Talent training is always a top priority for the 100-year-old Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). Dr. Zhao Yupei, President of PUMCH, has frequently emphasized call for the talent training in the international arena by strengthening cooperation with leading international medical institutions. To promote discipline development and increase the management capacity and international competitiveness in the century-old PUMCH, the hospital has developed and implemented the Overseas Training Program for Middle-level Cadres, an upgraded version of the "Hundred Talents Program". In November 2019, a delegation of 14 middle-level managers from the clinical departments, services, and offices, led by Vice President Han Ding, visited Mayo Clinic in the United States for training and exchanges.

The 8-day schedule included theoretical courses, field training activities, and department exchanges. The theoretical courses covered topics including "History and Culture of Mayo", "Management Mechanisms of Mayo", "Patient Safety", "Employee Training and Career Development" and are delivered by Mayo's professional faculty members. Under the careful arrangement of Mayo Clinic, the trainees also visited some of the featured facilities including the Mayo Clinic Heritage Hall, international services, and Center for Innovation, personally experiencing the heritage and creativity of this world-class center. Furthermore, the delegation conducted in-depth exchanges with clinical departments including the departments of endocrinology, cardiology, obstetrics & gynecology, and neurology, which further deepened mutual understanding and improved the learning efficiency.

Each trainee was deeply impressed by the Mayo Clinic, which has been called a "Medical Mecca", during the learning and exchanges. The ubiquitous Mayo elements and cultural practices make the concept of "patient first” take root in the hearts of all Mayo staff. The trainees had a strong feeling that Mayo and PUMCH share the same mission, vision, and culture. As stressed by President Zhao in the “1000-Day-to-Go” countdown event for celebrating PUMCH’s 100th birthday, "Serving patients with higher quality and in a more humanistic way is the eternal value cherished by every PUMCH people".

PUMCH delegation takes a group photo with the bronze statue of Mayo brothers (Photo courtesy of the Office of International Cooperation, Division of Human Resources)