The ancient medical examination system took shape in the Zhou Dynasty（1100 ~ 256 B.C.）． In Zhou Li·Yi Shi (Chief Practitioners ,The Book of Rites) the requirements for chief practitioners were recorded. Their compensation depended on the response to their treatment, e.g. those whose patients responded well to their treatment without any failure got the highest level of compensation, while those whose treatments were not effective got lower levels of compensation. From the Qin to the Han dynasties ( 221 B.C~A.D. 24) the teacher-apprentice system prevailed, but by the Southern and Northern dynasties（386 ~ 589）, there was systematic government-run education. In the Sui dynasty ( 581~618), the Imperial Administration of Health was set up, and in the Tang dynasty（ 618~907）, the Imperial Administration of Health expanded and medical schools appeared. Through the Song, Yuan, Ming to the Qing dynasties（960~1911）, medical education was gradually perfected.
