PKU makes sure doctors are slim and tall

xinjingbao.jpg

The Beijing News
April 21, 2009

The Peking University Health Science Center, the university’s medical school, recently released admission standards that disqualify applicants deemed overweight, short (1.6m for men and 1.5m for women), or who have liver conditions, despite their academic performance.

Yirenping (益仁平), a Beijing-based non-governmental organization that is dedicated to helping patients suffering from AIDS, Hepatitis B, and other chronic diseases, criticized the rules as discriminatory and unconstitutional. In addition, the organization filed a complaint with the government, demanding that the rules be canceled.

The university administration responded by stating the standards are responsible because applicants who fall under the listed categories would have a high chance of unemployment upon graduation if they were admitted. “If we don’t screen them now, it will be too late when they regret their choice,” said an anonymous source responsible for recruitment at the school.

The large front-page photo shows South Korean’s Dokdo, one of 21 naval vessels attending the April 23 fleet review, docking at Qingdao’s military port.

The amphibious landing ship has full load displacement of about 18,000 tons. Due to its size and versatility in operation, the ship is called a “quasi-carrier” (准航母) in the caption beneath the photo.

The headline above the photo reads “China’s nuclear submarine will attend the fleet review.”

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