Download - Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Transcript
Page 1: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

www.hku.hk/facmed/newsletterVol. 13 • Issue 3 December 2008

Medical Faculty Essay Competition

Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost!

Nurturing Future Pharmacists - New Bachelor of Pharmacy

Feature

Spotlight

Dean’S MeSSage

Page 2: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

12

11

4 21

Editor-in-ChiefProfessor DTM Chan(陳德茂)

MembersDr GCF Chan(陳志峰)Professor SSC Chan(陳肇始)Professor NK Leung(梁乃江)Professor CM Lo(盧寵茂)Professor Louis CK Low(盧忠啟)Dr John M Nicholls(黎國思)Professor NG Patil(彭達)Dr MH Sham(岑美霞)Dr Z Zhang(張樟進)

Li Ka Shing FacuLty oF Medicne

21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong KongTel: 2819 9175 Fax: 2974 0678Email: [email protected]: www.hku.hk/facmed

editoriaL Board

Volume 13 • Issue 3 • December 2008

Student RepresentativesMs Constance Chan(陳穎琪), MBBS II Mr Philip Li(李曦), MBBS III

Publishing EditorsMs Yvonne Li(李琬雯)Ms Angie Lauw(劉怡芸)

Graphic DesignVisionguard

Contents

DEan’S REPORT 1

DEan’S MESSaGE 2Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost!

FEaTuRE 4Medical Faculty Essay Competition

SPOTliGhT 11Nurturing Future Pharmacists - New Bachelor of Pharmacy

inSiDE ThE FaCulTY 12

nEXT GEnERaTiOn 18

aluMni nEwS 21

DOnaTiOnS 23

PEOPlE 24

COnGRaTulaTiOnS 25

FORThCOMinG EvEnTS 26

The turn of the year is a time for both reflection and looking forward.

In his year-end message, Dean of Medicine Professor SP Lee shares his thoughts on the past year and on coming back to lead the Faculty 38 years after graduating from this medical school. As Professor Lee states so poignantly, nothing is ever lost, and we are ready to move ahead in 2009 using the solid foundation built from all that has been gained over the years. In this issue, we also have the rare opportunity to read the reflections and views of colleagues and students on the humanistic aspects of medicine. These thoughts are given in our special feature on the Medical Faculty Essay Competition 2008, which drew enthusiastic participation.

The past year has seen a revamp of Medical Faculty News. We have extended our readership considerably, and the publication is no longer just for internal communication. We have reported on the new Dean and Faculty senior management. Ironically, rapid advances in information technology have jeopardised true communication and human relationships. Over the past 120 years, our Faculty has grown in size and complexity. Mutual understanding and appreciation between colleagues and, of course, alumni, are prerequisite for coherence and solidarity. We very much hope that Medical Faculty News can continue to serve as an effective means of communication, not just within the Faculty but also with the community at large.

The editorial team and I wish everyone all the best in the New Year!

Professor DTM Chan Editor-in-Chief

From the Editor

Page 3: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

The last quarter of 2008 has been a panic scene on the global stage. People’s nerves were hypersensitive to the hectic financial meltdown around the world. All of us, to a certain extent, are experiencing the material effects of the breakdown of confidence on how the world’s

financial order used to work.

To an active global citizen like our Faculty, who has played an important role in advancing medical science and human health, how far are we from the centre of the storm?

While I will not under-estimate the challenge we have to tackle as a result of the global economic turmoil, my optimism on the Faculty’s development prevails. It is bad times when we have to live with uncertainties and foreseeable tightening of resources. But it is also good times when external threats help us unite, adapt, reaffirm our core values, and bond and grow stronger.

It is therefore important for the Faculty to stand firm on its course with determination and confidence. The past few months showed the Faculty’s typical resilience. We did a great job as the regional centre of academic exchange by hosting a number of impactful scientific events, such as the Shaw Prize Workshop and Lecture on Life Science and Medicine, the Hong Kong International Cancer Congress, the Public Lecture by Dr David Ho titled “Threats Posed by the AIDS Pandemic”, and the Faculty’s annual flagship symposia Frontiers in Biomedical Research and Frontiers in Medical and Health Sciences Education; we announced the launch of our new Bachelor of Pharmacy programme in 2009, which extends our commitment to nurture healthcare professionals for the community; we outreached to the public by organising the annual Information Day for Undergraduate Admissions, and the popular event “Explore the World of Medicine: Public Lecture Series 2008”; and I cannot possibly give an exhaustive list on the scientific breakthroughs and international recognitions achieved by our Faculty members.

I am convinced that the Faculty will carry on its vibrancy and become even stronger. I know this is going to happen when I attended the Faculty Graduation and Prize Presentation Ceremony on November 20, 2008 and addressed the hundreds of young talents nurtured by our Faculty. From their energetic and confident smile, I can see the Faculty’s prosperous future. They will shoulder, with competence, the mission to perpetuate the Faculty’s proud tradition of excellence.

So the coming year will be full of challenges and opportunities. Gearing up our preparations for the 3-3-4 reform, scaling another level of research excellence, improving the Faculty’s teaching and research environment, and strengthening community support for the Faculty are among the pressing tasks that top my agenda. With the support by all Faculty members, students, alumni and the community, we can turn challenges into opportunities.

May I also take this opportunity to wish you and your family a prosperous year of 2009.

Dean’sReport

Professor SP LeeDean of Medicine

1Dean’s Report • Medical Faculty News

From the Editor

Page 4: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Has it been a year already? Ah – what is a year but just a unit of time. We mortals have merely witnessed the changing of seasons and another round of political rhetoric. And yes, the fireworks at midnight, to be followed by yet

another cycle, as tide and time relentlessly move on. Biologists interpret time in the context of our growth, differentiation, maturation, and finally senescence. TH Huxley and Charles Darwin would have us believe that our lifespan is miserably insignificant in the grand scale of Time. Physicists such as Poincaré and Einstein regard time as a dimension against which life itself can vary. If they were correct, you may be able to travel backwards, or fast-forward beyond the present time! For me, though, the sterility of scientific hypotheses is only to be interpreted metaphorically. A day can be a long, never ending day of agony; or too short to capture even a fragment of all the excitement. I identify the passage of a year more with the poets, although not so much with their melancholic sighs filled with sorrow.1 But alas, hark! Another year approaches, a winter to pass, a spring to welcome and a new song to be written and sung. I am inspired by a sense of urgency.2

Yes, the year has come to an end. It has been both a long year and an ultra-short year. Have I lived the time properly?3

This year’s homecoming ends a 35 years’ odyssey in my life’s journey. I had spent my early childhood in Mainland China. My mother took me and my sisters and left China under unspeakably traumatic and dire conditions for Hong Kong, where I grew up to be a young man, like many others, in relative poverty. I lost my father to lung cancer; worked hard and supported myself through medical school; served in the Queen Mary Hospital for a few years before embarking on a meandering career. The year was 1973. Using Auckland (New Zealand) as my base, I had worked in Sydney, London, and Boston – each excursion would bring me back to Auckland. Twenty three years ago, Mary and I, with our two children, left for Seattle and we stayed there until 2008, when we came back to Hong Kong. The wandering son had come home. This year, we traced our old and forgotten paths. Here, we had the opportunity to explore the places that were the backdrops of the pivotal milestones of our lives. Mary and I repaired the stone tablet at my father’s grave. As we tried to restore the faded paints and erosions, we pondered on the meaning of permanence. Going through different places, now transformed many times over, was an archeological exploration. Trying to dig within the memory banks of our minds, we conjured up past sights and sounds. We then visually subtracted the many layers of physical artifacts and the immediate reality before us in order to string together half-remembered names, faces and half-forgotten stories. Physical structures, social behaviour and societal attitudes have changed so much that I felt as if I was an alien in this place which I had once called home. I suddenly understood what TS Eliot must have felt when he wrote “The Journey of the Magi”.4 If I had any sense of doubt or disbelief, it was quickly and irrevocably dispelled when those whom we once got to know as children were now introducing to us their own children. Their children, in turn, looked exactly like their parents in those days of yore.

