A major change in the domestic system of medical education is on the way. Starting in 2012, medical students will have to pass a simulated test on doctor-patient interactions to be eligible for the professional license exam. And a trial run of the new test is scheduled for next April.

In the future, medical students would need to prepare more than just written tests; the mock clinical test will also be part of the licensing exams.

In the past, many interns would just follow doctors around and would not have the chance to interact with patients. They need more than just good test scores; therefore, a clinical test is needed to determine their qualification as doctors.

The new test will see hospital volunteers and those actors from the actor union to be the patients to interact with medical students with 2 instructors observing and scoring the test.

The scoring standards include asking family medical history and avoid medical jargons.

However, the Association for Medical Education said that, the fake patients are not as realistic of an experience for the students.

The test trial run starts next April with 1,400 graduating medical students participating.

The first years test is for western medicine students, and in the future, Chinese medicine, dental and nursing school students would need to take the test too.

The test would be a standardize test starting 2012; any students who didn't pass the test are going to be banned from taking the medical board exam.