Florida, USA
5 departments · 15 programs · British American University, Florida
The Faculty of Medicine has excelled in its teaching, clinical practice and research and advancement of health sciences since its establishment at the University. Today, the Faculty is the bastion of public health services and the origin of many groundbreaking medical discoveries and surgical innovations. Students receive first-class comprehensive training by means of seven bachelor’s and various postgraduate programs offered by 19 teaching departments / schools / unit. The MB ChB program adopts a system-based integrated curriculum which emphasizes early clinical exposure and small-group teaching. Students in medicine, nursing and pharmacy are given hands-on clinical experience at the University’s teaching hospital, the Prince of Wales Hospital.
The British American University, USA, is taking a courageous step to medical education and practice in line with the stand of the US government on improved healthcare sector. The US invests more on healthcare service delivery more than any other country whether developed or otherwise; yet, we have some of the poorest health outcomes situations in the country! To reverse this observed downward trend in the health sector, BAU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is tackling one of the critical factors negatively affecting the performance of the health sector globally; that is, a shortage of primary healthcare doctors.
Hence, the major focus of the BAU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is to groom students to become experienced primary healthcare physicians who would deliver compassionate, high-value healthcare to the less privileged communities upon their successful graduation from the University.
At BAU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, our major attention is on preventing and improving poor health; and not just treating it. Students will receive the highest quality medical and Health Sciences education to provide comprehensive healthcare. By teaching students to address key factors that affect their patients’ health, such as food insecurity, the environment and housing, we can help to eliminate health disparities in our urban and rural communities as well as across many countries of the world.
Our Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is committed to educating a diverse group of students who will become compassionate doctors with excellent clinical skills, ready to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow’s healthcare. Every part of our curriculum has been designed to ensure that our students gain a deep understanding of their patients’ needs, how their communities, families, culture, and experiences impact their health, and the skills to advocate for their patients, now, and in the future.
Feel free to join the BAU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in this journey to create a different kind of medical Institutes for today’s and several generations to come. We are committed to recruiting a diverse student body and having an inclusive educational environment at the British American University campuses.
Established in 2019, the BAU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has recently been rated among the top 25 globally, and the youngest on the top 10 league among the well equipped Medical and Health Faculties. The Faculty’s ranking success is reflective of its commitment to innovation and creativity, a trait that has made its mark on the Faculty’s curricular design and pedagogy. Top academics around the world are ready to vouch for the Faculty’s ‘ability to embrace change, creativity and diversity’.
Enrolled in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) as well as our Nursing and Public Health programs are students from various cultural backgrounds and nationalities. It is the Faculty’s respect for innovation and creativity in Medical and Health fields that helps spawn student-initiated projects. In fact, the BAU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences encourages innovation by building a strong research component in its various curricula. The Faculty is intent on providing early research experience to students such that they can enrich their medical practice with biomedical knowledge and clinical research.
Under the Summer Research Internship Program, Year 1 or Year 2 medical students can undertake research over a span of two months with the guidance of scientists from the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
Budding medical and Health practitioners who have gained a firm foothold in biomedical sciences can better explain the scientific bases for diseases, and select the best form of treatment or management of diseases when they ply their trade in future. Students interested in research can also conduct research under the tutelage of professors. Medical training can be demanding and stressful, and no one knows this better than friends and colleagues who are going through the same trials.
The BAU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences the Global Physician-Leadership Stream (GPS) in the year 2000 in response to changes in the healthcare sector and the challenges ahead, aiming to help promising students pursue their studies in an accelerated and streamlined manner through customized teaching, research, leadership training, mentorship, humanitarian expeditions and many more. The objective of GPS is to meet the society’s demand for knowledgeable, civic-minded, and caring healers who put their patients’ interests first.
On top of GPS, the Faculty’s emphasis on professionalism and all-round development also informs the tenor of the MBBS program. The Faculty is presently running an interactive bioethics course that tackles some of the most controversial and heated debates facing the medical and health community such as genetic engineering. Internship opportunities are available to our medical and health sciences students for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response. For those who wish to extend their scope beyond the medical field, they can sign up for overseas exchange programs in non-medicine subjects and exchange programs usually arranged by the Faculty.
Research internships in overseas institutions are also available for BAU medical students.
