Calendar 2005–06

194 Part 5 • Department Profiles and Programmes of Studies excellence in research, teaching and clinical practice in surgery and related areas. The department organizes conjoint fellowship examinations of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on a regular basis. Based in the Prince of Wales Hospital, the teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, the department provides in-patient and out-patient services for the general public in the following sub-specialties: hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, upper gastrointestinal surgery, colorectal surgery, vascular surgery, plastic surgery, otorhinolaryngology, neurosurgery, paediatric surgery, urology and cardiothoracic surgery. The faculty members are active leaders and organizers of international symposia, workshops, meetings as well as basic research conferences. The Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit was formed under the department in October 1995 with the aim of becoming a local, regional and international leader in emergency medicine. The unit’s responsibilities include developing teaching and research programmes, and providing clinical and administrative leadership. The unit’s main research thrust includes molecular emergency medicine, human responses to critical tissue injury and clinical trials. The unit particularly focuses on nucleic acid research and immune responses to injury. It has developed a comprehensive undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programme preparing students and resident trainees to manage a wide range of emergencies.