Programme Features
Our MBBS curriculum aims to produce doctors who are forward-thinking, well-informed and capable of delivering effective, humane and ethical medical care. We also prepare you to engage in lifelong learning and to have the skills necessary for postgraduate training.
These goals are delivered across each of our four themes covering areas pertinent to doctoring:
- Human Biology in Health and Disease
- Professional Skills: Diagnostic, Problem Solving, Effective Communication and Clinical Management
- Population Health, Health Services, Economics and Policy
- Medical Ethics, Professional Attitudes and Behaviour
Under the existing MBBS, a new study track of MBBS (Distinguished MedScholar), will be offered from the academic year 2023/24 tailored for high achievers, as illustrated below:
Students admitted to MBBS are normally required to complete six years of study. Students admitted to the new study track, MBBS (Distinguished MedScholar), based on outstanding academic achievements plus admission interview results, are eligible to choose either one of the following:
- Complete MBBS and a Master of Research in Medicine (MRes[Med]) in six years. Upon completion of MBBS and MRes[Med] and the one-year internship, students will receive financial support from the Faculty to pursue a PhD at a renowned university and potentially join the Faculty as clinical academics upon completion of PhD;
OR
- Students who choose not to pursue MRes[Med] for Enrichment Year may have the flexibility to complete MBBS in not less than 5 years through undertaking other Enrichment Year options such as research attachment/humanitarian services or elective courses locally or overseas) in parallel to the coursework in Year 1 and Year 2, and progress to the 3-year clinical curriculum starting Year 3. Students can also undertake Enrichment Year in Year 3, following the regular 6-year track.
Note: It is important to note that the academic curriculum of MBBS (Distinguished MedScholar) and MBBS are identical. The difference in study duration is as a result of the fact that MBBS (Distinguished MedScholar) students have the option to undertake Enrichment Year in parallel to the coursework in Year 1 and Year 2, as opposed to undertaking Enrichment Year in the third year of study. MBBS (Distinguished MedScholar) students can opt not to undertake Enrichment Year in parallel to the coursework in Year 1 and Year 2, but in Year 3, following the regular 6-year track.
Please see here for MBBS (Distinguished MedScholar) FAQ and Entry Requirements.
The MBBS curriculum is not only about training doctors but also personal development and fulfilment. Our programme provides you with ample opportunities for personal growth that will carry you well into your later years when you will serve and excel as responsible citizens, colleagues, teachers and friends within our profession and community.
Affiliated Hospitals
Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) is our major teaching hospital. It is also a tertiary referral centre for complex and advanced medical services for the entire Hong Kong territory. Most of the Faculty’s clinical departments are located at QMH, which offered dedicated teaching and learning activities and professional clinical training for our students.
Apart from QMH, learning also takes place in other public hospitals of the Hospital Authority and private hospitals such as the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong, and cross the border at the University of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Hospital. All these hospitals are the key partners of the Faculty in teaching, training and research under the HKU Health System.
Academic Advising
To cater for the special curriculum structure of the MBBS programme, you will first be taken care of by a Preceptor in Year 1 and 2 study, followed by an Enrichment Year Mentor in Year 3 and a clinical teacher as Clinical Academic Adviser when proceeding to Year 4 until graduation.
Many of these teachers of our Faculty are graduates of our own MBBS programme and experienced clinicians who are passionate in teaching and mentorship of our students. They are committed to providing a comfortable environment for you to adapt to the distinct challenges of medical school life.
Six Years, In A Nutshell
The MBBS curriculum runs for normative six years, or 12 semesters. During your studies, you will build on acquired knowledge, starting with pre-clinical education and advancing to clinical clerkships, where you will put your skills and understanding to work. The structure is as follows:
Years 1-2 (Biomedical Sciences Curriculum)
The Biomedical Sciences Curriculum is the foundation of our MBBS. You will acquire health science knowledge and basic skills in self-directed learning, by studying actual patient cases. You will also have your first exposure to patients through community visits, where you will learn about their care in their social and economic contexts.