As a Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, we have a fundamental responsibility to train people who can meet the health needs of individuals and society. This pillar encompasses all of our educational offerings—undergraduate and graduate degree programs, professional and postdoctoral training, faculty development, and continuing professional development, all of which focus on enabling learners to succeed in their careers and support health and well-being wherever they choose to work and practice, in all corners of our province and around the world.
We must work with health system partners to identify emerging educational needs in human resource planning, and adapt our programs to meet those needs. This involves expanding the group of potential learners, domestically and internationally, including those who identify as part of historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized groups. Across our educational offerings and services, we are committed to supporting the patients, staff and educators in classroom, laboratory, clinical and community settings, who are all essential to achieving this goal and ultimately our vision.
Established in 1981, the CUHK Faculty of Medicine has recently been rated fifth among the medical schools in Asia by Quacquarelli Symonds, and the youngest on the top 10 league. The Faculty’s ranking success is reflective of its commitment to innovation, a trait that has made its mark on the Faculty’s curricular design and pedagogy.
Nicole Phoebe Tanner (MBChB 2019) is ready to vouch for the Faculty’s ‘ability to embrace change, creativity and diversity’. Enrolled in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) program, Nicole said that what she values most about the program is ‘the space to be creative’.
It is this respect for creativity that helps spawn student-initiated projects. In fact, the Faculty of Medicine encourages innovation by building a strong research component in its curriculum.
The Faculty is intent on providing early research experience to students such that they can enrich their medical practice with biomedical knowledge and clinical research. Under the Summer Research Internship Program, Year 1 or Year 2 medical students can undertake research over a span of two months with the guidance of scientists from the School of Biomedical Sciences.
Budding medical practitioners who have gained a firm foothold in biomedical sciences can better explain the scientific bases for diseases, and select the best form of treatment or management of diseases when they ply their trade in future.
Students interested in research can also conduct research under the tutelage of professors. In 2014, Nicole participated in a dementia research project initiated by her mentor Prof. Vincent Mok.
She is grateful for all her mentors who have encouraged her to dig into clinical research. “When I began pursuing research, they gave me their endless support and many opportunities to visit their labs and to attach to their projects. Such opportunities have helped me to initiate my own project, the ‘Virtual Research Lab.’”
By using the data gathered from the research project, Nicole and a team of students participated in a paper contest hosted by the East Asian Medical Students’ Conference. Nicole’s team managed to beat the other contestants from nine medical schools.
Mentorship aside, peer support has proved a boon to Nicole’s academic pursuits. Medical training can be demanding and stressful, and no one knows this better than your friends who are going through the same trials.
‘The demands of medicine have helped us grow closer to each other, and to learn to comfort and encourage each other to persist. I definitely would not have gone this far without the support of my friends.’
A strengthened research component is not the only feature that distinguishes CUHK’s medical education; in fact, the Faculty makes sure that its curricular design addresses both current and emerging needs of society.
— Nicole Phoebe Tanner, a 2019 graduate of MBChB
Global Physician-Leadership Stream (GPS) was launched in 2013 in response to changes in the healthcare sector and the challenges ahead, aiming to help promising students pursue their studies in an accelerated and streamlined manner through customized teaching, leadership training, mentorship, humanitarian expeditions and more. The objective of GPS is to meet society’s demand for knowledgeable, civic-minded, and caring healers who put their patients’ interests first.
On top of GPS, the Faculty’s emphasis on professionalism and all-round development also informs the tenor of the MBChB program. Together with Columbia University, the Faculty is running an online, interactive bioethics course that tackles some of the most controversial and heated debates facing the medical community, such as genetic engineering. Internship opportunities are available at the Collaborating Center for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response.
For those who wish to extend their scope beyond the medical field, they can sign up for overseas exchange programs in non-medicine subjects and exchange programs organized by the Colleges. Research internships in overseas institutions are also available for CUHK medical students.
A member of GPS, Nicole is grateful that the initiative allows her to explore the world of medicine beyond textbook knowledge, offering learning opportunities otherwise unavailable to medical students, including humanitarian work and clinical research.
“I had the opportunity to participate in multiple clinical research projects in neurology, surgery, pediatrics and hepatology. I visited Sichuan to see how medicine could be applied in a rural setting. By applying my medical knowledge in different contexts, I am learning in action the value of medicine, and that to be a good doctor, one should be open-minded and diverse,’ said Nicole.
Nicole’s reflection on her medical training at CUHK is an example of how the determination to serve with humility can help us be our best and to give the best.