I reconnected with the departments within the Faculty of Medicine from which I have long been separated. Yes, you are correct – Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Paediatrics and all the rest. Through these encounters, I was compelled to recall my own growing up learning these disciplines and to rediscover the progress of the last 35 years, like a historian. For me, the personal journey had almost come full circle.

I relearned some old lessons that have troubled many generations before me. As I grow older, I begin to see ethical principles that are in conflict at the simplest and most fundamental levels, and why many issues are so recalcitrant to solution or consensus.

2 Medical Faculty News • Dean’s Message

Dean’sMessage

Reflections on the Closing of 2008 -

Page 5: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Professor SP LeeDean of Medicine

3Medical Faculty News • Dean’s Message

Another year

approaches, a winter

to pass, a spring to

welcome and a new

song to be written

and sung. I am

inspired by a sense

of urgency.

Thinking about the future, I would look at the youthful, vibrant and energetic faces passing up and down Sassoon Road, I would take in a lungful of air, my pulse would quicken and I would feel like a teenager all over again. With an adventurous spirit, spiced with a touch of naïvety and romantic idealism packed together with a big dose of optimism and humility, I will greet the future. I will leave the skeptic’s scorn and the cynics wallowing in their bitterness behind. To me, without a shadow of doubt,5 the future of the LKS Faculty of Medicine is very bright and positive. I am awestruck by the talent, creativity, enthusiasm and determination of so many. Sparks in research ideas will lead to blazing flames. It is also an absolute certainty that education of the young, care of the sick will continue to change for the better, as our exploration for knowledge and truth unfold inexorably onwards. In embracing the advent of a new year with excitement, hopes and anticipation, I am reminded of Billroth, who said “It is only those who have a clear understanding of the past would appreciate the present, and be able to predict the future”.

The most important thing that I have learned in 2008 is – whether you know it or not – nothing is lost. Deep in our minds lie all our memories. Whether my psychiatry colleagues might refer to this place as the subconscious, or my neuroscience friends might regard this as a network of synapses with condensed neurochemical granules. In here are the notes of all the music we have ever heard, all the phrases that we love and have spoken, and all the sorrows and losses which time has consoled. There are all our hopes and fears, everything seen and experienced, and every word addressed to us at the infancy of our career before we could even know or understand the implication of their meaning and impact on our lives. There they all are – the legendary lies, the shameless practical jokes, the boring lectures, the rare epileptiform moments of sudden enlightenment, the sights, the sounds, and the tears. They are the forgotten debris of forgotten years waiting to be recalled, waiting to rise up in our minds before our eyes. They are waiting for some small, intimate trigger – a word, a tune, or a familiar scent. These echos from the past come to remind you, to trace the path you have taken, and to explain to you who you are, where you have come from, where you are going, and why you are doing what you are doing. This package of assets, more valuable than anything that anyone owns, can own, or will ever own, is unique to you and you alone. Whether or not you want to recall it. Whether or not you can recall it. It is there. It is yours. Nothing is lost.

May 2009 bring you and your family peace, health and happiness.

Nothing Is Lost!

1. For example: “Fair daffodils, we weep to see you haste away so soon…” (Robert Herrick) and “When to the sessions of sweet silent thought…” (William Shakespeare)

2. For example: “I must arise and go now, and go to Innisfree” (William Butler Yeats)3. “…(If you can) fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.” (Rudyard Kipling)4. “we returned to our places … but no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation…” (TS Eliot)5. “without a shadow of doubt” - an emphatic phrase often used by Professor Alexander McFadzean, former

Dean of the Faculty of Medicine

Page 6: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

4 Medical Faculty News • Feature

The Faculty has recently organised the “Medical Faculty Essay Competition 2008” to promote the art and humanity of medicine. With the enthusiastic support from staff, students and alumni, a total of 38 entries were received. The

adjudicators were Professor Shew-ping Chow, Professor Chack-fan Lee, Professor Sum-ping Lee, Dr Kit-sing Au, and Mr Cheuk-fei Man. The results of the Competition are as follows:

Medical Faculty Essay Competition 2008Feature

Professor Shew-ping Chow(周肇平)Pro-Vice-Chancellor, HKU

The articles submitted for this inaugural competition belonged to different categories. Some were sentimental, others desertations. It was also difficult to compare the artistic value of those written in Chinese and those in English. There was a general feeling from the adjudicators that prizes for different categories should be established in subsequent years. Your comment will be most welcome.

Professor Chack-fan lee(李焯芬)Director, HKU SPACE

These entries generally consist of high-calibre creative writings that range from visions and innovative ideas for the medical profession, to very touching stories between medical doctors and their patients . They really help people to gain a much better and deeper understanding of the important value of the medical profession in our society.

Professor Sum-ping lee(李心平) Dean, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU

I enjoy reading and this has been a rare treat for me. It is a rich mosaic of assays with different styles, writing techniques, and format of expression. Yet, each piece is so fresh, original, in earnest and filled with heart-felt passion; and all are but variations on the same central theme of a personal experience on human suffering and what this noble profession means to the author. I greatly admire the spirit to express and share and I wish the willingness to participate will continue to grow.

Dr Kit-sing au(區結成)Hospital Chief Executive, Kowloon Hospital & Hong Kong Eye HospitalThe submitted essays speak of the intellects and hearts of contributing students, staff, alumni and friends of the medical school and the university. I am both impressed and touched. I feel privileged to be invited to read them as a judging panel member. Thank you.

Mr Cheuk-fei Man(文灼非)President, HKU Graduates Association & Chief Editor, Hong Kong Economic Journal Monthly

I spent a few nights reading all the entries during my business trip to China in early Oct. It was a very enjoyable experience to learn a lot about medical education, medical philosophy, medical debates and even Chinese medicine. I was struck by the all round talents of some doctors whose writings are highly professional yet surprisingly readable.

Adjudicators’ Comments

Page 7: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

5Feature • Medical Faculty News

L iberal arts originated in Ancient Greece as a body of knowledge considered essential for a free man. Not many students in Hong Kong have the opportunity for a pre-medicine undergraduate education in liberal

arts. Some accept it with regret or indifference, others rejoice or wonder. Few entertain that Medicine already is our liberal arts.

The Trivium of grammar, rhetoric, and logic, together with the Quadrivium of geometry, music, astronomy and arithmetic, were the seven liberal arts in medieval times. These evolved into a modern curriculum which now includes literature, science, languages, history, philosophy and art. In North America, an undergraduate education in liberal arts is often recommended as a desirable preparation for medical school. It aims to impart not only general knowledge, but also training for the intellect and nourishment for the soul.

Medicine and liberal arts value the same attributes in the educated. What enables a physician to detect pallor and anaemia, and diagnose alcoholism and depression in one patient, and an occult tumour in another? Prepared observation for details, a panoramic view of the consortium of known facts, organised thinking, informed decision-making and timely action are what make a competent doctor. In much the same way, a liberal arts education promotes these qualities to prepare its graduates as future governors, engineers, bankers or scholars. It is the tuned intellect and the practical mind that the two curricula nurture, well beyond the mere acquisition of factual information.

Both emphasise an active engagement with knowledge. Learning is a life-long and lively process. A few years in university will not instill all that one needs to know. A liberal arts student learns how to learn, and how to continue to learn years after a graduation gown was donned. To see things in context and to career upon a journey of continuous self-education is also what medicine asks of its practitioners. The climate in medical schools is changing and students are no longer passive recipients of facts. The introduction of Problem Based Learning in this Faculty is an example of Medicine acknowledging its duty to coach self-teaching. By acquainting with the dynamics of the latter, students may also embrace teaching others in later years with ease and passion. It rises above problem-solving. A study on the genealogy of Ivy League professors will testify.

ChampionDr Gilberto leung, Department of Surgery

My motivation in writing this essay was probably identical to the reason why this competition was held. I re-read this essay a few days after it was submitted, and was quite embarrassed by the inadequate exposition of my

even more inadequate thoughts. And that, in itself, was a valuable process of growth and learning, for which I thank the Faculty’s initiative in organising this event. I look forward to savouring more outstanding works by my colleagues in the future.

