Newman is doing clinical research
Yesterday was Numan's 12th Mid-Autumn Festival in Wenzhou, and as was customary, he dined with a group of friends and ate a delicious mooncake.
In the summer of 2006, as the first batch of international students recruited by Wenzhou Medical University (formerly Wenzhou Medical College), Newman, an international student from Pakistan, set foot on Wenzhou's land for the first time. At that time, Newman, who Chinese not even say a word, did not expect that he and the city had formed a relationship.
Today, 12 years later, he has obtained undergraduate and master's degrees from Wen medical university and has become the only foreign teacher to stay in the university after graduating. He used a fluent Chinese to tell us his deep affection for the campus and lamented the changes in Wenzhou.
The first batch of foreign students from Wen medical university
In 2006, As the first university in Wenzhou to "dare to eat crabs", Wen Medical University, which was still Wenzhou Medical College, took the lead in establishing the International Education College to recruit international students from all over the world, and the first batch of 36 students from the United States, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, pakistan and so on came. Newman, who had just finished high school in his native Pakistan, was one of them.
Speaking of the choice of Wen medical university, Newman bluntly said that he aspired to be a doctor since he was a child, and China's medical technology is developed. Not only that, but his father was a "Chinese fan": "He always told me that Chinese culture is broad and profound, and that Chinese culture can only be truly learned in China." ”
It was with this idea that he embarked on the road to Wenzhou. But the first time he left home, coupled with the ignorance of Chinese, he couldn't help but cry alone in the hotel on the night of the transfer. Fortunately, all these strangers quickly dissipated after arriving in Wenzhou and Wenyi University. Newman recalls: "On the first night of school, I met my roommates from Pakistan in the dormitory building, and later they invited me to the English Corner of the school. I quickly forgot about loneliness and strangeness. After a semester passed, I adapted to life here, fell in love with the school and fell in love with Wenzhou. ”
I miss Wenzhou to come to my alma mater for graduate school
In January 2012, Newman completed a five-and-a-half-year undergraduate study in clinical medicine at The University of Vancouver and returned to Pakistan to take the medical qualification examination. After obtaining his qualification certificate, he became confused because he found that he missed Wenzhou very much.
In August 2012, when he received an email from Wenyi University informing him that he could apply for a Chinese government scholarship to pursue a master's degree at Wenyi University, he submitted his application without even thinking about it. So after 8 months away, he returned to Wen medical university and began his graduate career.
Referring to his experience at medical university, he talked about it: "I still remember the excitement of my first anatomy class, which was my first close contact with human organs and the greatness of medicine, and after the class, I also pulled the teacher to ask many questions. I still remember Mr. Chen Hao's class, he talked about something different, which opened up a lot of horizons for us. The teaching mode of Wen medical university, which closely combines theory and practice, also allows Newman to approach his dream step by step.
Newman told reporters that the international students who came to Wenzhou with him in the past are now settled in different countries, but they have achieved good results. His roommate has become a well-known doctor in Pakistan, and his classmate Charles has become Ghana's deputy ambassador to China, and they have maintained close contact to this day.
From international students to staying at the school to teach
After years of efforts, Wen medical university has formed a school running pattern of studying in China, Sino-foreign cooperative education and overseas schools, with undergraduate, master's, doctoral, non-degree students and other multi-professional and multi-level development pattern, with 820 international students and students distributed in 68 countries.
After graduating from graduate school in 2015, Newman passed the examination and became a foreign teacher in the School of International Education of Wen medical university, responsible for the teaching and management of international students, and he was also the only international student in Wenzhou Medical University to stay on campus to teach.
In addition to completing basic work, he also plays the role of "confidant brother" among international students, and many new international students who have not yet adapted to the new environment will find Newman with the same experience to talk. "Because I have less language and cultural differences with many international students, they are happy to come to me and I am happy to help them better integrate into their new study life."
In Newman's eyes, Wenzhou is a city with a beautiful natural environment and a strong humanistic atmosphere. "Although Wenzhou is a small city, it is very convenient to live and has a high quality of life." He said. Next year he also plans to invite his parents and two younger sisters to visit the city.
He became a new Wenzhou native
After living in Wenzhou for 12 years, Newman bluntly said that his biggest feeling is "change".
"I remember when I was studying, I went to the hospital for internship, and many patients would be pleasantly surprised to see me and say 'Wa Gai Yi Si' (Wenzhou dialect transliteration: foreign doctors), because at that time they had hardly seen foreign doctors, and they speculated whether I was a well-known foreign expert who came here to consult." At this point, Newman couldn't help but laugh. "Wenzhou people are very enthusiastic, even if the language is not the same, when they see me, they will try to talk to me for a few words." But over the years, as more foreigners have come to China and Wenzhou, people's reactions when they see him, although enthusiastic, have become more and more calm, and they have also made him feel a kind of integration.
Today's Newman and all Wenzhou young people, chat with WeChat, go out without a wallet, Alipay can get everything done, shopping with Taobao, idle will brush vibrato, travel to ride shared bicycles. No one knows that 12 years ago, he just arrived in China, and he needs to ask Chinese classmates to help "buy" when buying things. "Solving all kinds of problems with a single phone is hard to imagine in other countries, even in the United States, where life is not so convenient." The opening of the MixC has enriched his amateur life, and he has a new place to go to see a 3D movie with friends on weekends, fitness, small gatherings.