Throughout the six-year curriculum, training in bioethics, communication skills and professionalism are offered. These are all important attributes of CUHK graduates before they are ready to serve the community as junior doctors.
The foundation year of preclinical studies, Year 1 prepares students academically, intellectually and mentally as they embark on their medical education journey. The curriculum is designed to equip students with a common core of biomedical science knowledge in public health, physiology, anatomy and histology to ensure all students possess the basic knowledge essential to pursue their pre-clinical and clinical endeavors. Students also follow our bioethics course, a key feature of the Faculty’s SMART curriculum.
Organized in association with the University of Columbia, the course uses real-life scenarios enacted with peers in order to stimulate students’ critical thinking and evaluation skills and help them understand how their preconceptions can impact ethical decision-making.
The University’s college system ensures students have the opportunity to interact and work with people from diverse backgrounds while its General Education Foundation Program invites students to think critically and intellectually with professors by developing the analytical and evaluative skills necessary to challenge their pre-existing notions and prejudices. The rich diversity of experiences – both medicine and non-medicine related – is essential for students to succeed in their academic and intellectual pursuits.
Year 2 and Year 3 offer mainly pre-clinical science training. Students receive a solid, comprehensive and continually updated grounding in biomedical sciences and also some community exposure.
Clinical skills training is introduced in the pre-clinical years. Bridging courses are offered before students are promoted to clinical years to further equip them with the essential knowledge of pathology and clinical skills.
In Year 4, students acquire the skills and knowledge of handling basic clinical problems through attachment to the Prince of Wales Hospital, our primary teaching hospital, and other partner hospitals. Subjects such as anatomical pathology and clinical hematology, chemical pathology, clinical microbiology, medicine and surgery are covered.
In Year 5, students rotate among four clinical disciplines: community and family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. At the end of Year 5, students will have broadened their learning, research and clinical horizons through attachments to other healthcare institutes in Hong Kong or overseas during their 6-week clinical elective.
In Year 6, students go through rotations for further clinical teaching in medicine, surgery and other clinical disciplines, including anesthesia and intensive care, clinical oncology, diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology, emergency medicine, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, orthopedics and traumatology.
In addition to the core curriculum of MBChB Program, GPS focuses primarily on medical professional training, offers additional learning opportunities to students with high academic ability and interests in undergoing additional training in medical leadership in research, clinical service, healthcare administration and medical education.
*Options of pursuing graduate studies:
‘CUHK’s Biomedical Sciences Program is really great as I get a real taste of all the different areas such as cancer biology, neuroscience, stem cell research, immunology, etc., which genuinely appealed to me,’ said Romeo Goh from Malaysia, who entered CUHK as one of the first batch of Biomedical Sciences students.
Romeo is always very interested in the human aspect of biology and various areas of biomedical sciences because he believes that behind every treatment that improves human health is a story of discovery.
Biomedical research plays a pivotal role in shaping the advancement of modern clinical practice. In view of this, CUHK launched the Biomedical Sciences Program in 2016 to meet the increasing demand of professionals in the biotech and biopharmaceutical industry, medical and clinical services including genetic and genomic services locally, as well as in Southern China.
Though new to Hong Kong and CUHK, Romeo is happy for what he chose. “Students are given a luxury of choices in the Biomedical Sciences Program. It has been designed in a ‘stepping stone’ way by providing students with a solid foundation of medical science in the first two years and then allowing them to tailor the course to their particular interests over the next two.”
He went on, ‘We can choose from three concentration areas: biomedical research, strategic management and entrepreneurship, health services and consultation. I am eager to soak up knowledge in the field of biomedical research, particularly neuroscience and stem cell research. The other two concentration areas also comprise exciting courses like management and marketing in pharmaceutical industry, forensic science and histopathology. You can tell the faculties have really thought about the structure and it’s arguably one of the best and most exciting courses CUHK offers.’
Having the major electives arranged into the three concentration areas is the unique feature of the program which differentiates itself from other local biomedical sciences program.
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Chan Wai-yee, Li Ka Shing Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Founding Director of the School of Biomedical Sciences, remarked, ‘Our curriculum emphasizes practicality and experiential learning, enriched with a bioethics component and courses co-taught by experts in the field or from other Schools/Departments of the Faculty. Students have to take part in experiential learning activities as a graduation requirement. Such a unique range of courses is the first of its kind to be included in a biomedical science‐based undergraduate program in Hong Kong.’