Medicine as Our Liberal Arts

Page 8: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

6 Medical Faculty News • Feature

Feature

And Medicine is creative just as liberal arts encourage the cross-fertilisation of ideas. When we recount the development from Mendel’s work on pea-plants to gene therapy, or the aesthetics underpinning I.M. Pei’s Pyramids of the Louvre, we provide our students with glimpses of how a trained and creative mind is capable of surprises and benefits to mankind. While liberal arts students may at times mistake creativity for nonconformity, medical students should recognise their potential and duties in transforming not only medical practices but this world also.

Indeed, Medicine should be taught like liberal arts. Functioning high above information gathering are the faculties for critical evaluation of evidence and argument. Whether evidence-based medicine leads to better patient care is one discussion that will outlast the shelf-lives of our beloved journals. But it has undeniably ignited our minds for clear and independent thinking when faced with distortions and dogmas. What gives Medicine the unique distinction over other sciences in this respect is that Medicine, for all its worth, is not exactly a science, or at least not an exact science, but an art based on science. Liberal arts guide us to live certainly in an uncertain world. In Medicine, we are taught to make hard decisions based on incomplete information, forever balancing the risks and benefits to our patients amidst the internal dialogues between our conscience and ego. Liberal arts and Medicine echo each other in this symphony of human conditions; their students must learn to master its lyrical and mathematical beauty – orderly but never the same, soberly passionate, calculated and spontaneous.

A liberal arts education illuminates the coherence and relationships between facets of our lives. A country, one comes to understand, may find its roots of unhappiness in economical, political, religious and cultural conflicts, individually contributory and mutually influenced. Doctors must similarly appreciate the interplay between physical diseases and psychology in their patients, and prescribe treatment compatible with the existing ethical standards, resources and expectations of families and society. Nothing short of a holistic world-view will suffice.

But aren’t we doing all these already as enlightened medical teachers?

Yes, but so far only for producing better doctors. It is only by elevating medical training to the level of an explicit and complete education for individuals that we will also produce better leaders, citizens, colleagues, teachers, spouses, parents and friends. And there is more than just utilitarian gain. Medicine shows us that work and responsibilities can be fun, that our transient existence is precious and miraculous; just as logic unveils for us the comedy behind a paradox, and geometry makes us marvel at the hidden beauty of foliage on the first day of summer.

To treat Medicine as a stand-alone or part of a liberal arts curriculum is not about drawing comparison and borrowing from each other. Medicine already possesses many elements of a liberal arts education. What is important and lacking is the very awareness that it does. It is an awareness that must be articulated and shared by both students and teachers.

Medicine was deficient in the past with its rigid curriculum and a relentless desire to download (or is it “upload”?) time-honoured bytes of unusable information. The divorce of education from application in the guise of scholarship had ill-prepared doctors for this ever-changing and occasionally hostile world. Now that we are armed with core and optional modules, blessed with an extended curriculum, and woken up to the calls from our doctors and the public on what is wanted and needed, there is no better time to address what medical education in Hong Kong can do and must do – to give birth to our unborn liberal arts, to graduate our students as a future class of free man.

Page 9: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

7Feature • Medical Faculty News

Page 10: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

8 Medical Faculty News • Feature

Feature

2nd Runner-UpDr lap-ki Chan, Institute of Medical and Health Sciences Education & Department of Anatomy

It is not easy to understand another human being, but health care workers, who have to take care of people at critical points in their lives, need to. This

understanding is at the core of health care, but it is often difficult to communicate its importance. To me, the best way of communicating it is through literature, which reveals our souls and draws us closer together. That is at least one of my reasons for writing this short story.

Page 11: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

9Feature • Medical Faculty News

M r Lai, the report shows that you have a large aneurysm in your neck. There is a risk that it may burst and when it does, you will suffer a massive stroke. We can try operating on it but given its location, the

chance of success is only 50-50.”

“Doctor, what should I do?”

“Well, there are two options. You can either opt for operation now or we can observe you and re-evaluate your condition in another three months.”

“Doctor, which is better for me?”

“Well, each carries its own risks. (Here the doctor reiterated the risks.) It is entirely up to you.”

“But doctor, I don’t know which to choose. Can you tell me what I should do?”

“They are both risky… (hesitatingly) I can’t decide for you. I suggest that you go home and discuss the matter with your family.”

The 47-year-old construction worker left the outpatient clinic worried and troubled. All of a sudden, he began to feel the pulsation deep inside his neck, pulsating like a ticking clock.

Although hypothetical, the above scenario was compiled from a few real incidents. If asked who has the right to make the decision for Mr Lai? In this era of patient rights, the likely answer will be Mr Lai himself. Yet, it is obvious that something went wrong in this encounter. Mr Lai was left to decide on his own, lost in a sea of uncertainties.

Decision making is an integral part of medicine in practice. Medical intervention entails deliberate decision making based on evidences. While this seems to denote objectivity in medical decision-making, the process of reaching a decision in real clinical situation is far more complex. Western medicine constitutes Hong Kong’s mainstream healthcare. Based on the principle of beneficence, reinforced by the concept of the sick role and the high esteem ascribed by the general public to the medical profession, traditional medical decision-making was more a doctor’s soliloquy under the preconception of “I (doctor) know what is best for you (patient).” Patient passivity was accepted, even expected at times.

2nd Runner-UpMs Tracy Tak-ching Kwan, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

The inspiration for my essay originated from the patients whom I have come to know through my research work. Listening to their side of the medical stories allowed

me to look at the practice of medicine as an interactive art. This is also the perspective from which I hope that readers of the essay may come to reconsider the critical task of decision making in clinical setting.

Medical Decision Making: Solo or Duet?

Page 12: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

This model of medical decision making had been under fire in the past decades for its paternalistic approach and was refuted in modern medicine. Patient rights and patient autonomy are hailed instead. Included in the Hong Kong Hospital Authority’s Patients’ Charter is a “patient’s right to accept or refuse any medication, investigation or treatment, and to be informed of the likely consequences of doing so”.1 Similar declarations can also be found among healthcare organisations and medical professional bodies. Medical ethics and patient rights are taught in medical schools. Public awareness is raised through frequent media exposure to related news. Indeed, it is not uncommon to hear lay compliments on the “politeness” or “improved attitudes” of healthcare professionals in comparison with older days.

Respect for patient autonomy is a noble undertaking. Patient’s right to decide implies that patient’s wishes should be and will be respected even when these wishes seem odd or contradict expert opinions. It empowers the patient and establishes a collaborative, rather than authoritative relationship between the care provider and care recipient. Patient involvement in decision-making may translate into increased patient satisfaction, increased treatment compliance and improved doctor-patient relationship. Given all the goods, is “let the patient decide” an optimal approach to making medical decision? Informed decision-making precedes patient’s right to decide. However, the sharp rise in medical litigations and grievances in the West and in Hong Kong related to patients’ complaints of being inadequately informed before a procedure point to a job poorly done in areas of doctor-patient communication and the proper exercise of this patient right.

There is a risk of the pendulum swinging to the other extreme where medical decision making becomes the patient’s solo. Doctors may resort to play the role of the ‘neutral’ information conveyor, striving to give information, often quoting statistics, while refraining from indicating their own preferences as illustrated in the opening scenario. There can be various underlying reasons, fear of interfering with the patient’s freedom to choose for one and fear of litigation for another. Strictly speaking, however, the act of information-giving is seldom ‘neutral’. What is said and how it is said are choices influenced by the conveyor’s values and beliefs.2 In settings where complex procedure or treatment with substantial risks and benefits are involved, the neutral approach may do more harm than benefit if patients lack the ability to comprehend the health information or to decide on their own. It only adds to the frustration and helplessness of the patients, and opens the door to subsequent disputes.

