Bulletin Number Five 1986

Hopkins, Pennsylvania, Oxford . . . Is it possible to compare? Our Faculty is unique in location, people, and in our contribution to this region and beyond. Nevertheless, our first test will come with the visitation for recognition by the General Medical Council in May 1987. * The ever needed interaction between the search for new knowledge — research, the imparting of knowledge, new and old — teaching, and the application of knowledge — practice, forms the proverbial three-legged stool on which our profession firmly stands. Undoubtedly a medical school has to take a leading role in medical research. Members of the Faculty are making inroads in basic and clinical topics of interest in such areas as: epidemiology, occupational health, nephropathy, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, growth, cardiology, reconstructive surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, and controlled clinical trials. With the availability of more funds in future our contribution to research is expected. As We Graduate... —Angus Chan Chi Wai, MB ChB The life and experience of an intern is universal. Once we put on the hospital's white gown with the doctor's name-tag, we have in fact discarded our student status. We are now always busy, either taking blood samples, or taking case histories or explaining patients' conditions to their relatives, when our bleepers summon us to many more other duties. Our busy life of work and study today is but a continuation of our university life of the past five years. Graduation from the Faculty of Medicine is not an end to our study. It is my belief that medicine is a branch of study so profound that no one can claim to ever graduate from it. Our five years at the University have only provided us with the basic training. As for our future development and achievement, it will depend on how much effort we put into our work. The bitter-sweet university life are memories that we shall cherish - the five rewarding years have turned us from raw greenhorns into practical and discreet young men. Five years ago, on 13th September, 1981, sixty energetic students were formally initiated into the medical school. We were welcomed by the awe- inspiring Professor G.H. Choa, then Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. The solemnity of the moment when Professor Choa read out the Hippocratic oath left a permanent impression on our minds and made us think seriously about our future. It was then that I was determined to change my frivolous attitude and apply myself diligently to my study: because to be a doctor is no joke and carelessness in the practice of medicine will not only bring ourselves into trouble but also endanger the lives of patients. Immediately after the introductory lecture by the Dean, lessons began and waiting for us was the heavy and demanding programme of study. On top of our tight schedule in medicine, we had also to take courses in General Education, Chinese and Physical Education. Luckily, we have not been overwhelmed by the heavy workload and have been able to develop our friendship through studying together and participating in various extracurricular activities. It is not hard to notice that the sense of belonging and esprit de corps of medical students are generally stronger than students of other Faculties. Once the Part I of the Professional Examination was over, the two years of pre-clinical studies were behind us. What was in store for us were the three years of tough clinical studies. From Clinical Year I ， we started on our road to maturity — here began our first contact with patients. Unfortunately, what could have been a perfect start was marred a bit by the delay in the opening of the Prince of Wales Hospital, the teaching hospital of the University at Shatin, and we had to carry out our clinical studies at the United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong. Every day we started off at 7:45 a.m. — getting on the school bus with still droopy eyes. Throughout this first year, we had to make daily trips from the student hostel to United Christian Hospital and then to the University campus to attend classes. What we missed in our clinical practice because of this arrangement had to be compensated by more extensive reading andmore frequent discussions with classmates. (Our juniors are lucky that they don't have to go through what we experienced during the year!) It is nevertheless gratifying that the hostel for medical students at the Prince of Wales Hospital compound was opened in time. By living and studying together, we came to know one another better and developed a close bond of friendship. The following two years were spent at the Prince of Wales Hospital — as we practiced, we learned to master the clinical knowledge and skill, and developed our professional ethics. The final year was RECENT DEVELOPMENTS 13