Message from the President, G. Tang, December 2005

Dear Fellows,

As 2005 is drawing to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Fellows who have contributed to the work of the Academy and its 15 constituent Colleges. Without your input, the Academy is unlikely to execute its objectives as stipulated in the Academy Ordinance.

On the objective of fostering the development of postgraduate medical education, the Academy has decided to establish the Academy Scholarship for exchange of training between Hong Kong and the Mainland. It is hoped that with such an interflow of education, trainees or even junior specialists can have a wider scope of practical experience. Training centres in Hong Kong will also be able to contribute to the training in the Mainland. This scholarship scheme shall be announced in 6 months; meanwhile, details are being worked out by the Education Committee.

The development on CME/CPD is ongoing, and each College has had rigorous discussions. Opinions may be divergent, but the goal is the same. The medical and dental professions have a moral and ethical obligation to the community they serve by providing quality health care through life-long learning and continuous professional development. Such activities must be seen by the community to have taken place in a proper manner, and the Academy and its Colleges have the duty to safeguard relevance, quantity, and quality. This statutory function of the Academy is spelt out in section 20L of the Medical Registration Ordinance. Should any changes be made, Fellows shall be consulted and informed in time. The Academy wishes Fellows to make use of the ‘Membership and Learning Management System’ (MLMS) for the purpose of CME/CPD. The current usage is low. For those who have already opened the account, the Academy welcomes your feedback. For those who have not yet opened your account, please do so. Like everything in the Academy, continuous improvement goes on.

The Academy has been in close liaison with the Ministry of Health regarding specialist training, accreditation, and registration in the Mainland. I met the Vice Minister of Health—Professor Huang Jiefu—on 16 October 2005 and we have come to further agreements. The Ministry of Health intends to set up a Working Group to lead this task, and the Academy is invited into this Working Group. I shall keep you informed of the progress.

Last but not least, the Academy is still working on the manpower planning of doctors in Hong Kong and its relationship with the recent health-care reform consultation. You will agree with me that this is an important yet difficult task that has a lot of ramifications. The Academy sees this task as its responsibility and is working on it with prudence. Hopefully, the recommendations will be available within 6 months.

I have given you a brief account of some of the activities of the Academy in 2005. Other than academic activities, the Academy Building is a place for you to enjoy your social functions, and I hope to see you visiting the Academy Lounge and Fellows’ Garden on the 3/F more often. I would like to end this message by wishing you and your families a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Grace Tang
President