About HKUMed

Overview

As the longest-standing institution of higher education in Hong Kong, HKUMed has a strong reputation as a pioneer in medical education, training and research, while proudly serving as a bastion of morality, vision and care.

 

Both Times Higher Education World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings have consistently named us one of the top-ranking medical-related institutions in Asia recognising our continuous commitment to upholding professionalism and clinical teaching excellence.

 

 

Each year, our Faculty admits nearly 640 students across seven programmes including MBBS, BNurs, BChinMed, BPharm, BBiomedSc, BASc(GHD) and BSc(Bioinformatics). With over 5,300 students in total, we are proud to be one of the largest faculty with a significant student body who will become future professionals in their respective fields. To date, we have trained healthcare practitioners and scientists, as well as many internationally renowned researchers and policy-makers. In this aspect, we are also proud to continue our tradition of spearheading achievement from our campus in Sassoon Road.

 

Teaching and Learning

To engage students in the classroom, more than 420 full- time teaching staff from our 20 departments and schools deploy the latest technologies, to deliver education, such as augmented reality, virtual reality and simulated reality. These full-time teaching staff are supplemented by a team of honorary teachers, most of whom are medical professionals.

Taking a student-centred approach, HKUMed always listens to your needs and other aspects of your on- and off- campus life, aside from welcoming your feedback on the curriculum. We are constantly reviewing the curriculum to ensure that it keeps pace with the scientific developments and changing needs of modern healthcare. To achieve this, our teaching approach is constantly evolving to make you ready for today’s healthcare industry, such as the recent provision of training in point-of-care ultrasound for medical students to gain hands-on experience wherever they go.

 

Moreover, you can have access to our enrichment opportunities throughout your study at HKUMed, from international exchanges to volunteering for community vaccine drives.

 

 

Clinical Services

HKUMed endeavors to deliver unparalleled clinical services across all settings while ensuring robust clinical governance wherever we serve. Our affiliated teaching hospitals and outpatient-based clinical services units, operating under the brand name of “HKU Health System” offer invaluable opportunities for students to learn wider and deeper. Our close collaboration with the public and private healthcare sectors also manifests the Faculty’s commitment to becoming a local and regional leader in healthcare management.

Meanwhile, our clinical members have been actively engaging in a wide range of activities for sharing knowledge and expertise beneficial to the community we serve.

Through our dedicated cultivation, HKUMed graduates have made incredible achievements and gone on to become leaders in their respective fields. Their success is a testament to the excellent education we provide.

 

 

Research and Innovation

Research achievements are a crucial contributor to HKUMed’s global reputation. As of now, 64 of our staff members ranked among the top 1% of scholars in their field in terms of citation and recognition. We always look ahead to discover the next breakthrough while brushing up on our existing areas of expertise. As such, HKUMed researchers have been standing at the forefront of research into COVID-19 and other infectious diseases globally and have been recognised for their academic achievements. It was our honour that two of our scientists won the 2021 Future Science Prize in Life Sciences for their work. Our researchers are supported by ample funding, state-of-the-art facilities and the Faculty’s extensive worldwide networks.

 

As an undergraduate seeking a head start in your career, you can explore research opportunities under the guidance of our scientists and pursue discoveries in our world-class laboratories.

 

 

Faculty's Firsts

For the benefit of mankind, our Faculty has always been at the forefront of medical research and development in the field of new clinical services. Through the toil and persistence of our researchers, we have made key contributions to the study and treatment of cancers and liver diseases, along with several notable advances in tissue typing, spinal surgery, infectious diseases, in-vitro fertilisation, endocrinology and tobacco-related diseases.

1959
First transoral approach performed for the surgical treatment of upper cervical spine dislocations and tuberculosis in the world
1964
First Pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy in the world
1969
First kidney transplant in Hong Kong
1977
First microsurgical thumb replant in Hong Kong
1983
First antenatal screening for hereditary blood disease established in Hong Kong
1989
First maxillary swing operation for recurrent nasopharyngectomy in the world
1990
First bone marrow transplant in Hong Kong
1995
First lung transplant in Hong Kong
1995
First baby in Hong Kong conceived through intracytoplasmic sperm injection was delivered
1996
First in the world to conduct an adult-to-adult right lobe living donor liver transplant
1996
First in Asia to show improved respiratory health in children in response to pollutant reduction after the implement of anti-air pollution law
2000
First intervertebral disc transplant in humans in the world
2001
First radiofrequency ablation for cancers in Hong Kong
2001
First catheter-based endomyocardial transplant of autologous bone marrow stem cell for the treatment of severe coronary artery diseases in the world
2003
First to discover the SARS coronavirus
2003
First to identify the source of SARS coronavirus infection
2004
First to characterize the epidemiology of SARS coronavirus
2005
First to identify the natural reservoir of SARS coronavirus
2008
First in the world to develop and launch a publicly accessible index (Hedley Environmental Index) with hourly estimation of air pollution impact on adverse health outcomes and economic costs
2009
First remotely controlled expandable device implantation surgery to treat children with scoliosis in the world
2010
First to develop a patented prescription drug, an oral arsenic trioxide preparation for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia
2010
First combined heart and liver transplant in Hong Kong
2011
First extra-cranial intravenous-cranial vascular bypass and craniofacial resection for locally advanced recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the world
2012
First in the world to describe a model of coronavirus evolution, based on the 23 novel human and animal coronaviruses discovered over 10 years
2013
First in the world to characterise the epidemiology of H7N9 influenza
2014
First subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator in Asia
2014
First exome-chip analysis of lipid traits in Chinese
2016
First live birth by assisted reproduction with preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) using next-generation sequencing for couples having chromosomal error in Hong Kong
2018
First comprehensive study of MERS coronaviruses in Africa
2018
First invention of universal antibody drug for HIV-1 prevention and immunotherapy
2019
First magnetic sphincter augmentation for gastroesophageal reflux disease in Asia
2020
COVID-19: The Department of Microbiology and the HKU-Shenzhen Hospital provided the world’s first evidence to establish person-to-person spread in The Lancet
2021
COVID-19: HKUMed discovered a novel vaccine strategy to prevent SARS CoV-2 nasal infection
2022
First to discover a novel immunotherapeutic target against hepatocellular carcinoma in the world
2023
First to establish the human respiratory organoid culture system and unveils a novel mechanism for the high transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

