Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2001

Training Medical Specialists Summer School for Ma i n l and Pathologists Me d i c a l graduates n o r ma l ly have to unde r go training for five to six years and pass examinations befor e they can become pathologists. I n mainland China where there are no specialist training institutions, students can o n ly learn f r om experienced pathologists, w h i c h renders consistent standards difficult. The Summer School for Pathologists f r om China , i n i t i a t ed b y Prof. N g H o - k e u ng of the Department of Ana t om i c al and Cellular Pathology i n 1996, p r o v i d e s m o d e r n clinical diagnostic t r a i n i ng to m a i n l a nd doctors o f general practitioner rank or above. To date 40 pathologists have benefited f r om the programme. I n order to i mp r o ve the overall standard of p a t h o l o gy i n China, Prof. N g a nd 40 other chairmen a nd vice-chairmen of the pathology d e p a r t m e n ts of m a j o r i n s t i t u t i o ns c ame together i n 1999 to f o r m the As s o c i a t i on of D i r e c t o r s of P a t h o l o gy of Ch i n a, w h i c h is h e a d q u a r t e r ed i n the C U H K Department of An a t om i c al and Cellular Pathology. The a i m of t h e a s s o c i a t i on is t o b r i n g diagnostic, ma n a g eme n t, a n d r e s e a r c h e x p e r t i s e a n d t e c h n o l o g y f r o m t h e West to China, t h r o u gh H o n g Ko n g. ↑ Group photo of the 1998 Summer School for Pathologists from China ← Students of the Summer School Fellowship Training Programme for Ophthalmologists The D e p a r t me nt of O p h t h a l mo l o gy and V i s u al Sciences has been t r a i n i n g ma i n l a nd eye doctors since the early 90s. Extr a f u n d i ng was obtained i n 1999 to set u p a Fellowship Trainin g Programme, w h i ch made possible clinical a nd laboratory attachments for a total of 37 c l i n i c al o p h t h a l mo l o g i s ts a n d 14 l a b o r a t o ry scientists i n the f i r st t w o years. T h ey we re me d i c al doctors, teachers, and researchers of v a r y i n g ranks. T h e p r o g r a m m e is d e s i g n e d t o l e a d t o i mp r o v eme n t i n clinical knowledge, surgica l skills, IT k n ow l e d g e, En g l i sh proficiency, ma n a g eme nt skills, c o n n e c t i v i t y, a n d r e s e a r ch d e v e l o p m e n t. T h e department also helps the participants to develo p t r a i n i ng p r o g r ammes for their o w n colleagues w h e n they return to the mainland. M a n y trainees also participate i n research projects i n H o n g K o ng and som e have published papers in international academic journals on such projects. Training for clinical practice includes learning laboratory skills at the Hong Kong Eye Hospital every week, clinical attachments, and presentation at grandround. 11