The program also adopts small-class teaching so as to maintain a close student and teacher relationship. Romeo praised the arrangement, “Tutorials offering highly personalized teaching are what most impress me the most. During the tutorials, the professor might say, ‘I want you to think about all of these things, and come with loads of questions.’ We’ll have to find the answers ourselves by doing some extra reading and trying to think in a bigger picture of the subject. It’s really fun because it’s quite informal and we just bounce ideas around with the professors.
It’s good to have that discussion, rather than just sitting passively and listening to someone imparting information.”
— Romeo Goh, the first batch of graduate of BMSC
He is glad to have the many opportunities of learning such as summer biomedical research attachments in CUHK or overseas. ‘I was learning in the lab at The University of British Columbia in the summer promoting to Year 3 on the molecular impact of maternal aging on oocyte quality, which was fascinating to me.’
Fitting in the local society in CUHK as a non-local student wasn’t as hard as Romeo expected it to be. ‘We built friendship since the orientation camp and the bonding got stronger throughout the program as we are studying together in small classes. Moreover, working in a collaborative environment with people doing biomedical sciences with me enabled me to work through the problems together and that collaboration really helped me a lot.’
Romeo is leaning towards neuroscience research as the School of Biomedical Sciences is, in his own words, ‘an incredibly rich place that essentially covers a broad range of research areas and it will provide me with a very strong background of biomedical research for my future graduate studies.’
For those who are interested in the Biomedical Sciences Program and would like to study in CUHK, ‘the style of teaching will suit them. They’re going to have a great time and a lot of fun here!’ said Romeo.
Our encounters with pharmacists at a hospital or clinic are brief; the only glimpses we get of the pharmacists’ world are rows of cabinets and shelves behind the glass panel at the dispensary. In reality, a pharmacist does a lot more than distributing prescribed drugs; they advise patients, doctors, and nurses on drug use and dosage, as well as engage in research and pharmaceutical production. The pivotal role of pharmacy in our healthcare infrastructure means that a career in this field offers good prospects and job satisfaction.
The pharmacy program at CUHK is run by the School of Pharmacy under the Faculty of Medicine, and the annual intake quota was scaled up from 30 to 55 in 2012, and further increased to 61 in 2016.
Yuki Cheng, a recent graduate enrolled in CUHK’s pharmacy program, has always wanted to engage in community service. A chemistry and human sciences enthusiast, Yuki believes that pharmacy is the subject of her choice. Her decision was also affected by the sad fact that one of her close family members is suffering from Graves Disease, an autoimmune disorder that can lead to hyperthyroidism. Witnessing herself the havoc wreaked by the side effects of medication on someone she loves dearly, Yuki began to wonder the difference it would have made should her family member be better informed and supported.
It was then that the younger Yuki came to realize the importance of pharmacy to public health. Such experience has cemented Yuki’s determination to apply herself to pharmacy studies, which is in fact far more diverse than she had originally thought. Now she knows that pharmacy is a multidisciplinary subject, covering a wide range of fields such as pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, pharmacy practice and law, biochemistry, and herbal medicines, etc.
Upon graduation, Yuki shall be joining a profession of which 25% of its workforce is made up of CUHK graduates. On top of hospitals and clinics, pharmacists in Hong Kong also find employment in pharmaceutical companies, teaching and research, geriatric care and civil service. According to Prof. Zuo Zhong, Director of the School of Pharmacy, many CUHK BPharm alumni are now serving key positions in various pharmacy sectors in Hong Kong.
A pharmacist’s responsibilities often require direct face-to-face contact with patients, clients and other healthcare professionals. This requires adaptability and good communication; both essential attributes of any pharmacist. For this reason, CUHK’s pharmacy curriculum highly emphasizes ‘out-of-classroom’ activities to help students acquire the soft skills necessary for team work and professional success.
‘The School of Pharmacy encourages us to participate in different learning activities to broaden our horizons. For instance, I have been engaging in outreach services with the full support of our faculty. We also have access to research and internship opportunities,’ Yuki said.
Practical trainings, clinical clerkships, community and outreach programs, as well as other forms of experiential learning, are an integral part of the curriculum. The School ensures that every pharmacist-to-be is equipped to face real-life workplace challenges.
