Interactive Workshops Give Prospective Students a Taste of HKUMed at Information Day
HKUMed delighted visitors with hands-on workshops and a chance to try out the latest virtual reality technologies at Information Day 2023 on Saturday.
Prospective students had the opportunity to learn about HKUMed’s undergraduate programmes through admissions talks, discussions with teachers and interactive workshops.
Professor Ivan Hung, Assistant Dean (Admissions) kicked the day off with a talk for prospective Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students.
Highlighting the programme’s “forward-looking curriculum” and use of advanced technology, Professor Hung detailed the unique aspects of studying medicine at HKUMed.
“The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong is continuously improving. In addition to continuing to innovate courses, teaching models, and even launching new learning tracks for outstanding medical talents, we hope to cultivate more future leaders and leaders in the medical field,” Professor Hung said.
“We also hope to help students achieve their dreams and goals through different methods, such as innovative technology and the Enrichment Year.”
The MBBS admissions talk gave prospective students a taste of how the Faculty is increasingly involving students in forming the curriculum.
Winson Chan, a year 4 MBBS student described how he and a team of 100 other students collaborate with teachers to ensure learners get what they need. These passionate senior students also help teach younger students.
“HKUMed is a Medical Faculty where we help one another,” he said.
Professor CS Lau, Dean of Medicine, who addressed potential students at a number of the day’s admissions talks was happy to see all the enthusiastic visitors on campus.
“I have met a lot of prospective students today. They’re all in pursuit of their aspirations and dreams. And that willingness to work hard to pursue one’s dreams is exactly the quality we’re looking for in our students,” Professor Lau said.
Professor Lau also remarked on how Information Day showcases the Faculty’s supportive spirit.
“Apart from prospective students, I am also very glad to see our current students are helping their fellow students. I hope this selfless spirit and intellectual curiosity will be passed on,” Professor Lau said. “I hope to see you all again at HKUMed next September.”
In addition to the admissions talks, the MBBS, Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Leadership Track), Bachelor of Chinese Medicine, Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Global Health and Development and Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics programmes hosted varied workshops to engage prospective students.
Visitors were able to get hands-on experience with the new technologies used to teach anatomy through workshops at the Technology-Enriched Learning Mezzanine (Techmezz).
“I’ve learnt about different systems in the body. There’s a [3D dissection] table where I could view different structures of the body. It was amazing. The equipment is really very advanced at HKUMed,” said aspiring medical student Adam Chow.
Dr Jian Yang, Senior Lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences, explained that visitors were able to experience the virtual reality dissection tools, 3D anatomy and virtual dissection tables used by students.
“Students and the general public can freely explore the human body in a virtual reality immersive experience with 3D structures,” he said “A lot of this they’ve never seen before and for them it’s a brand new exploration.”
Visitors dropped by HKUMed’s traditional Anatomy and Dissection Lab to get a sense of what to expect as first-year medical students.
Vivian, who is planning to apply for the MBBS programme, was fascinated to see the reality of what she’s learnt in textbooks.
“It’s really nice not to only visualise the body from textbooks. I can see how much more we don’t know currently,” she said.
After researching the MBBS programme, said she was particularly drawn to certain aspects of the course.
“It’s really appealing to study at HKUMed for the emphasis on clinical skills early on. And problem-based learning really encourages students to find things out on their own and have discussions,” she said. “And doctors need an inquiring mindset and this is something HKUmed manages to cultivate in students.”
At 3 Sassoon Road, high-fidelity patient simulators at the Nursing Clinical Skills Lab gave visitors a glimpse of life as a nurse.
James, an aspiring nursing student, was enjoying Information Day and rapidly answering questions from demonstrators in the Nursing Clinical Skills Lab.
“I know these things because I have a passion for nursing. I’m here today so I know what I’m getting into with nursing at HKU,” he said. “HKU is the place for me, it will provide the right education and opportunities for me to become a fully fledged nurse.”
Other highlights on campus included workshops using electromyography to control a robotic arm, pharmacy workshops and a chance to learn to make Chinese medicine sachets.
Adam said the talks and hands-on experiences at Information Day had inspired him to work harder towards his goal.
“I’m going to try my best to be more persistent in my studies and put in more effort.”
