Doctor accused of falsifying record
By Lo Pi,Yan Mien-chieh and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writer
Allegations that a China-trained doctor is illegally practicing medicine with a fake US medical diploma need to be verified, officials said yesterday, although they did not rule out launching a probe into the matter.
In a post on Threads, a member of the public said that they recognized a Tainan-based internal medicine doctor as an acquaintance who studied medicine in China.
She had cut all ties with her friends shortly after graduating, the post said.
Ministry of Health and Welfare signage is pictured at the ministry in Taipei in an undated photograph.
Photo: Taipei Times
The person is practicing medicine with a diploma from the University of California, Riverside under a different name, but records of medical certification for her under either name could not be found online, it said.
Ministry of Health and Welfare Medical Affairs Department Deputy Director Liu Yu-ching (劉玉菁) said that Taiwan does not recognize higher-education qualifications in medical fields from China when it grants doctors’ licenses.
The restriction applies to medicine, dentistry and traditional Chinese medicine, Liu said, citing the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).
Holders of a medical diploma issued by foreign countries other than China might qualify for a license to practice medicine if the degree-conferring institution is accredited by the Ministry of Education, she said.
Applicants must study in a field relevant to the type of license they apply for, and meet standards for academic credits earned and scholastic performance before being allowed to take a medical license test, she said.
The evaluation for eligibility to take the test is conducted by a panel of experts, she added.
The applicants must pass a Ministry of Examination-administered certification test to become a doctor in Taiwan, she said.
The health ministry has not verified the accusations on social media against the Tainan-based doctor, she said, adding that officials would, if necessary, seek information from the Ministry of Examination.
The doctor’s medical license would be revoked if the examination authority cancels her qualification after establishing that she had submitted forged documents, Liu said.
The claims that no record of the doctor’s medical license could be found would be investigated, she said.
Deputy Minister of Examination Huang Ching-chang (黃慶章) said that would-be doctors must pass background checks to qualify to sit the license test.
Candidates with Chinese diplomas are not allowed to take the exam, while those who hold degrees from other foreign nations are rigorously scrutinized, including a review of their academic and international travel records, Huang said.
The examination ministry would initiate a probe into the doctor accused of using forged qualifications if it receives a complaint or request for investigation through official channels, he said.
With some exceptions, Taiwan does not recognize academic degrees conferred by China’s Jinan University, which the doctor supposedly attended, because of the institution’s affiliation with the Chinese United Front Work Department, said Liao Kao-hsien (廖高賢), director-general of the Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education.
Holders of degrees in medicine, dentistry or traditional Chinese medicine issued by a foreign country must pass an education ministry qualification assessment before taking the national licensing examination, subject to statutory exemptions, Liao said.
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