Patient rights are notions originated from the West, the construction of which is primarily based on Western values and individualism. Interpretation of and practicing the right to information and the right to decide may vary across cultures and countries. Traditional Chinese ideologies emphasising subservience to authority and precedence of family or groups over individuals influence the Chinese sick role. Furthermore, information is not the sole factor upon which patients decide. Decisions concerning one’s own medical care are often made by patients out of a sense of self-perceived inadequacy and trust towards the medical professional even when they couldn’t fully comprehend what was being told. It is also common for Chinese patients, especially elderly patients, to voluntarily forfeit their right to choose and leave the matter to the doctors.

Undoubtedly, patient has the right to decide. Doctors, equipped with medical expertise and experiences, can play a proactive and sometimes pivotal role in assisting patients to decide. Use of lay language in communicating health information is the first crucial step, which is easy to say than do, requiring patience, sensitivity and self-awareness of the doctor. Taking time to listen and to ask facilitate doctor’s understanding of patient’s real concerns and preferences. Doctors need to be aware of the influences of context, communication style and personal characteristics on decision-making. There are situations when it is necessary for doctors to disclose their values, which can be properly done if patients are made aware of it, in order to navigate patients down the path towards a decision reflecting patients’ true wishes. And there are other times when patients want to delegate their right to decide to someone else, including the doctor. In a way, these are two sides of the same token - one side finds the right to decide and the other, the right not to decide. Both sides are worthy of respect. Brock’s (1993) interpretation of autonomy captures the essence of its application – patient has the right to participate, but should not be obliged to participate in making decisions for one’s healthcare.3 Medical decision making is a dynamic and interactive process, necessitating not a solo by the doctor or the patient, but a duet by both.

Feature

10 Medical Faculty News • Feature

1 Hong Kong Hospital Authority. (1999) Patients’ Charter. Hospital Authority: Hong Kong. Retrieved from: http://www.ha.org.hk/charter/index.htm. Date retrieved: 3 October, 2008.

2 Kirklin, D. (2007) Framing, Truth Telling and the Problem with Non-directive Counseling. J Med Ethics, 33:58-62.3 Brock, D. (1993) Life and Death: Philosophical Essays in Biomedical Ethics. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

Page 13: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Spotlight

11Spotlight • Medical Faculty News

P harmacists are essentially experts on drugs. They work as part of multidisciplinary healthcare teams

to provide pharmaceutical care to patients, deliver ing cl inical pharmacy services, recommending appropriate drug choices and monitoring outcomes of drug therapy. Changes in Hong Kong’s healthcare sector are now leading to greater demand for such professionals.

“Many hospitals are going to implement 24-hour pharmacy services in the coming years, and the number of community dispensaries is increasing gradually,” said Dr George PH Leung, Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy. “There is also a rising need for residential pharmacy services in nursing homes. These factors are building demand for professional pharmacy services in Hong Kong.”

To meet the growing need for pharmaceutical care, the Faculty will offer a new, full-time Bachelor of Pharmacy degree (JUPAS Programme Code: 6494) in the 2009-10 academic year.

Many other capabilities are required along with pharmacy know-how. Professor Paul M Vanhoutte, Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy said, “Pharmacists in community dispensaries are not only required to communicate with patients at the frontline, they should possess business sense, international vision and managerial skills.”

Apar t from nur tur ing students to be pharmacy professionals, the programme

also means to develop their self-learning and problem-solving skills. “The programme will be taught in a problem-based learning (PBL) approach, so that the students can integrate the theories and clinical applications through case discussions,” said Professor Ricky YK Man, Chair Professor of Pharmacology.

The three-year, credit-based pharmacy programme aims to produce graduates with solid knowledge and skills who can deliver effective, humane, and ethical pharmaceutical care.

Nurturing Future Pharmacists New Bachelor of Pharmacy

Strong Emphasis on Clinical PharmacyWith the support of Queen Mary Hospital, which has the largest team of clinical pharmacists in Hong Kong, pharmacy students will enjoy early clinical exposure and inter-professional collaboration through bedside teaching.

Community-Based TrainingPlacements, assisted by the major pharmacy chains in Hong Kong, will prepare students to supply pharmacy expertise in a community setting.

Exposure to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Complementary and Alternative MedicineStudents will be equipped with knowledge of Chinese Medicine, as well as herbal medicine, functional foods and other healthcare products commonly used by patients undertaking Western Medicine treatment in Hong Kong.

Patient Counselling and Communication SkillsWith a foreseeable shift in service delivery model from “disease treatment” to “preventive care”, the role of community pharmacists will become more

important in healthcare service provision. The programme will equip students with the proficiency to provide primary healthcare, including patient education.

Training in Industrial PharmacyIn addition to the traditional parts of industrial pharmacy such as pharmaceutical manufacture and formulation sciences, students will be well trained in quality assurance, research and development, clinical trials and regulatory affairs. Those are the areas in which pharmacists increasingly play a critical role.

New Learning ApproachThe programme will adopt a problem-based learning approach, an area of strength in the Faculty, to encourage interdisciplinary inquiry and foster life-long learning skills. It will also provide opportunities for capstone experience and experiential learning.

To meet pharmacists’ continuing professional development needs, the Faculty plans to offer a Master of Pharmacy in the 2012-2015 triennium.

For more information, visit www.hku.hk/facmed.

PROGRAMME FEATURES

Page 14: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

The Shaw Prize Workshop and Lecture

Inside the Faculty

T he Shaw Prize is an international award established in 2002 to honour individuals who have achieved distinguished and

significant advances in their respective fields. In September, the Faculty arranged two inspiring events with the 2008 laureates in life science and medicine: Sir Ian Wilmut of the University of Edinburgh, UK; Professor Keith H S Campbell of the University of Nottingham, UK; and Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University, Japan.

The leading scientists participated in a workshop for the biomedical community and a public lecture on September 8 and 10 respectively. At the lecture, the three laureates shared their experience in stem cell research, drawing about 900 participants to the talk. The lecture was followed by a panel discussion which discussed the widespread controversy over regenerative medicine.

“Threats Posed by the AIDS Pandemic” Public Lecture by Dr David Ho

Inside the Faculty • Medical Faculty News12

T he Faculty was recently privileged to organise a public lecture by Dr David Ho 何大一), Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Aaron Diamond AIDS

Research Center and Honorary Director of the HKU AIDS Institute. The lecture was held prior to Dr Ho receiving the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa, conferred by the University on December 4, 2008.

In the lecture, Dr Ho explained the cause of the AIDS outbreak, therapy and prevention, emphasising that education was an effective method of prevention. “We need to teach the young, we need to teach essentially every citizen of this world about this disease, which I have called the worst plague in human history, and make sure every person knows and is aware of this, and knows how HIV is contracted,” Dr Ho said. The lecture attracted more than 500 staff, students and members of the public. Over half of the attendees were students from local secondary schools.

Page 15: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

15th Hong Kong International Cancer Congress

Inaugural Symposium for FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society –

Public Health Approaches to Family Health, Happiness and Harmony

Inside the Faculty • Medical Faculty News 13

T he Inaugural Symposium for FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society – Public Health Approaches to Family Health, Happiness and Harmony

was held on October 25, 2008. The symposium, jointly organised by the School of Public Health and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, set out to explore and debate strategies and interventions to promote family health, happiness and harmony (3Hs). With Trust funding of HK$250 million, the FAMILY project aims to address family problems at source and promote the 3Hs to build a harmonious society.

Professor Lap-chee Tsui, Vice-Chancellor and President, Mr William Y Yiu, Executive Director, Charities, Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Professor Sum-ping Lee, Dean of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, were officiating guests at the symposium’s opening ceremony. At the event, world-renowned experts delivered keynote speeches, while local community leaders, scholars, and professionals from a range of disciplines participated in the panel discussion.

The FAMILY project, a Hong Kong Jockey Club Charit ies Trust initiative carried out in collaboration with the School of Public Health, seeks to devise preventive measures that are complementary, wide-reaching, pervasive and cost-effective. Government and other related organisations will be able to use the information and evidence collected from the project to formulate long-term family policies and programmes. The project comprises three major components: a household survey; intervention and evaluation; and public education. For more information, visit the project website at http://hkjcfp.org.hk/.

