Modern medical education in Hong Kong started in 1887 with the founding of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese. Currently, two universities provide MBBS degree for doctors and six universities provide undergraduate degrees in other subjects of health sciences.
History
The Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese () 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.
Medical and healthcare education institutes Institute Organisation Undergraduate programmes providedUniversity of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine M.B., B.S. (Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery) Bachelor of Nursing Bachelor of Pharmacy Bachelor of Chinese medicine Bachelor of Biomedical ScienceFaculty of Dentistry Bachelor of Dental Surgery Faculty of EducationBachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology The Chinese University of Hong KongFaculty of Medicine M.B., Ch.B. (Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery) Bachelor of Nursing Bachelor of Pharmacy Bachelor of Science in Public Health Bachelor of Chinese medicine"Bachelor of Chinese Medicine." School of Chinese Medicine. Chinese University. Retrieved 2017-06-18. Bachelor of Science in Gerontology Bachelor of Science in Community Health PracticeHong Kong Polytechnic University Faculty of Health and Social Sciences Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy Bachelor of Science in Occupational therapy Bachelor of Science in Nursing Bachelor of Science in Mental Health Nursing Bachelor of Science in Medical laboratory Science Bachelor of Science in Radiography Bachelor of Science in Optometry Bachelor of Science in Applied Ageing Studies Bachelor of Science in Veterinary NursingSchool of Professional Education and Executive DevelopmentBachelor of Science Scheme in Applied Sciences (with specialism in Health Studies) Hong Kong Metropolitan University School of Nursing and Health Studies Bachelor of Nursing with Honours in General Health Care Bachelor of Nursing with Honours in Mental Health Care Hong Kong Baptist University School of Chinese Medicine Bachelor of Pharmacy in Chinese Medicine Bachelor of Chinese Medicine and Bachelor of Biomedical Science Tung Wah College Department of Nursing and Health Sciences Bachelor of Health Science Major in Nursing Bachelor of Health Science Major in Applied GerontologyDepartment of Rehabilitation and Social SciencesBachelor of Science in Occupational TherapyDepartment of Medical ScienceBachelor of Medical Science Major in Basic Medical Sciences Bachelor of Medical Science Major in Forensic Science Bachelor of Medical Science Major in Medical Laboratory Science Bachelor of Medical Science Major in Radiation Therapy Bachelor of Medical Science Major in Veterinary Health StudiesCaritas Institute of Higher EducationSchool of Health Sciences Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) Programme Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physiotherapy
The intakes of various healthcare related Bachelor's programmes 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.
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.
In addition to Bachelor program, some education bodies, public hospitals and private hospitals were acknowledged as registered nurse/ enrolled nurse training schools by The Nursing Council of Hong Kong to provide higher diploma programmes or professional diploma programmes, in order to increase manpower of Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses in the industry. +InstituteOrganisationProgrammes ProvidedQueen Mary HospitalQueen Elizabeth HospitalSchool of Nursing Higher Diploma in NursingPrincess Margaret HospitalPrince of Wales HospitalCaritas Medical CentreSchool of Nursing Higher Diploma in NursingKwong Wah HospitalUnited Christian HospitalHong Kong Sanatorium and HospitalSchool of Nursing Higher Diploma in Nursing (Enrolled Nurses-General) (HD-EN) ProgrammeTuen Mun HospitalSchool of General NursingYan Chai HospitalHKU School of Professional and Continuing Education, the University of Hong KongThe College of Life Sciences and TechnologyHKU SPACE Community College, the University of Hong Kong Higher Diploma in General Nursing (Enrolled Nurses)St. Teresa’s HospitalSchool of Nursing Higher Diploma in General Nursing (Enrolled Nurse) Programme Professional Diploma in NursingUnion HospitalSchool of Nursing Higher Diploma in General Nursing (Enrolled Nurses)Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern HospitalHongkong Adventist Hospital and Tsuen Wan Adventist HospitalHongkong Adventist School of NursingHong Kong Baptist HospitalThe School of Nursing Higher Diploma Nursing ProgramThe Grantham HospitalHaven of Hope HospitalTung Wah Eastern HospitalOur Lady of Maryknoll HospitalKowloon Hospital
Internship 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.
Non-local medical graduates
Prior to the 1997 Handover of Hong Kong, medical degrees from HKU and CUHK were eligible for full registration with the General Medical Council in the UK. However, reciprocality for UK or 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 a 3-part licentiate examination (HKMLE). In 2017, the Licentiate Society, an independent, non-profit entity, formed to represent the LMCHK and to help meet their professional needs. Medical graduates from HKU and CUHK are exempted from taking the HKMLE.
Residency
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 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, which is a statutory body tasked to organise, monitor, assess and accredit all medical and dental specialist trainings in Hong Kong to uphold high professional standard of medical / dental specialists.
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, at around 20-60% depending on specialty.
Under the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, there are 15 colleges offering 73 specialties: