Experts have suggested that mainland Chinese hospitals could serve as an interim option for internships for students from Hong Kong’s proposed new medical school. Recruiting top teaching staff will be among the significant challenges faced by the institution.
Long-Term Planning and Preparation
Two experts on a government committee emphasized that planning and preparation for the city’s third medical school would take considerable time, with 10 to 20 years needed for it to fully develop. Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu, an expert adviser of the task group and former president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, stressed the importance of a good clinical training environment.
Collaboration with Greater Bay Area Hospitals
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu publicly supported the third medical school plan in October, and the task group was formed shortly afterward to start preparatory work. The government has reserved sites in Ngau Tam Mei in the Northern Metropolis project for the medical school and a teaching and research hospital.
Professor Sung suggested that sending medical students to hospitals in the Greater Bay Area for internship training could be considered before Hong Kong develops sufficient capacity in its own hospitals. This collaboration could provide diverse clinical training opportunities, especially given the larger patient base in the bay area.
Key Parameters and Challenges
Among the 10 key parameters released by the task group in late November, one was collaborating with healthcare institutions in the bay area to provide diverse clinical training opportunities. Sung noted that details of how Hong Kong’s medical students could receive internships on the mainland would depend on the plans of individual universities.
Public and Private Sector Involvement
Professor Nivritti Gajanan Patil, another expert adviser of the task group and vice-dean of Macau University of Science and Technology’s faculty of medicine, suggested that the city might need to seek help from private doctors to train students. Many doctors who have left public hospitals work in the private sector and could offer valuable training.
Recruiting Top Teaching Staff
Sung highlighted the challenge of finding suitable teaching staff, emphasizing that top teachers are crucial for producing outstanding students. Attracting renowned professors dedicated to teaching will require incentives such as money and favorable research environments.
Curriculum and Recognition
Patil, who helped set up the medical school in Macau, noted that it takes years to get a medical school ready and produce healthcare talent. Time is needed to have the curriculum recognized by the Medical Council and to plan for a new hospital.
Baptist University's Preparatory Committee
Baptist University, one of three institutions interested in running the new school, announced its preparatory committee, which includes former HKU medical dean Professor Lee Sum-ping and Professor Manson Fok of the Macau medical school as co-chairs. The university also formed a strategic alliance with the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, a top medical facility in Guangzhou.
Conclusion
Establishing Hong Kong's third medical school presents significant challenges, including long-term planning, collaboration with Greater Bay Area hospitals, and recruiting top teaching staff. However, with strategic alliances and a focus on quality clinical training, the new institution has the potential to enhance healthcare education and manpower in the region.
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