The Biomedical Sciences Curriculum will include the following clusters:
- Introduction to Health Sciences
to strengthen your foundation in basic and health sciences. - Professionalism and Clinical Skills
to gain an overview of the processes of diseases and an introduction to the therapeutic strategies for modulating disease processes. - Precision Medicine
to explore the exciting innovations in treating disease at the frontiers of genetics and genomics, artificial intelligence, robotics and others. - Medical Humanities, Ethics and Law
to learn about the ethical and legal implications of modern medical care, medical humanities and professionalism. - Medicine and Society
to learn about caring for the patient as an individual, and as a member of a family and a community.
Most people think of medicine as a science when it should be more correctly understood as an art based on science, where care is delivered in an evidence-based and compassionate manner. This module under the Biomedical Sciences Curriculum will familiarise you with the methods and philosophy of modern medical practice. It will be one of the first things you study at HKUMed and is organized under the following modules:
- Molecules of Medicine
- Cells, Tissues & Systems
- Infections and Host Defence
- Drugs in Action
The complexity of human health is reflected in our system-based blocks, where you will acquire an understanding about the workings of the human body during the second semester of Year 1 and the entire Year 2. The six system-based blocks cover: Cardiopulmonary and Renal Systems; Gastrointestinal System; Musculoskeletal System; Head, Neck and Nervous System; Haematology and Immunology System; and Endocrine and Reproductive Systems.
- Introduction to the Art and Science of Medicine
- System-based Blocks
Year 3 (Enrichment Year)
EY is specially designed to facilitate the enhancement of your total learning experience. You will be able to formulate your EY through three different categories: Service/Humanitarian Work, Research Attachment and Intercalation.
You may take part in a humanitarian relief mission at remote locations, experience medical camps in under-developed countries, or work locally with NGOs via Service/Humanitarian Work. For those with investigative minds, research internship locally in HKU or internationally at world class laboratories fit perfectly with Research Attachment. Through Intercalation, you are able to enjoy electives or minors at HKU or full-year articulation studies at overseas renowned universities.
Overall, our Enrichment Year is aligned with HKU’s six educational aims to enable you to develop capabilities in pursuit of academic/professional excellence, critical intellectual inquiry, tackling novel situation, critical self-reflection, communication and collaboration, and leadership.
365+ Students went overseas in 35 Countries/regions across 5 continents for Intercalation, Research Attachment and/or Service/Humanitarian Work
45+ Participating local/overseas NGOs such as PathFinders, Hong Kong Red Cross, Salvation Army and Caritas Hong Kong
195+ Research projects at labs of HKU or renowned institutions such as University of Cambridge, Yale University and The University of British Columbia
170+ Students went on exchange in 22 countries / region
120+ Degrees earned (including intercalated degree and master degree)
95+ Top-notch overseas institutions including Queen Mary University of London, Harvard Medical School, King’s College London, The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
- The Enrichment Year (EY) is a credit-bearing component giving each MBBS III student the means to take charge of your learning and tailor activities to your interests and desires
Years 4-6 (The Clinical Years)
This is when you will enter the real-life world of clinical practice and get full exposure to how doctors work on a day-to-day basis. You will spend time in hospitals, working alongside doctors and nurses as they treat patients while equipping you with the necessary hands-on skills and an in-depth understanding of clinical medicine before you join ranks as a future health professional.
The clinical years have three components: the Clinical Foundation Block, the Clinical Clerkships, and at the end, an Elective.
The 10-week Clinical Foundation Block happens at the beginning of your 4th year. It serves two purposes. One is to enable you to review, integrate and consolidate the knowledge you acquired during the system-based blocks; the other is to prepare you for the clinical clerkships. During this block, you will study clinical cases that reflect some of the most significant health care problems in Hong Kong. You will also be developing clinical and interpersonal skills that are essential for a rewarding learning experience in the subsequent MBBS years.
This is the largest and also the most exciting chunk of learning you will undertake, running mid-Year 4 to Year 6. During this time, you will be directly involved in the day-to-day patient care such as diagnosis, investigation and treatment, and have the opportunity to apply the knowledge and interpersonal skills when interacting with patients and their families.
The Clinical Clerkships span over three phases: Junior Clerkship (27 weeks), Senior Clerkship (24 weeks) and Specialty Clerkship (49 weeks). Your rotations will be in hospitals as well as clinics offering ambulatory care and community-based primary care. The clerkships will cover: Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Microbiology, Pathology, Public Health, Family Medicine and Primary Care, Accident and Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesiology, Clinical Oncology, Diagnostic Radiology, Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Geriatrics, Rehabilitation and Palliative Care – all established specialties unique and fascinating in their own right!
