate would have to work up to two years in a hospital. It's not practical for a hospital to provide supervisors to these paid interns on a one-on-one basis throughout that period.