A China Residency Education and Elite Training Hospital Alliance has been established to teach high-quality medical doctors.

The alliance was launched during an international conference on residency education staged by the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the China Medical Board and the Chinese Medical Doctor Association in Beijing.

The alliance comprises six members from across the country, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Peking University Hospital in Beijing, Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University in Shanghai and West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

"It will help improve ties between member hospitals and better share resources and experience for better education and training for medical residency candidates," Jin Xiaotao, vice minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission said at the launch.

Medical residency is a post graduate education program for students which allow them to refine their training in a particular discipline and practice skills in a real world environment. Residency is an important part of training for physicians, and lasts about three years, depending on the specialty.

China launched a "5+3" program two years ago to reform the nation's education and training of quality physicians. It means a physician has to undertake five years of medical school and three years of onsite training at selected hospitals.

Jin said such a model will be standardized in China to help prepare quality physicians with clinical skills, medical research capacity and most importantly humanity.