After the Final Examination in Year 6, you will have a four-week block when you can explore an area of medicine that interests you either through clinical attachment or laboratory/clinical research.
The curriculum is constantly being renewed in light of emerging knowledge and societal needs to ensure your training is fit-for-purpose and forward-looking. It is not without good reasons that many of the leaders in our field are HKUMed graduates!
- Clinical Foundation Block
- Clinical Clerkships
- MBBS Elective
Admissions Information & FAQ
For JUPAS Candidates
b) Attain at least Level 3 in two elective subjects*, one of which must be:
(i) Chemistry or
(ii) Combined Science with Chemistry as component
* Mathematics Extended Part (Module 1 (M1) / Module 2 (M2)) will be recognised as equivalent to a full elective subject.
Other Requirements
A good working knowledge of Cantonese
Scoring Formula for 2023 and 2024 Entry
The scoring formula considers Category A subjects and M1/M2 only. Best 6 subjects will be considered.
Consideration of Other Factors
- Interview performance
- Additional subjects (in Category A and C)
- Student learning profile
Consideration of HKDSE Combined Results & Penalty for HKDSE Repeaters
- Latest results in HKDSE in the recent three years
- Penalty will be imposed on subjects which were retaken
- 19 & 20 June 2023
- 27 July 2023
For Non-JUPAS Candidates
University Entrance Requirements
Programme Specific Requirements
- Chemistry at high school level
Other Requirements
- A good working knowledge of Cantonese
- Preference for First Choice
Interview
- 20 & 21 December 2022
- 18 April 2023
- 13 July 2023
- 23 August 2023
Advanced Standing
The following candidates will be granted advanced standing:
- High school candidates with GCEAL, Cambridge Pre-U or IB Diploma qualifications and at least seven years of secondary education at the time of being admitted to the University
- Candidates with degree qualifications
MBBS / Doctor of Philosophy
The MBBS / PhD is a full-time combined programme extending over not less than nine years and leading to the award of both MBBS and PhD degrees upon graduation. If you are admitted into this programme, you will pursue full-time research under the supervision of Faculty teachers, and undertake coursework prescribed by the Graduate School and the Faculty, and you can attend optional clinical study sessions that are of your interest.
An exciting feature of this programme is that you can receive part of your training at internationally-renowned institutions overseas through the Faculty’s international network for research collaborations.
HKUMed also has joint-PhD / joint educational placement for PhD programmes with King’s College London and the University of Toronto.
Starting from 2018-19, the HKSAR government has waived PhD composition fees for all local students. In addition, Croucher Foundation Scholarships are available for a maximum of three outstanding MBBS/PhD students each year to cover the monthly postgraduate studentships, research bench fees and allowances for overseas conference attendance and/or exchange. MBBS/PhD students not supported by the Croucher Foundation will still be awarded a monthly Postgraduate Scholarship by the University.
Learn more about research postgraduate studies at HKUMed: www.med.hku.hk/rpg.
Current MBBS students who are interested in this programme may contact the Faculty Office at medfac@hku.hk for further details.
Professional Recognition & Career Prospects
Your MBBS is a registrable primary qualification by the Medical Council of Hong Kong and an important milestone on your path to becoming a doctor. But there is one final requirement before you can practice as a licensed doctor in Hong Kong. After graduating, all MBBS holders are required to undergo one year of internship in a public hospital. The internship will take you through rotations in the major medical specialties and give you hands-on exposure to clinical medicine, while receiving close supervision and teaching from experienced doctors. That basic training will open the door to a multitude of career options.
If you want to become a Specialist, you should then be prepared for more years of postgraduate training and further examinations. Postgraduate and specialist training is administered through the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine and its constituent colleges.
HKUMed graduates are a heterogeneous group of doctors, many of whom are now in leading positions in a variety of fields, not just medicine. Some serve the community as public hospital doctors, others run their own clinics as private practitioners. Some love clinical teaching and research and have pursued academic careers in Hong Kong or overseas, with many becoming world-renowned clinical experts and scientists. Some have become health administrators involved in policymaking and health care planning for our community, others have made their mark in non-medical careers, such as law, business, or pharmaceutical development. Whatever path you with to take, HKUMed is here to help your dreams come true.