Medical education in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese (Chinese: 香港華人西醫書院) was founded in 1887 by the London Missionary Society, with its first graduate (in 1892) being Sun Yat-sen. Sun following the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, which changed China from an empire to a republic, became president of China. The Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese was the forerunner of the School of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, which started in 1911.

Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong

The CHOH MING LI Basic Medical Sciences Building, Chinese University of Hong Kong

The intakes of various healthcare related Bachelor's programs in Hong Kong are limited.

Hong Kong has only two comprehensive medical faculties, the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong and the Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and they are also the sole two institutes offering pharmacy and six-year medical programmes. Both universities' medical programmes are composed of two parts, two to three years of pre-clinical studies (duration depends on whether the student is a high school graduate or a degree holder pursuing for another degree), and three years of clinical years. Throughout the three years of clinical clerkship, students are rotated in general medicine, surgery, and other specialties. In order to better address Hong Kong's healthcare needs, there have been calls for the creation of a third medical school in Hong Kong.[17]

Other healthcare discipline programmes are dispersed among other universities which do not host a medical faculty.

Various postgraduate courses in different fields of healthcare or biomedical sciences are also provided by those institutes.

To be registered as medical practitioners, medical graduates must successfully undertake and complete at least one year of supervised practice, generally known as an internship, with satisfactory performance. The internship is undertaken in hospital positions accredited for this purpose.

During this year interns (house officers) are rotated to four specialties (medicine and surgery plus two of obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, orthopaedics and traumatology, emergency medicine, psychiatry or ophthalmology). Each of them lasts three months. There is no work hour limit in Hong Kong and interns are expected to work 80–100 hours per week.

Before the handover in 1997, medical degrees from HKU and CUHK were eligible for full registration with the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom. However, reciprocality for UK/ Commonwealth medical graduates has since been abolished. In order to become a fully registered medical practitioner in Hong Kong, all non-local medial graduates are required to attain a medical license (LMCHK) from the Medical Council of Hong Kong. The rigorous process includes passing the 3-part Licentiate Examination (HKMLE). In 2019, the Licentiate Society, an independent, non-profit entity, formed to represent the LMCHK and to help meet their professional needs.[18] The MCHK exempts graduates of HKU and CUHK from taking the HKMLE.[19]

After successful completion of medical school, graduates are awarded a provisional registration for their internship year (i.e. the first year of residency). Internship is guaranteed for HKU and CUHK medical graduates and for non-local graduates that have passed the Licentiate Examination. Upon successful completion of the intern year (PGY1), medical graduates are awarded a full registration, and can practice as general practitioners in either the public or private sector. Many, however, choose to pursue specialist training within the Hospital Authority, and enter into a four to six year program, after which they will have attained a specialist registration. Unlike those in the UK or North America, numerous residency programs in Hong Kong remain unfilled after the annual match process, with up to fifty unfilled training posts every year.

Specialist training is only offered at hospitals under the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong. A trainee has to undergo one year of pre-registration internship and four to six years of supervised specialist training and pass in the exit examination or assessment held by Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. Passing the exit examination or assessment is a prerequisite to Fellowship of the Academy. The examinations are all conjoint with the British and Australian royal colleges, e.g. Royal College of Physicians, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. For example, a Hong Kong trained general surgeon in Hong Kong will be eligible for FCSHK, FHKAM (General Surgery), FRCS (General Surgery) and FRCS (Edinburgh) while a radiologist will expect to obtain FHKCR, FHKAM (Radiology) and FRCR at the end of their fellowship training. The FHKAM examination focuses on local pathology and also incorporates other components, e.g. logbook evaluation, literature appraisal, teaching, research and annual viva voce that are not included by the Royal College examinations. The pass rate of the FHKAM is similar to that of the Royal College exams, viz. 20-60% depending on specialty.

Promotion to a further post, e.g. Associate Consultant, often depends on availability of posts: it is primarily dependent on whether a senior consultant has left for private practice, leaving a vacancy. The salary cap, at the resident level (i.e. Medical Officer), is currently limited to $152,356 HKD per month (at 2016/17 levels). This is exclusive of a 5% housing allowance, and up to 15% gratuity annually, to be released every three years. This has generated an exodus of specialists from the HA to the private sector, and the HA has responded by pledging to promote all specialists to Associate Consultants within 5 years of obtaining specialist qualification. However, this is not a permanent policy and is subject to the government budget. Before the new policy, it was not unusual to see public doctors remaining as 'Medical Officers' more than 10 years after obtaining their specialist qualifications. (1)

Family medicine is recognized as a major specialty in Hong Kong. Specialists in family medicine have undertaken at least six years of accredited training, and earned internationally renowned postgraduate medical qualifications as well as Fellowship of The Hong Kong Academy of Medicine just as their counterparts in hospital medicine or other medical fields.

The two medical schools in Hong Kong do not offer such programs and postgraduates have to undergo the same program as high school graduates. Despite that, postgraduates are increasing in number in local medical schools, now amounting to one fourth of the entire student population. However, graduate entry students may be permitted to enter into the second year of medical school based on their previous major.

• Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
• Faculties of Medicines in Hong Kong

• School of Medicine, Hong Kong University
• Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
• CUHK MBChB Programme - Course Description
• The Medical Licentiate Society of Hong Kong