‘These postgraduate students appear mature, determined and focused. Hopefully they will grasp the basic science and clinical aspects more quickly and cope well with the demands of the MBBS.’ Professor Gordon Wong Tin-chun Maturity and diversity are also valued through the MBBS (Graduate Entry) track, which builds on the success of the Second Chance path launched a few years ago to admit students with a first degree in another discipline and allow them to complete studies in five years instead of six. ‘These postgraduate students appear mature, determined and focused. Hopefully they will grasp the basic science and clinical aspects more quickly and cope well with the demands of the MBBS,’ said Professor Gordon Wong Tin-chun, the newly appointed Associate Dean (Clinical Sciences Education), who is overseeing overall academic development. Professor Wong, along with Professor Siddharth Sridhar from the Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, will jointly look after the programme. The new track is four years instead of five and is designed with reference to similar programmes at other leading medical schools around the world, such as Cambridge and Oxford universities and medical schools in North America. It was approved by the University Grants Committee to commence this September and the programme update has been submitted to the Medical Council of Hong Kong. The initial intake of 25 students will do intensive pre-clinical training in their first year, then clinical training alongside peers in the six-year MBBS for the remaining three years. After the first year, those with an interest in research can also engage in cuttingedge research projects with world-class professors through the one-year MRes[Med], thereby completing two degrees in five years. ‘We have a strong network of teaching hospitals and comprehensive hardware and software support for all medical students. We will give them clinical training in both public and private hospitals in Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area,’ Professor Wong explained. Second Chances through Graduate Entry 7 HKUMed News Summer 2025
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