Third Hong Kong medical school can boost city’s research hub status, but teaching hospital shortage may pose obstacles: lawmaker, patient group

Hong Kong is considering the establishment of a third medical school, a move that could elevate the city's status as a global research hub in the medical field. However, a potential shortage of teaching hospitals could pose challenges, according to a lawmaker and the head of a patients’ group. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) recently announced plans to open a new medical school, with a strong emphasis on research. The proposal aligns with the city's vision to become a regional biomedical research hub, with student admissions expected within the next two to three years. Medical sector lawmaker David Lam believes that a background in fields such as engineering and genetics could be beneficial in the medical sector. He also suggests that the establishment of a new medical school could enhance Hong Kong's reputation as an international educational hub for medicine. However, he warns of potential challenges, including the construction of a top-tier institute with laboratories equipped for human anatomy studies, collaborations with hospitals that have sufficient capacity for teaching, and ensuring graduates meet the standards to qualify as doctors. Recruiting teaching staff globally could also be a challenge. Alex Lam Chi-yau, a lawyer and chairman of advocacy group the Hong Kong Patients’ Voices, expressed concerns that Tseung Kwan O Hospital, located near the university, is too small for teaching purposes. However, he noted that the Chinese University did not have the Prince of Wales Hospital as its teaching facility when its medical school was founded in 1981, and students took their lessons at various hospitals across the city. He suggested that HKUST could use Queen Elizabeth Hospital as a teaching facility until it had its own training hospital. He expressed optimism over the recruitment of professors, noting that both of Hong Kong’s existing medical schools are in the world’s top 30. He believes that if research is the main focus of the school, it could attract different specialists to share their experience and train local doctors. He also suggested that the new medical school could focus on offering training in areas the city needed. He added that admitting students from the Greater Bay Area could also be considered, especially if they also spoke Cantonese, as non-local doctors who understood the local language would best satisfy patients’ needs. The Greater Bay Area refers to Beijing’s initiative to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland cities into an economic powerhouse.