A productive mix of cutting-edge research, science and treatment for cancer was discussed at the 15th Hong Kong International Cancer Congress under the theme of

“Emerging Technologies and New Concepts in Cancer”. The event was held from November 12-14, 2008. Topics included molecular imaging, cancer stem cells, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, advances

in diagnostics in cancer, molecular biology, childhood lymphoma, gynaecological cancer, targeted therapies, the family physician’s role in cancer care and quality of care in childhood cancer. The event attracted over 950 participants, with regional and overseas participants from Australia, USA, New Zealand, Canada and Taiwan.

Page 16: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Inside the Faculty

Reception for Dr Cheng Yu Tung Fellows 2008-09

Inside the Faculty • Medical Faculty News14

E ighteen awardees attended the 2008-09 reception for Dr Cheng Yu Tung Fellows, held on November 6, 2008. The Fellows thanked Dr Cheng for his generous support,

which had enabled them to take up training opportunities at the University.

From 2008, two new categories of fellowships, Clinical Fellowships and Clinical Assistantships, have been formally established under the Dr Cheng Yu Tung Fellowships Scheme. The awards are for candidates to undertake training or clinical attachment at the University. Applicants should possess a basic medical degree and currently be serving as a Chief Physician/Attending Physician in hospitals. Details of the scheme can be found at www.hku.hk/facmed/04research_fellow_drcheng.htm.

T he 5th Pong Ding Yuen International Symposium on Traditional Chinese Medicine – Prevention and Treatment of Geriatric Diseases by Integrative Medicine, was successfully held on December 13-14, 2008. Speakers from USA, Singapore,

Taiwan, Macau and Mainland China were invited.

The symposium was funded by the Pong Ding Yuen Endowment Fund for Education and Research in Chinese-Western Medicine and co-organised by HKU School of Chinese Medicine and the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine. The two-day event attracted more than 400 attendees, with topics ranged from the outlook for integrative medicine to in-depth medical research. Sessions were very well received by Chinese Medicine practitioners, Western Medicine doctors and the general public.

Prevention and Treatment of Geriatric Diseases by Integrative Medicine5th Pong Ding Yuen International Symposium on Traditional Chinese Medicine – Prevention and Treatment of Geriatric Diseases by Integrative Medicine

Page 17: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

T he Institute of Medical and Health Sciences Education (IMHSE) organised a conference focused on “Frontiers in Medical and Health Sciences Education: Making Doctors Human” on December 11-13, 2008. The conference centred on three important

themes: medical humanities, ethics & professionalism, and spirituality & health.

Plenary sessions were presented by distinguished overseas scholars, including Professor Jill Gordon of the University of Sydney, Australia; Professor David Rothman of Columbia University, USA; and Dr Steven Hickman of the University of California at San Diego, USA. Local and overseas experts also delivered and acted as facilitators for special guest lectures, workshops and free paper presentations on conference themes. The student debate, “Altruism is Declining in Medical Practice”, proved a highlight of the conference, with about 200 participants witnessing the exciting yet thought-provoking session.

Frontiers in Medical and Health Sciences Education: Making Doctors Human

Inside the Faculty • Medical Faculty News 15

T he 7th Faculty Research Symposium, “Frontiers in Biomedical Research, HKU 2008”, was held on December 12, 2008. Six parallel sessions were organised around the

Faculty’s strategic research areas: cancer, heart, brain, hormone & healthy ageing, infection & immunology, public health, reproduction, development & growth, and genomic medicine, a new theme introduced this year.

Frontiers in Biomedical Research, HKU 2008

Twelve overseas keynote speakers shared their experience and expertise. Two HKU Best Research Output Awardees and 11 experts from the University and its sister institutions in Hong Kong also presented their latest discoveries. The symposium attracted nearly 800 participants.

Page 18: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

S ome 2,000 graduands, together with their families and friends, attended the Faculty Graduation and Prize Presentation Ceremony in November 2008. The event saw

21 degrees and diplomas conferred. In recognition of teaching excellence and promotion of good teaching practices, four Faculty Teaching Medals were awarded. The recipients were Dr MWL Koo 古永亮), Dr LW Lu(呂力為), Dr MH Sham(岑美霞)and

Dr AM Tarrant(戴美怡).

Two Faculty Outstanding Research Output Awards were also presented in recognition of excellent research papers published in international journals. The awardees were Professor JSM Peiris 裴偉士), Dr JM Nicholls(黎國思), Dr MCW Chan(陳志偉),

Miss WY Chan(陳韻怡), Dr CY Cheung(張頌恩), Professor DLW Kwong(鄺麗雲), Dr MP Wong(王碧), Dr LLM Poon 潘烈文), Professor GSW Tsao(曹世華)and Professor Y Guan 管軼)for their collective work published in Nature Medicine; and

Professor KDK Luk(陸瓞驥)for his publication in The Lancet.

Inside the Faculty

Inside the Faculty • Medical Faculty News16

Faculty Graduation and Prize Presentation Ceremony 2008

Department of Nursing Studies Graduation Celebration 2008

O n November 18, 2008, a memorable celebration for graduates from the Department of Nursing Studies was held at the Medical Campus. A total of

209 undergraduate and graduate students received degrees, with eight achieving a distinguished academic performance.

Representatives from all the programmes conducted by the Department of Nursing Studies as well as the Chairperson of the Alumni Association delivered votes of thanks. The ceremony was followed by a tea gathering at Fan Pui Garden, where everyone shared their memories, joy and accomplishments.

Page 19: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

T he 13th RPS was held from December 10-11, 2008, providing the opportunity for 176 students to present their posters and 70 students to give oral presentations.

The Faculty was honoured to have eight renowned overseas academics as adjudicators at the symposium’s plenary session.

13th Research Postgraduate Symposium

Fan Pui Garden – A New Platform for Social and Cultural Exchange

F an Pui Garden has taken on a fresh role with its inaugural Lunchtime Talk on “Social Responsibilities of Health Care Professionals – Within and Outside Their Professional Practices”, given by Dr Thomas Sze-tong Chan

(陳思堂), National Director of World Vision International - China Office, on October 31, 2008.

The talk was part of a new Faculty initiative to develop social and cultural awareness among students of the Sassoon Road Campus. In line with whole-person student development, Fan Pui Garden will host talks, forums and activities by speakers from outside bodies, student societies, and interested members of staff on a range of topics.

Many students and teachers attended the first event. Stay tuned and join us at the next lunchtime Fan Pui Garden activity!

Inside the Faculty • Medical Faculty News 17

Ms Chak-lui Wong, PhD candidate from the Department of Pathology, received the Best Presentation Award for her outstanding oral presentation. Several other students were awarded Certificates of Merit:

Oral PresentationsMiss Yuen-ting Cheung, PhD (Anatomy)

Miss Wendy Wong, PhD (Medicine)Mr Pui Wang, PhD (Microbiology)

Poster PresentationsMr Graham KH Shea, PhD (Biochemistry)

Mr Siu-hang Kong, MPhil (Pathology)Ms Elaine WL Lau, PhD (Community Medicine)

Mr Yuan Gao, PhD (Biochemistry)Miss Valeria OY Leung, MPhil (Biochemistry)

Mr Yongping Lin, PhD (Microbiology)

Information Day for Undergraduate Admissions 2008

O ver 4,500 people visited the Medical Faculty for the HKU Information Day for Undergraduate Admissions 2008

on October 18, 2008. Faculty staff and students actively participated to introduce visitors to our latest educational, research and clinical activities through admission talks, mock problem-based learning classes, poster exhibition, video shows, guided tours of laboratory & teaching facilities, scientific & clinical demonstrations and interactive games.

Page 20: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Next Generation

Medical Faculty News • Next Generation18

Medic Festival 2008Adrian Fung (MBBS I)

The Medical Society’s annual Medic Festival once

again provided an invaluable opportunity for

freshmen to boost their activity-planning skills as

organising committee members. The 2008 theme

was “Fusione”, with events running from October 20

to 24.

The lively festival offered a varied programme, including a sharing workshop, charity concession

and BBQ beach party. The events arranged aimed to strengthen links between the Faculty’s

three undergraduate programmes. The highlight proved to be the singing contest, featuring

impressive performances by students and faculty members. Activities came to a fitting

conclusion with an exhilarating Halloween Party.

Health Exhibition Committee, Medical Society, HKUSU

The Health Exhibition 2008 was held on September 20-21, and October 4-5, 2008, at the

Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin Town Halls respectively. This year’s exhibition focused on the

importance of ophthalmological health through its theme of “醫for Eye”. It attracted more

than 4,000 people.

Colourful display boards providing at-a-glance ophthalmological health information

were put up, along with an eye-model game booth for children. On-the-spot health

checks, vision tests and intraocular pressure tests were also available to all ages. The

Committee would like to thank all advisors, sponsors and helpers for their invaluable

support.

2008-09 Executive Committee Inauguration Asian Medical Students’ Association Hong Kong (AMSAHK)

The AMSAHK’s inauguration ceremony for its 2008-09 Executive Committee successfully took

place on November 22, 2008, at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital’s auditorium.

Many distinguished guests attended the ceremony and gave inspirational speeches.

Guests included Professor NG Patil, Professor NK Leung(梁乃江)and

Dr Philip Beh(馬宣立). The Association’s new year then began

with outgoing President Gary Yu handing over to incoming

President Stephanie Dorothy Yu.

AMSAHK is a non-profit making organisation. For more details,

visit www.amsahk.org, or contact its Public Relations Department at

[email protected].

Page 21: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

19Next Generation • Medical Faculty News

In response to the alarming prevalence of unhealthy diets

and obesity, nine MBBS III students headed for the harbour

with their creative, healthy recipes on December 8, 2008.

Starting from Central with a ferry trip across to Tsim Sha Tsui,

their promotion of a balanced diet and its importance attracted

more than 1,500 passers-by. They also organised a petition

demanding local restaurants increase the variety of healthy

dishes.

Higher Tobacco Tax, Fewer Smokers Tsz-hin Chiu (MBBS III)

On December 6, 2008, 25 MBBS III students took to the

streets to seek a higher tobacco tax rate, a measure

they believed would be effective in controlling the number

of smokers in Hong Kong. The students’ large, eye-catching

banners and creative “anti-smoking” song quickly attracted

attention, with about 3,000 signatures collected in Causeway Bay

in two hours. The students then marched from Chater Garden to

Government Headquarters, where the petition was handed over

to a representative of the Financial Secretary.

Balanced Diet Advocates Take Message Across the Harbour Philip Li (MBBS III)

Obesity is now a rising health problem in Hong Kong. To help to prevent the younger

generation from obesity, a group of MBBS III students organised a health education

programme for a primary school in the New Territories on December 10, 2008. Basic knowledge

of obesity and preventive measures were introduced to the school students through

presentations, role play and a question-and-answer game. The programme was well received.

Say No to Obesity from Primary School Ben Fung (MBBS III)

Page 22: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Medical Faculty News • Next Generation20

BBQ Night at Madam SH Ho Residence

Residence for Medical Students Hall Society

The annual “BBQ night” held at the Madam SH Ho Residence for

Medical Students on October 30, 2008 was another wonderful

success, with nearly 100 students and staff enjoying the night. The

highlight of the evening came when Professor SP Lee(李心平), Dean of Medicine, shared his

vivid memories of his time as a medical student.

Many thanks to our Master, Professor HF Tse(謝鴻發), for his inspiring words and continuous

support, and also to his family for joining us and donating the great prizes.

Time to Say Goodbye, Time to Give Thanks! Dominic Chan (MBBS 2008)

APPLAUSE

HKU team, comprising six undergraduate and postgraduate

students from the Department of Biochemistry and Department

of Anatomy and five students from the Faculty of Science, won

a bronze medal in the International Genetically Engineered Machine

(iGEM) competition 2008. This was the first time that HKU had entered

a team for the competition.

Mr S Cao(曹善柏), Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology,

Ms QHY Mak(麥可人), Department of Pathology, Ms WW Tse

謝韻慧), Department of Medicine, and Mr N Wang(王宁), School

of Chinese Medicine, have been awarded University Postgraduate

Fellowships (2008-2009) by the University’s Graduate School.

The MBBS Class 2008 Graduation Dinner was held on June 14, 2008. The occasion

provided the opportunity to thank our teachers for all their time and effort in

transforming us into professional medical practitioners. It was also a great night for the

Class, as it offered a rare chance for everyone to gather in the same room after the final

exam.

The evening was packed with hilarious speeches and games with fabulous prizes. The

Class also managed to raise more than HK$20,000 for victims of the Sichuan earthquake.

Next

Page 23: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

HKUMAA Programme Sub-Committee 2008-2010

To provide more opportunities for alumni to meet at social occasions, the Executive Committee invited graduates from

various classes to form a Programme Sub-Committee to initiate activities for members, other medical alumni, staff and students. The following alumni have been appointed Sub-Committee members:

ChairpersonDr Kathleen PH So(蘇碧嫻) (MBBS 1971) SecretaryDr Lai-yin Chong(莊禮賢) (MBBS 1979)MembersDr Edmund CK Chan(陳祖鈞) (MBBS 1986) Dr Kingsley HH Chan(陳厚毅) (MBBS 2000)Professor Daniel TM Chan(陳德茂) (MBBS 1985, Ex-officio) Dr Ying-kei Chan(陳英琪) (MBBS 1991) Dr Shin-chak Chiu(趙善策) (MBBS 1958)Dr Eliza PY Fung(馮寶恩) (MBBS 1997)Dr Barbara CC Lam(藍章翔) (MBBS 1981) Professor Nai-kong Leung(梁乃江) (MBBS 1966, Ex-officio) Dr Sam-fung Tsang(曾三峰) (MBBS 1994)Dr Janice WH Tsang(曾詠恆) (MBBS 1999) Dr Victor HW Yeung(楊協和) (MBBS 2006)

The Sub-Committee welcomes ideas for activities. Please send suggestions to the Secretariat at [email protected].

Alumni News

Message from the New President of HKU Medical Alumni Association

Dear Alumni,

On behalf of the newly elected Executive Committee, I wish to thank members for electing us into office, and especially for entrusting me with the presidency for the next two years. This appointment provides me with opportunities to meet you, the alumni, and medical students, and to work with the new Dean of the Medical Faculty, Professor Sum-ping Lee.

I very much look forward to seeing you at our forthcoming activities. May I also take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones happiness and success in 2009.

Professor nai-kong leung President, HKUMAA

A Splendid Italian Evening With Renowned Violin -Maker

Alfredo Primavera

On November 6, 2008, Mr Alfredo Primavera, a famous violin-maker from Cremona, Italy, gave a talk on “Antonio Stradivari

(1644-1737), Patriarch of Violin-Makers” at the Alumni Chamber. Mr Primavera also brought along several very fine violins, which Ms Elizabeth Lo, an outstanding Hong Kong violinist, proceeded to demonstrate. Before the talk, there was a special Italian wine reception to enrich the evening’s flavour. About 50 alumni and their friends enjoyed the splendid occasion.

21Alumni News • Medical Faculty News

Page 24: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Two social get-togethers were organised in December 2008 to introduce the new

Dean of Medicine, Professor Sum-ping Lee, and President of the HKU Medical Alumni Association, Professor Nai-kong Leung and the forthcoming alumni events to class representatives as well as to strengthen ties among alumni. A lunch was held on December 8 at the Hong Kong Medical Association’s Clubhouse in Central and a dinner took place on December 10 at the Alumni Chamber. Class representatives from 1950 to 2008 attended. They will be updating their fellow alumni later. Stay tuned!

HKUMAA organised a day tr ip to The Interlaken OCT East Resort in

Shenzhen (東部華僑城) on December

14, 2008, in collaboration with the China Travel Service Hong Kong Limited. More than 80 alumni and their families joined this special Sunday excursion. The Interlaken OCT East Resort has been developed as an ecological resort. It has a panoramic, European-style setting, with beautiful lakes and forests, and is a growing tourist attraction in Mainland China. As well as touring the resor t , par t ic ipants e n j o y e d a b u f f e t lunch and watched its signature variety show.

