A New Era Begins 1975-78

Advisory Committee from economic recession. A Medical Academic Advisory Committee was appointed by the University to advise on all aspects of the project. Professor W. H. Trethowan of the University of Birmingham was the chairman of the Committee which included several eminent medical educationalists of the U.K. and Dr. John Bowers, President of the Josiah Macy Foundation in New York. At the same time, Dr. Gerald Choa was appointed Dean of the new Medical School and a member of the Committee, which met for the first time in Apr il 1976 and twice subsequently. Recommendations on the building projects and academic policies have been made to the University. Progress of Building Programme The laying of the foundation stone of the Choh-Ming L i Building took place in July 1978. It is an eight-storey building adjacent to the Science Centre. When completed by 1981, it will house the pre-clinical department of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and further space for biochemistry, and, most important of all, multi-disciplinary laboratories. The Teaching Hospital A vital part of the new medical education programme is the clinical practice conducted in the teaching hospital. This teaching hospital will be located on a reclamation site at Shatin about 5 miles from the University campus. The building complex will house the department of pathology and the Clinical Sciences building for office, a library, research laboratories, lecture and seminar rooms for clinical teaching staff and students. It is also proposed to build a student hostel for final year students to attend hospital practice on a 24-hour basis. The hospital is the regional hospital for the East New Territories and serves as the teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of the University; construction work has started, and it will be ready to admit patients and for clinical teaching by 1983-84. The UPGC has recommended to the Government to earmark a grant for the cost of the two major buildings with equipment, which will include audio-visual aids, close- circuit television and computerization of hospital records. The hospital, however, will be financed by the Government in its public works programme. Intake and Training Students The course of studies will consist of 6 years: 1 pre-medical year for graduates of Chinese secondary schools, 2 pre-clinical years and 3 clinical years. The first group of pre-medical students will be admitted in 1980-81. Like all first year students, they are required to take General Education courses, which will include sociology and psychology. The principle of "student-orientated" teaching wi ll be applied to medical students in their pre-medical and pre-clinical years in order to prepare them to face and solve the problems they are likely to encounter in future practice. 45