Message from the Dean

Greetings to prospective students of HKUMed.

 

HKUMed has a long-standing history of nurturing future healthcare professionals both locally and internationally. Following our 135th anniversary celebration in 2022, we were named the number one medical school in Hong Kong by both QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 and Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject 2023. In the “Clinical and Health” subject ranking of the THE World University Rankings 2023, we achieved a new high by ranking 13th in the world. All these milestones have attested to the collective hard work and effort of our academic staff, clinicians, students, and alumni community at large; which in turn reassure the general public that HKUMed is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.

 

Education & Programmes

At HKUMed, students not only receive excellent professional education, but are also armed with the skills to keep learning beyond graduation. Our team at HKUMed work together harmoniously to support our student community and we are confident that students will benefit from the breadth and depth of the specialist skills available. A wide range of healthcare-related and professional programmes are offered at HKUMed, including MBBS, BNurs, BChinMed, BPharm, BBiomedSc, BASc(GHD), and BSc(Bioinformatics) programmes. These programmes train and produce skilled, confident, and caring individuals, who will serve our society and beyond in a variety of positions.

 

Technology in Teaching & Learning

As technology plays an increasingly central role in the healthcare industry, our students, particularly those in professional degree programmes, will have access to cutting-edge technologies and equipment for learning, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and hand-held ultrasound probes, and they are obliged to be proficient in the application of this variety of technologies in the healthcare field. The worldwide impact and drastic transformation being brought by Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially since the launch of ChatGPT on higher education, are already palpable. In response, our students need to be prepared now more than ever to acquire knowledge independently.

 

The fast-paced technological advancement also means that our students will have even more to learn from now on, and they will be expected to achieve the mastery of the literacy and application of upcoming scientific innovation, which may be under clinical development, in the commercial stage, or simply in the ideation phase or something beyond our imagination. The ability to inquire, research, and produce high-impact work will therefore be increasingly important – and our students will definitely develop and build up this capability when they leave HKUMed.

 

With the ceaseless upgrade and introduction of new teaching facilities and technologies in a people-first environment; coupled with the maintenance of academic rigour and steadfast adherence to high standards in our programmes, I am confident in affirming that HKUMed is the right place for you to gain the best undergraduate experience.

Professor Chak-sing Lau, BBS, JP
Dean of Medicine

Our Campus

The Medical Campus in Sassoon Road is home to our teaching schools and departments, research laboratories and various state-of-the-art facilities, creating a conducive learning environment to facilitate our goals. Currently, we are expanding to provide the finest training facilities for the next generation of healthcare professionals.

 

The latest addition – 3 Sassoon Road – welcomes you to the Medical Campus with sleek communal spaces and spacious clinical skills laboratories equipped with highfidelity simulators. The nine-storey building serves as the home of the School of Chinese Medicine and School of Nursing with facilities tailored to the needs of each School’s students.

 

Our core mission is to enrich the total learning experience for students by creating spaces, where they can socialise and connect outside the classroom. This is exemplified by the Cheung Chin Lan Hong Atrium that invites you into the William M.W. Mong Block.

 

A few floors above this airy space is the Faculty Learning Commons where you can study independently or work collaboratively with peers. This Medical Campus landmark serves as the venue for many events, making it a popular spot for socialising.

 

For those looking for a quiet place to learn, the Yu Chun Keung Medical Library suits your need. As a centre of excellence in knowledge management, the Medical Library houses significant digital resources and print collections, covering biomedical and health sciences, while new alternate reality and virtual reality tools on the mezzanine level allow you to delve deeper.

 

Our ambitious development plans revolve around our students’ whole-person development, which means we care about not only your academic studies but also your well-being. The addition of the new outdoor garden on 1/F of the William M.W. Mong Block exactly embodies this goal. It is a peaceful escape surrounded by nature where you can enjoy panoramic sea views and take a breath of fresh air between classes, attesting to our dual emphasis.

 

The Faculty Boardroom located in the Daniel and Mayce Yu Administration Wing, another recent addition, brings us yet closer to this objective by providing ample space for academic conferences and professional seminars.

 

To foster a culture of inclusiveness, we are proud to support our diverse student body with the addition of gender-neutral facilities and a new prayer room which gives members of our community a dedicated location to pursue their spiritual lives.

 

In the years to come, the Sassoon Road Campus will be transformed into a state-of-the-science campus stretching from Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) on Pokfulam Road at the top, to the Victoria Road roundabout at the bottom. This reinvigorated education complex will provide even greater opportunities for our students.