CUHK’s pharmacy students also have the opportunity to participate in overseas pharmacy exchanges to Universities outside of the region such as the University of Arizona, the University of Colorado, the University of California San Diego, the University of Southern California, the University of Illinois Chicago in the United States, the University of Manchester in UK, the University of Toronto in Canada and the Kyoto University in Japan. This allows the students to appreciate a global view of pharmacy practice and broaden their perspectives.
— Yuki Cheng, a recent graduate of PHAR
To Yuki, perhaps the true measure of a pharmacist’s success is his or her ability to help patients maximize the benefits of their medication. Very often, patients suffering from chronic diseases also have to grapple with aging, disability and poverty, problems that can be caused or aggravated by a long-running medical condition. And such problems may compromise the optimal use of medication.
‘In my training, I have seen first-hand how pharmacists can help patients use drugs appropriately, and that pharmacists can offer helpful advice and counseling to patients. I certainly hope that I can apply what I’ve learned here to give patients a helping hand,’ she said.
Increasing access to safe and cost effective medicine is the overarching goal of the teaching, research, and entrepreneurial activities of the School of Pharmacy. Launched in 1992, the CUHK Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) Program was the first UGC funded pharmacy program in Hong Kong. It is a 4-year full-time program that prepares graduates for a 1-year internship before licensure. For more than two decades, the academic staff has lived up to the tradition of bringing out the best in each student with a high quality, rigorous and dynamic curriculum.
We have created a nurturing environment that cherishes teamwork, leadership, and commitment to civic responsibility. The School also takes pride in being able to raise the awareness of the public in the value of those services only the pharmacists are qualified to provide. Over 800 pharmacists in Hong Kong are CUHK graduates, accounting for about 27% of the pharmacist work force. Beginning with the 2016-17 academic year, our School has doubled its enrollment to a class of 61.
Our program is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and attitude to be lifelong learners and innovators who accept the responsibility of meeting the public’s needs for safe, efficacious, and cost-effective medicine.
Any One 2-unit course from the following:
Free Elective Courses (to be offered in Summer Term)
And choice of one clerkship in:
** MEDF1011 & 1012 are prerequisites for PHAR1433 & 1434; MEDF1012 is prerequisite for PHAR1423; PHAR1110 is prerequisite for PHAR2110; PHAR1433 is prerequisite for PHAR2410; PHAR2211 & 2212 are prerequisites for PHAR2213; PHAR2213 is prerequisite for PHAR4402; PHAR2410 is prerequisite for PHAR3413, 3414 & 3415; PHAR2520 and PHAR3510 are prerequisites for PHAR4501; PHAR2711 is prerequisite for PHAR4401; PHAR3330 is prerequisite for PHAR4201; PHAR3413, 3414, 3415 & PHAR3812 are prerequisites for PHAR4301; PHAR4911 is prerequisite for PHAR4912.
^ Major Elective
The mention of nursing calls to mind Florence Nightingale who tended the sick and the wounded on the battlefields of the Crimean War. Nurses nowadays work in more diverse settings and their training is all the more sophisticated, but the qualities that constitute the making of a nurse have not changed over the decades.
The Nethersole School of Nursing at CUHK has been able to admit students with enthusiasm and commitment to serving in the health care field since its inception in 1991. Each year, around 6,000 applicants compete for 200 places on offer at its Bachelor of Nursing Program. In the QS World University Rankings 2020, CUHK came first in Nursing locally and in Asia.
CUHK’s nursing program is known for its professional education and academic rigor. To prepare students for a successful nursing career, the program provides a comprehensive range of courses including biological and behavioral sciences, health promotion and maintenance, nursing research and information technology.
As with many other disciplines, the first month of university life could be quite ‘tumultuous’ for school leavers.
First-year students participate in a mentorship scheme which helps them settle in. Novel teaching and learning technologies such as Clickers and UReply are used to enhance student interaction in class. Small tutorial classes are conducted to consolidate learning through thorough discussion.
Kevin Yau, a 2019 graduate majoring in nursing, is ready to vouch for the benefits of such tutorial classes to his academic and professional education.
‘Small-class tutorials are the ideal platform for nursing students to exchange and evaluate their experience in clinical practice,’ Kevin said.
Another unique feature of the CUHK nursing program is its emphasis on whole-person development. The School sees to it that students are equipped not only with professional skills, but also the cultural competency to see how nursing adapts to different societal conditions.
