Editor's note: China Daily presents the series Friends Afar to tell the stories of people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries. Through the vivid narration of the people in the stories, readers can get a better understanding of a country that is boosting openness.

A Canadian cardiologist expected to provide more insight than he gained while volunteering in China. Instead, he found the experience reshaped his views on environmental policy, hospital modernization and even the philosophical foundations of medicine.

Michael Kutryk, an associate professor and clinician scientist at the University of Toronto, made numerous trips over the course of more than a decade through the Bethune Medical Development Association of Canada.

"I have had the privilege of volunteering in China," he told China Daily, describing years of "clinical collaboration, professional exchange and friendship with institutions across the country".

"Although I arrived as a physician prepared to share my own expertise, I quickly realized that these experiences would transform me in ways I did not anticipate."

Kutryk said one of the most striking changes he witnessed was environmental renewal.

"What I have witnessed since the declaration of the 'war on pollution' in 2014 has been nothing short of remarkable. "There has been a sustained, coordinated effort to reduce emissions, transition energy sources, regulate industry and reimagine urban environmental planning," he said.

During successive visits, he noticed "clearer skies that once seemed rare". Colleagues pointed to "measurable reductions in PM2.5 levels and a nationwide shift away from coal".

Between 2014 and 2025, he observed sweeping urban growth."The scale of this transition is visible everywhere," he said.

How quickly hospitals adapted left the strongest impression.

"Nowhere has the pace of change felt more striking than in the hospital systems I visited," he said. Many facilities were "newly built, spacious and architecturally refined".

He cited digital check-in platforms, centralized data systems, robotic and automated pharmacy systems, high-speed diagnostic tools, drones and small robotic carriers, and robotic surgical platforms.

"In these settings, technology is not an add-on," he said. "It is central to efficiency, safety and patient experience."

"The speed at which these systems have been implemented is astonishing, especially when contrasted with the slow incremental upgrades typical in many Western institutions," he added.

Kutryk described "the widespread and deliberate adoption of evidence-based best practices across Chinese hospitals" as one of his most meaningful professional observations.

"Clinical guidelines are actively studied, translated and implemented," he said. "There is a clear commitment to benchmarking outcomes against international standards."

Understanding TCM

Kutryk also described a personal shift in his understanding of traditional Chinese medicine.

"Coming from a strictly Western biomedical background, I initially approached it with curiosity but limited understanding," he said.

Over time, he came to see that TCM "is not merely a collection of remedies, rather it is an entire framework of understanding health, balance and disease".

He sees them as two sides of the same coin. "Rather than viewing TCM and Western medicine as competing paradigms, I came to see them as complementary."

"Western medicine excels in acute intervention, mechanistic clarity and technological precision.

"Traditional Chinese medicine, however, places extraordinary emphasis on prevention," he said.

"In many respects, the West is rediscovering principles that have been central to Chinese practice for centuries.

"Recognizing that Western medicine does not hold exclusive claim to healing has been a humbling and important lesson," he said.

Kutryk also reflected on culture."China's cultural heritage is both ancient and deeply alive," he said. He was struck by "the profound regional diversity", yet also by "a shared cultural thread, a reverence for family, education, history and collective identity".

He said, "What has left the deepest impression on me is the grace and hospitality of the Chinese people."

The exchanges, he said, are reciprocal. "These scholars have made significant contributions, not only through their technical skills and productivity, but through their intellectual energy and collaborative spirit."

"If I am honest, I feel that I have received far more than I have contributed," he said. "The intellectual enrichment and personal growth I have experienced are immeasurable."

gaoyang@chinadailyusa.com