Hear from our students
Laura LEUNG@Harvard University, US
I spent six weeks at Golby Lab, an image-guided neurosurgery lab at Harvard University. Chaired by Dr. Alexandra GOLBY, the lab focuses on the incorporation of different imaging modalities into pre-surgical planning. I was fortunate enough to be able to lead my own research project, observe surgeries within the advanced multimodality imaging operating suite and even get my own brain scanned in the 7T scanner! I am forever grateful for the lab’s hospitality and trust in me as a young medical student.
Bernice CHEUNG @University of Oxford, UK
The 6-week Exeter College Summer Programme offered a truly authentic Oxford experience, where we had small group learning such as seminars and tutorials for the two courses I took (Medicine and Disease in European History and Development Economics), and took part in many of Oxford’s traditions. Courses were academically rigorous yet extremely fruitful and intellectually stimulating. I had the chance to be taught by eminent academics and to interact with talented peers from all over the world. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me to have a simultaneously academically challenging and culturally enriching summer in Oxford’s engaging and beautiful environment.
Tin Ho CHAN@University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
In 2018 summer, I went to Sri Lanka and was attached to the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery in the University of Colombo. The doctors there were passionate and keen on teaching. Every medical student worked very hard and spent most of the time in the ward to attend ward rounds and bedside tutorials, clerking patients, blood taking and even handling new admissions. Although the medical students there were busy, they were very friendly. When they got an interesting case, they invited me to see and learn from that patient.
Due to limited resources, the hospital there may not be able to offer sophisticated investigations so the teaching was very clinical and mainly focused on history taking and physical examination. It was a good chance for me to recognise the importance of these basic clinical skills and made me realise that I could only understand the patients’ holistic situation by seeing and talking to them. These basic clinical skills helped me build up relationships with patients and could not be replaced by investigations.
Lily LAI@Asan Medical Center, South Korea
During the summer break, I did a one-month clinical attachment in the Gastroenterology Department and Kidney & Pancreas Transplantation Department of Asan Medical Center in Korea, which was a truly fruitful learning experience.
Asan Medical Center is very famous for its large endoscopy centre and kidney transplantation unit. I had many eye-opening experiences there, including observing a simultaneous pancreas and living kidney transplantation at midnight, endoscopic submucosal dissection, endoscopic mucosal resection and scrubbing up for the kidney transplantation. It was my first time seeing those procedures, and I learnt a lot.
I also had the chance to join the Seoul International Symposium on Helicobactor and Upper Gastrointestinal Disease, where I met a lot of distinguished professors and listened to many informative talks, which provided the most up-to-date information on H. pylori infection and various gastrointestinal diseases.
This attachment broadened my horizons and helped me prepare for my final-year study and future research.
Nicole Phoebe TANNER @Tanzania
I did my 5th year medical electives in Tanzania, and I had the opportunity to see so many new things! The healthcare in Africa is very different to that of Hong Kong, and so are the diseases and cases. Many people have HIV and AIDS, and it is very heart-breaking to see children and adults suffering the complications of these diseases. It puts life in perspective and helps me appreciate what I have in Hong Kong. On top of that, Africa has been an adventure! From seeing the beautiful nature and animals, Tanzania has been an amazing cultural experience.
Tracy WONG@Monash University, Australia
In April-May 2018, I participated in a six-week research and clinical attachment, under the supervision of Professor Rosemary HORNE, at the Department of Paediatrics at Monash University in Melbourne in Australia. I mainly took part in a research project on a sleep study comparing electroencephalography (EEG) signals between children who were born term and preterm. I also had the opportunity to join the paediatric lectures and tutorials of Year 4 Medical students at Monash University, sit in a neonatal follow-up clinic, follow morning ward rounds in the neonatal intensive care unit and observe an animal study. It was a truly fruitful and rewarding experience.