— Kevin Yau, Bachelor of Nursing graduate 2019
‘Student Exchange’ is one of the major elective courses of the nursing program, and nearly half of all final-year students visit an overseas university for two to three weeks. Participants can learn more about other cultures, as well as how nursing education and practices are conducted outside of Hong Kong. With the support of the Nethersole Endowment Fund, the School sponsors 75% of the airfare, accommodation expenses and fees for lectures and clinical visits.
Nurses work in diverse healthcare settings, ranging from general practices and clinics to hospitals and nursing homes. They also work in correctional facilities, schools, and NGOs, or participate in humanitarian aid in war zones and disaster-struck areas. While administering to the needs of patients is the most commonly known duty of nurses, other lesser known roles include management, training, and research. The opportunities available to nurses are as many as the challenges facing them, given the versatility of the profession.
Such a view is echoed by Kevin.
‘A nurse’s job is not only about handling documents or medical tools. Nurses focus on the overall well-being of their clients. People may think that nurses are just assistants to doctors, but I think they do much more than that. Nurses must possess critical thinking and decision-making skills as well as empathy when delivering holistic care to clients,’ he said.
‘The program provides students with a lot of practical training beneficial to our future career in various healthcare settings. I am sure I can apply what I’ve learned here to my nursing career, no matter what position I will be posted to.’
JUPAS / non-JUPAS
This is a five-year full-time credit-based honors program leading to the award of a Bachelor of Nursing degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Full-time: 5 years
Subject to previous qualification obtained, students may be considered for admission with Advanced Standing.
The program prepares students for registration as general registered nurses with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong. Graduates of the program are qualified to provide quality patient care and promote the health of people in today’s increasingly technological and complex healthcare environment. The main subjects of study include biological and behavioral sciences, health promotion and maintenance, nursing practice and theory, nursing research and information technology. Students also gain experience in the care of clients in both community and hospital settings.
The program is well designed and integrated across five study years to prepare students to become professional nursing practitioners with a strong foundation in theory and knowledge. Beginning with knowledge- and skill-based training, the program covers all aspects of nursing, from basic nursing to nursing care for individuals with complex health problems.
Students are required to take four courses in the Faculty Package and 40 major courses (112 credit units in total) in the program.
Globalization, epidemics, environmental degradation, poverty, etc, are just a few of the factors affecting our public health policies and practices. Today, many well-established universities offer public health programs, providing broad-based training for young people hoping to become seasoned healthcare professionals. And CUHK is the first university in Hong Kong to offer an undergraduate public health program.
Hong Kong people probably do not need much introduction to the consequences of mysterious diseases spiraling into public health scares. Very often, before scientists get a good grasp of the culprit virus, the infection may have wreaked enough havoc to show how unprepared we are. To make sure people stay vigilant, we should spend more effort on public health education.
The promotion of public health requires diverse skills and coordination, and therefore the curriculum of a public health program usually encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including biostatistics, environmental health, social and behavioral science, health services, public health policy, management, finance, law, and engineering.
‘We offer learning opportunities to talent who aspire to be public health professionals, so that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to plan strategically for the proper management of health services, the control and prevention of infectious diseases, as well as decide what policies are best to promote healthier lifestyles for future generations,’ Prof. Samuel Yeung-shan Wong, Director of the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care said.
Kelvin Ho, a recent graduate, is satisfied with the breadth and depth of the program.
‘The comprehensiveness of this study offers me a full picture of the role of public health in society. Physiological factors aside, social, environmental, and political issues can lead to the emergence and diffusion of diseases. Public health professionals thus have to come up with creative strategies in tackling public health problems, formulating solutions, and evaluating efficacy of policies and measures,’ Kelvin said.
The formulation of public health policies could be a tedious, controversial and contentious process, sometimes calling for international collaboration. Kelvin was fortunate enough to be able to visit the United Nations headquarters in New York to cover the meetings attended by decision-makers and health professionals hailing from different countries.
‘I really enjoyed attending the meetings and writing up articles relating to international and healthcare issues. My training at CUHK helped me get the most out of my trip to the United Nations.’
The CUHK program has a good combination of classroom learning and extra-curricular activities.
— Kelvin Ho, a graduate of PHPC
‘In addition to classroom learning, experiential learning and international exposure also constitute an important component of the program. Through such experiences, students will have a more thorough and holistic understanding of public health,’ Professor Wong said.
For example, students can go on exchange in overseas universities for one semester of year. Summer study tours are also available.