Happy Gatherings with Class Representatives

A Relaxing Sunday at The Interlaken OCT East Resort

CongratulationsProfessor Raymond HS Liang(梁憲孫) (MBBS 1979)

has been elected President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Dr Donald KT Li(李國棟) (MBBS 1980) as Vice-

President (General Affairs), Dr Chi-tim Hung(熊志添)

(MBBS 1980) as Vice-President (Education & Examinations), Dr Louis WC Chow(周永昌) (MBBS 1984) as Honorary

Secretary and Dr Stephen KS Foo(傅鑑蘇) (MBBS 1966)

as Honorary Treasurer.

Forthcoming Activities In the coming months, HKUMAA will organise two special events:

February 12, 2009 Spring Dinner at Lin Heung Tea House (蓮香樓), Central(Thursday)

March 15, 2009 Sports & Family Fiesta at HKU Stanley Ho Sports Centre(Sunday)

For more details, please visit our alumni website: www.hku.hk/facmed/alumni

Alumni News

Medical Faculty News • Alumni News22

Page 25: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

$1,000, 000 or above

The hong Kong Jockey Club Charities TrustIn support of the project on early intervention for psychosis conducted by the Department of Psychiatry (Principle Invigilator: Professor EYH Chen)

inG asia/Pacific ltdIn support of the autism research programme conducted by the Department of Psychiatry (Principle Invigilator: Dr GM McAlonan; Co-Invigilators: Professor PC Sham and Dr SE Chua)

Dr Ellen li Charitable Foundation limitedIn support of the Hong Kong Hereditary and High Risk Breast Cancer Programme undertaken by the Department of Surgery

Sun Chieh Yeh heart FoundationIn support of the basic stem cell research undertaken by Professor HF Tse of the Department of Medicine

$500,000 or above

Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationIn support of an innovative global health research project conducted by Dr Z Chen of the AIDS Institute

Professor hextan YS nganIn support of research activities in the Gynaecological Oncology Division of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

100,000 or above

anonymousIn support of research activities undertaken by the Division of Spine Surgery of the Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology

Mr wai-man hoIn support of the Hereditary Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry Project undertaken by the Department of Surgery (through the “Hope Express” Fundraising Concert)

Professor Chu-pak lauIn support of teaching and research activities conducted by Dr CW Siu of the Department of Medicine

Profit Charm (Far East) limitedIn support of the medical oncology solid tumour research undertaken by Professor R Epstein of the Department of Medicine

universal (hong Kong) Technology Co. limitedIn support of the haematology research conducted by Professor RHS Liang of the Department of Medicine

wealthy Creative health Food limitedIn support of research activities undertaken by Dr JMC Luk of the Department of Surgery

Dr Bing-lai wongIn support of activities for educating nursing leaders for community and development of cutting edge research in nursing undertaken by the Department of Nursing Studies

KC wong Education FoundationIn support of the post-doctoral fellowship of Dr Q Huang and doctoral scholarship of Ms Z Dai at the Department of Medicine

Professor Richard YuIn support of research activities undertaken by the Division of Paediatric Orthopaedics of the Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology

Donations

In alphabetical order of last name or organisation name

The Faculty sincerely thanks the following donors for their generous support.

Class Reunions

1957

19681966If you are also interested in sharing your class reunion photos, please contact Ms Yvonne Li (email: [email protected]; telephone: 2819 2857).

23Alumni News & Donations • Medical Faculty News

Page 26: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Dr DKM Ip(葉啟明)joined the Department of Community Medicine as Clinical Assistant Professor in September 2008. He obtained his medical degree from HKU, and was then trained in Infectious Diseases in London, Travel Medicine in Glasgow, and in Epidemiology as a Chevening Scholar in Cambridge. He also holds postgraduate degrees in Statistics and

Applied Mathematics, and is a Founder member of the Faculty of Travel Medicine of the RCPSGlasg. Prior to joining HKU, he worked as a physician for a couple of years, and then in the Department of Health Centre for Health Protection for infectious disease surveillance and modeling. His research interests include public health genetics, infectious disease epidemiology and travel medicine.

Dr IFN Hung(孔繁毅)joined the Department of Medicine as Clinical Assistant Professor in October 2008. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Bristol Medical School, UK in 1996. He returned to Hong Kong in 1999 and joined the Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital. After obtaining his MRCP (UK), he underwent further

training in Infectious Diseases, and was the Visiting Fellow at Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston. He then progressed to further training in Gastroenterology and completed his second fellowship in 2008. His research interests include treatment of resistant Helicobacter pylori infection, gallstones diseases, and pneumococcal vaccination.

Medicine as Clinical Assistant Professor in October 2008. She is a specialist in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. She graduated from the University of Cambridge, UK, and worked at the Royal Free Hospital and London Chest Hospital before joining the Department of Medicine at Queen Mary Hospital

in 1997. She also worked as Research Fellow at Loslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, USA during her specialist training. Her research interests include diabetes and obesity, the role of adipokines, and also diabetes-related complications.

Dr ZC Xiao(肖志成)joined the Department of Anatomy as Associate Professor in September 2008. Dr Xiao obtained his doctoral degree in natural science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. He joined the Singapore General Hospital in 2000; then moved to the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore in 2004, prior

to joining the University. His research interests include understanding the molecular events that mediate communication among cells in the nervous system during development, regeneration, myelination, learning and memory using different approaches, including methods of cell biology, molecular biology, morphology and electrophysiology.

People

Professor JSM Lai(黎少明) joined the Eye Institute as Clinical Professor in November 2008. He graduated from HKU in 1983 and obtained the Fellowship (UK) and Master degree (Singapore) in Ophthalmology in 1999. He received Doctor of Medicine (CUHK) in 2004. Prior to joining the University, He was a Consultant Ophthalmologist

at the Hong Kong United Christian Hospital. His clinical research interest focuses on the intraocular pressure control in both acute and chronic angle closure glaucoma. He is also going to initiate research in histological changes in the trabecular meshwork in angle closure glaucoma.

Pro f e s so r CW Lam(林青雲) j o i n e d t h e Department of Pathology as Clinical Professor in September 2008 and is also appointed Honorary Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He obtained his medical degree from CUHK in 1991 and received chemical pathology training in the Department of Chemical Pathology. He obtained the

Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia in 1997 and continued his career in chemical pathology. He was conferred the degree of PhD in CUHK in 2000 with research on genetic diseases of the liver. His clinical and research interests focus on the elucidation of molecular basis of genetic diseases in Chinese and personalised medicine.

Dr ASC Ching(程錫忠)joined the Department of Diagnostic Radiology as Clinical Assistant Professor in September 2008. He obtained his medical degree from CUHK in 1990 and received radiology training at the Queen Mary Hospital. He obtained the Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists in 1997 and continued his career in head and neck

imaging and radionuclide imaging. During the SARS outbreak in 2003, he was a major author of the online data bank which merited special mention. Dr Ching is experienced in specialist training, infection control, service relocation and imaging hub establishment. His research interests focus on infection imaging, PET/CT imaging and head and neck radiology.

Dr WWL Choi(蔡偉立)joined the Department of Pathology as Clinical Assistant Professor in August, 2008. He obtained his medical degree from HKU in 1998, and has received basic physician training at the Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital from 1999 to 2002. Then, he underwent anatomic and clinical pathology training at Emory University School

of Medicine, and hematopathology sub-specialty training at University of Nebraska Medical Center in the United States. His research interests include prognostic markers and genetics of lymphomas and other haematological malignancies.

GoodbyeWe would like to express our gratitude and send our best wishes to the following staff members who have left / will be leaving the Faculty:

Dr RP Curtain, Manager, Genome Research CentreDr Z Yang(楊振帆), Assistant Professor (Non-clinical), Department of SurgeryDr JF Zhou(周杰芳), Assistant Professor, School of Chinese Medicine

Hello

Medical Faculty News • People24

Page 27: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

Congratulations

Professor DLW Kwong(鄺麗雲)has been appointed as Head of the Department of Clinical Oncology. Professor HYS Ngan(顏婉嫦) has been appointed as Head of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

Professor MG Irwin(艾明高), Head and Associate Professor of the Department of Anaesthesiology, has been promoted to Professor.

