The National Health Commission recently held a press conference to introduce the relevant situation of enhancing grassroots capabilities and improving the public's sense of access to health services. Fu Wei, Director of the Grassroots Department of the National Health Commission, stated that currently, the National Health Commission and relevant departments are focusing on the issue of long-term retention of college student rural doctors. Next, all departments will continue to implement the special plan for college student rural doctors and introduce more high-quality talents to the rural medical and health team. It is reported that starting from 2023, the National Health Commission, together with the Central Compilation and Translation Office, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and other departments, will jointly carry out a special program for rural doctors among college students. As of the end of October this year, nearly 7500 college student rural doctors recruited under the program have gradually entered the workforce. This plan plays a role in improving the educational level and optimizing the age structure of the village medical team. The average age of college students recruited under the 2023 special plan is 24 years old, with 97% being 35 years old or younger; The proportion of students with a bachelor's degree or above is 12.5%, and the proportion of students with a college diploma is 87.5%. At present, various regions are continuing to promote the recruitment work of the 2024 special plan. How to better retain and make good use of college student rural doctors in the long term? Fu Wei introduced that in the next step, the National Health Commission will make efforts in the following aspects: on the one hand, the National Health Commission will further strengthen the management of rural doctors who have already arrived, and organize comprehensive and targeted training to enhance the comprehensive service capabilities of college student rural doctors in medicine, prevention, management and other aspects, so that they can better perform grassroots positions and serve the masses. On the other hand, we should guide college student rural doctors and other qualified on-the-job rural doctors to quickly obtain the qualifications of practicing assistant doctors or practicing doctors, and gradually include village doctors who have obtained relevant practicing qualifications in the professional title evaluation and appointment of township health centers, so that village doctors have a broader career advancement space. The National Health Commission will also continue to urge various regions to further improve and implement policies to ensure the income and elderly care of village doctors, enhance the attractiveness of rural doctor positions, and enable more talents to stay and do well in rural areas and at the grassroots level. (New Society)