On professional development, students are required to complete 100 hours of practicum and they are assigned mentors who advise them on career planning. The School also appoints year coordinators responsible for supporting students’ academic and personal development.
To Kelvin, public health studies has opened him to different fields of knowledge useful for both his professional and personal growth. He called on inquisitive, bright, young minds who aspire to pursue a healthcare career to join this program.
— Sir Donald Acheson (United Kingdom)
— Institute of Medicine (United States)
With the emerge of SARS, MERS, Ebola and recent of COVID-19, all people dedicated working in a public health discipline play an important role in providing advice to government for public health measures and public education in mitigating the risk of infection spread locally and globally. At the vanguard of public health education, the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care of the Faculty of Medicine has launched the first public health undergraduate program in Hong Kong, Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSc in Public Health) in 2009.
Besides infectious disease, there is a range of public health issues threatening our health and capacity of health system including climate changes, increasing epidemiology of chronic disease, challenges with aging population, occupational safety, drug abuse, internet addiction, mental health, unhealthy lifestyle, and sustainability of healthcare financing and service provision, etc. Our program provides students who have an interest in public health with passion and valuable insight into population health issues.
Concepts students can expect to grasp in term of knowledge, skill and value aspects in the following areas: social determinants of health, environmental impact on health, healthy lifestyles, public health law and ethics, biostatistics and epidemiology fundamentals, emergency preparedness and disaster response, infectious diseases, and health services reform.
Select EITHER group of the courses
(with a maximum of 6 units from courses labeled as #)
Students will participate in site visits that cover government sectors, private sectors and non-governmental organizations to explore the students’ perspective on professional public health practices.
Students are requested to complete 100 hours of field work and a research project based on the chosen field of interest with the guidance of a supervisor. It is an essential experience which develops student’s understanding, analytical and researching skills as well as critical thinking in a particular subject.
We all know when it comes to health that prevention is better than cure. Advocacy for health education and promotion within the community is gathering momentum, and the Bachelor of Science in Community Health Practice is precisely designed to prepare the workforce for a growing demand for health management services.
Prof. Samuel Yeung-shan Wong, Director of the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, said that the program is offered in response to the increase in non-communicable diseases, emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, and the increasing importance of community-based care. The two-year, full-time program welcomes application from associate degree and higher diploma holders who graduated from science or social science disciplines.
Vestina Wong, a graduate who also holds an associate degree in food safety and environmental health, wants to build a career in tailor-made health services and health education.
Vestina said her training at CUHK changed her idea about health. She used to assume that staying healthy was only about diet and medication, but now she regards primary care and health education as the most important component in disease prevention.
Students enrolled in the program are expected to help reduce health and social care costs by preventing health problems, promoting healthy lifestyles, improving compliance with medical advice, enhancing self-care and self-management skills, and facilitating access to appropriate health and social services. The ultimate objective is to equip individuals and families with the knowledge and skills in making informed choices for their health.
The students can embark on their careers or pursue postgraduate studies in the fields of patient empowerment, social care and community health education. Some graduates are employed as executive assistants in governmental organizations, project assistants in non-governmental organizations, and assistant production officers in pharmaceutical companies.
Hong Kong’s population is aging fast, and our sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet are not helping, either. To prepare students for the diverse needs of the people they are going to serve, they are required to participate in a 220-hour practicum.
‘The practicum is the most valuable part of my learning. I was placed in the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, responsible for program preparation, designing promotional materials and planning for future activities. My practicum showed me the challenges faced by the NGOs in Hong Kong, but then it also reaffirmed my confidence in the healthcare practitioners and the sector,’ Vestina said.
Time management is essential for almost all disciplines and the program in Community Health Practice is no exception.
— Vestina Wong, in CHPR
‘We have to take courses and participate in practicum in the second year of our program, not to mention the group projects. It’s important for us to manage our time wisely,’ she said.
To Vestina, her knowledge of health promotion is useful for jobs outside of the healthcare industry as well. Her training has taught her to be more mindful of other people’s physical and psychological needs, as well as being more communicative and empathetic.
‘Such qualities can be put to good use in a wide range of professions, including the service industry and social services,’ said Vestina.
She thinks that this program is suitable for civic-minded young people. ‘If you wish to seek fulfillment through service, then Community Health Practice is your best bet.’