Professor SSC Chan(陳肇始), Head & Professor of the Department of Nursing Studies, has been awarded International Fellowship by the American Academy of Nursing.

Professor YS Chan(陳應城), Professor of the Department of Physiology, has been awarded the inaugural ANS Medallion by the Australian Neuroscience Society.

Professor KMC Cheung(張文智), Clinical Professor of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, has been awarded the 2008 Henry Farfan Award by the North American Spine Society. Professor Cheung has also been invited to join the Board of Directors of the Scoliosis Research Society.

Professor RYK Man(文英強), Chair Professor of Pharmacology at the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, and Professor IOL Ng(吳愛蓮), Loke Yew Professor in Pathology and Clinical Professor at the Department of Pathology, have been awarded for the Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award 2007-2008 by the University.

Professor HF Tse(謝鴻發), William M W Mong Professor in Cardiology and Clinical Professor at the Department of Medicine, and Dr DY Jin(金冬雁), Assistant Professor of the Department of Biochemistry, have been awarded the Outstanding Researcher Award 2007-2008 by the University Research Committee.

Professor PM Vanhoutte(樊浩德), Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, has been awarded Seventeenth Annual Thomas G Muldoon Memorial Lectureship by the Department of Physiology of the Medical College of Georgia, USA.

Professor RMF Yuen(袁孟峰), Professor of the Department of Medicine, has been selected Winner in the category of Medicine for the 2008 Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL) – Scopus Young Scientist Award.

Dr TL Chan(陳俊良), Assistant Professor of the Department of Pathology, has been awarded the Outstanding Young Researcher Awarded 2007-2008 by the University Research Committee.

Dr SKY Ma(馬桂宜), Post-doctoral Fellow of the Department of Clinical Oncology and Department of Pathology, has been awarded for the 2008 Hong Kong Young Scientist Award (Life Sciences) by the Hong Kong Institution of Science.

Professor SM McGhee, Associate Professor of the Department of Community Medicine, has been promoted to Professor.

Professor B Zheng(鄭伯建), Associate Professor of the Department of Microbiology, has been promoted to Professor.

25Congratulations • Medical Faculty News

The paper entitled “Schmorl’s Nodes of the Lumbar Spine: Prevalence, classification, and associated risk factors” has received the Arthur Yau Best Clinical Paper Award and the Best Spine Paper Award (sponsored by AOSpine (Hong Kong)) in the 28th Annual Congress of Hong Kong Orthopaedic Association. The authors of the paper include Ms FPS Mok(莫碧詩), Dr D Samartzis, Dr GE Caulian, Professor KDK Luk(陸瓞驥)and Professor KMC Cheung(張文智)of the Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Dr DYT Fong(方以德)of the Department of Nursing, and Professor J Karppinen of the Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Oulu, Finland.

The research paper entitled “LINGO-1 antagonist promotes spinal cord remyelination and axonal integrity in MOG-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis” (Nature Medicine, Vol 13(10)) , authored by Dr W Wu(吳武田), Associate Professor of the Department of Anatomy, and his research collaborators, has been awarded the 2008 Research Output Prize by the University Research Committee.

Awards

Publications

Promotions and Appointments

Page 28: Dean’S MeSSage Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is … · 2016-06-29 · Reflections on the Closing of 2008 - Nothing Is Lost! FEaTuRE 4 ... Over the past 120 years,

ForthcomingEvents

March4th International Symposium on Health AgingDate

March 7-8, 2009VenueThe Ballroom, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & TowersTsimshatsui

InformationMs Phoebe Chow, Research Centre of HeartBrain, Hormone & Healthy Aging Tel: 2819 9866 Fax: 2816 2293 Email: [email protected]

Information Day for Master of Public Health (2nd round admission) Date

March 28, 2009VenueSeminar Room 5, LG1/F, Laboratory Block,21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam

InformationMs Joyce FungTel: 2819 9140 Fax: 2855 9528 Email: [email protected]: web.hku.hk/~cmdmph

Croucher Foundation – Advanced Study Institute on Cancer BiomarkersDate

March 30 – April 4, 2009VenueCheung Kung Hai Conference Centre,William MW Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam

InformationMs Eiko MoriTel: 2819 9341 Email: [email protected]

AprilUpdate Certificate Course in NephrologyDate

April 18-19, 2009VenueLecture Theatre 1, Cheung Kung Hai Conference Centre, William MW Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam

InformationMs Celia Chor, Department of Medicine Tel: 2855 4607 Email: [email protected]

The 6th Hong Kong International Orthopaedic Forum - “Musculoskeletal Degeneration” Date

April 25-26, 2009VenueCheung Kung Hai Conference Centre,William MW Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam

InformationMs YN Chang, Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology Tel: 2855 4257 Fax: 2817 4392 Email: [email protected]

FebruaryThe University of Hong Kong & Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital – Joint Surgical SymposiumTopicsLaparoscopic and Robotic Upper GI Cancers (February 6, 2009)Minimally Invasive Surgery Parathyroidectomy (March 6, 2009)Ablative Therapy for Liver Cancer (April 3, 2009)

VenueAuditorium, 4/F, Li Shu Pui Block Phase II,Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Happy Valley

InformationMs Mei-han Ng Tel: 2835 8698 Fax: 2892 7511Email: [email protected]: www.hku.hk/surgery

Information Day for Master of Public Health (1st round admission) Date

February 7, 2009VenueSeminar Room 5, LG1/F, Laboratory Block,21 Sassoon Road, PokfulamInformationMs Joyce FungTel: 2819 9140 Fax: 2855 9528 Email: [email protected] Web: web.hku.hk/~cmdmph

Update Certificate Course in NeurologyDate

February 7-8, 2009VenueLecture Theatre 1, Cheung Kung Hai Conference Centre, William MW Mong Block,21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam

InformationMs Celia Chor, Department of MedicineTel: 2855 4607 Email: [email protected]

The Croucher Advanced Study Institute “Aging and Longevity: Biology and Challenge”Date

February 8-13, 2009VenueMrs Chen Yang Foo Oi Telemedicine Centre,2/F, William MW Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road,Pokfulam

InformationDr ZJ Zhou, Department of BiochemistryTel: 2819 9542 Fax: 2855 1254 Email: [email protected]

Breast Cancer Nursing SeminarDate

February 27-28, 2009VenueLecture Theatre, Hospital Authority Head Office

InformationMs Mei-kum Chan Tel: 2589 8151 Fax: 2547 5009

All rights reserved 2008

January14th Medical Research ConferenceDate

January 10, 2009VenueLecture Theatre 1, Cheung Kung Hai Conference Centre, William MW Mong Block,21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam

InformationMs Celia Chor, Department of MedicineTel: 2855 4607 Email: [email protected]

Hong Kong Surgical Forum – Winter 2009Date

January 10, 2009VenueUnderground Lecture Theatre, New Clinical Building, Queen Mary Hospital

InformationForum Secretary, Department of SurgeryTel: 2855 4885 / 2855 4886 Fax: 2819 3416Email: [email protected] Web: www.hku.hk/surgery

G B Ong Lecture – Surgical Quality: It is not Just for Surgeons AnymoreDate

January 10, 2009VenueUnderground Lecture Theatre,New Clinical Building, Queen Mary Hospital

InformationForum Secretary, Department of SurgeryTel: 2855 4885 / 2855 4886 Fax: 2819 3416Email: [email protected] Web: www.hku.hk/surgery

1st International Asia Pacific Meeting on Polycystic Ovary SyndromeDate

January 17 – 18, 2009VenueCheung Kung Hai Conference Centre, William MW Mong Block, 21 Sassoon RoadPokfulam

InformationConference Secretariat Tel: 2734 3515 Fax: 2367 3775Email: [email protected]: www.hku.hk/obsgyn/PCOS/PCOS.htm