Human population aging is going to cost us dearly, but until the problem looms large enough to be keenly felt, most people seem to spare little thoughts to it. According to the Hong Kong Population Projections 2015 – 2064, the percentage of people aged 65 or above will reach 28% by 2034, with the figure shooting up to 33% by 2064. The statistics speak louder than words of the urgency for more gerontology professionals.
The Bachelor of Science in Gerontology program, run by the Nethersole School of Nursing of the Faculty of Medicine, CUHK, is precisely designed to educate young people as gerontology professionals every age-friendly city needs.
The first UGC-funded articulated gerontology program, CUHK’s BSc in Gerontology is the program of choice for associate degree or higher diploma graduates majoring in health sciences, social sciences, counseling, Chinese medicine, human and life sciences, etc. Upon graduation, students should be ready to take on aged care service planning, interdisciplinary coordination, planning and implementing care management, empowerment programs, telecare and transitional care in a wide variety of elderly health and social care settings. Some may even go into service administration, evaluation and reengineering.
The opportunities offered by gerontology program are as diverse as they are promising.
Commenting on the employability of graduates, Prof. Chair Sek-ying, Director of the School, said, ‘The excellent performance of our graduates is widely appreciated. The majority of the graduates joined the aged care field as project officers, project coordinators, and elderly service coordinators. Some were employed by academic institutions to carry out and coordinate community-based research projects. The employers are impressed by their ability to analyze critically current health and social care policies, and their thorough understanding of the needs of older persons in the local as well as global contexts.
Three of our graduates received multiple outstanding employee awards from non-governmental organizations and social enterprises.’
Sarah Ho, a recent graduate of the program, had set her eyes on a career in aged care services early on. Before joining the program, Sarah had done a considerable amount of voluntary work in aged care, and would like to grow her charitable work into a full-fledged career. She chose CUHK’s program because she believed it would ‘equip students with a full scope of knowledge and skills in planning, delivery and coordinating aged care services.’
To her delight, what the program offers has exceeded her expectation. She is especially grateful for the gerontological practicum, which provides her with ample opportunities to apply theories in different settings such as district elderly community centers, day care centers and residential care homes.
Gerontological practicum aside, Sarah finds unforgettable the exchange program to Tainan where she got the chance to ‘job shadow’ at a local residential care home. To give the residents more autonomy over their lives, the staff would come up with creative ideas, such as teaching the residents how to decorate their own urine drainage bags. This experience brings home the fact that every small act of caring, touched up by imagination, can make a big difference. ‘I believe that taking a step to get out of the comfort zone and being innovative is an important aspect of my gerontology education,’ Sarah said.
The acquisition of soft skills and all-round development is a key feature of CUHK’s gerontology program. On top of practical knowledge and skills, students are expected to hone their communication, interpersonal, leadership, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The curriculum is broad enough to holistically prepare students for a fast-changing and diverse world.
— Sarah Ho, a 2017 graduate of BSCG
With an annual intake of about 30 students, the program is well-positioned to provide individual supervision to its students. A good example is the ‘academic advisory system’ that matches each new student with an advisor or mentor. Year 2 students and graduates are invited to share their experience with Year 1 students to help them better adapt to campus life.
Gerontology education is more than passing on mere know-how and hard facts. Sarah and her classmates can stand by the veracity of this statement: not only have they got a good grasp of professional expertise and competencies in aged care, they have also gained deeper insights into the meanings of life through the comprehensive education and humble service.
Non-JUPAS senior year entry
This is a two-year full-time credit-based honors program leading to the award of a Bachelor of Science in Gerontology degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Full-time: 2 years
This program, funded by the University Grants Committee, has been designed in response to the expanding aging population and the associated workforce shortage in elderly health and social care services in Hong Kong. The program provides students who possess an associate degree or a higher diploma in health sciences, social sciences, psychology and counseling, human and life sciences, Chinese medicine, or a similar field with a strong foundation in gerontology.
Students are equipped with a full scope of knowledge and skills in the planning, delivery and coordination of aged care services in a wide variety of elderly health and social care settings.
The curriculum normally extends over two academic years consisting of four study terms. Students are required to fulfill the Major Requirements (51−54 units) and the University Core Requirements# as well as completing other electives, with the actual number of units to be taken depending on their sub-degree qualifications.
* Subject to change
# University Core Requirements: English Language (2−5 units), General Education (8−9 units) and Physical Education (1 unit)
Applications are open for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs. Speak to our admissions team or apply online today.