Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ4: Licensing Examination for non-locally trained doctors
Following is a question by the Hon Mrs Selina Chow and a reply by the Secretary
for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (December
12):
Question:
All medical graduates who wish to register as medical practitioners with the
Medical Council of Hong Kong, with the exception of graduates of the University
of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, are required to pass the
Council's Licensing Examination. In this connection, will the Government inform
this Council:
(a) of the number of candidates who sat for the above Licensing Examination in
the past three years, and among them, the respective numbers of the following
four types of candidates and their passing rates:
(i) medical graduates of overseas universities returning to Hong Kong;
(ii) medical graduates of mainland universities returning to Hong Kong;
(iii) overseas qualified doctors; and
(iv) mainland qualified doctors;
(b) in the past three years, of the main countries from which the two types of
candidates referred to in (i) and (iii) above obtained their medical degrees,
and the passing rates of candidates from those countries; and
(c) whether the authorities will review the existing policy on the licensing
examination system for doctors to allow more non-locally trained outstanding
doctors to practise in Hong Kong, so as to help develop Hong Kong into a medical
tourism centre in the Asia-Pacific region?
Reply:
Madam President,
The Medical Council of Hong Kong (Medical Council) is an independent statutory
body established pursuant to the Medical Registration Ordinance. Under the
principle of professional autonomy, it is within the purview of the Medical
Council to determine and assess the qualifications of applicants for
registration as medical practitioners. According to the Medical Registration
Ordinance, with the exception of graduates of the two local faculties of
medicine (i.e. the faculties of medicine of the University of Hong Kong and the
Chinese University of Hong Kong), all medical graduates regardless of where they
received their medical training are required to pass the Medical Council's
Licensing Examination and successfully complete a 12-month internship training
in Hong Kong before they can register as medical practitioners in Hong Kong.
Candidates may apply for exemptions from any part of the Licensing Examination
or part of the internship training. The Exemptions Sub-Committee under the
Licentiate Committee of the Medical Council will consider individual
applications on its merits, and according to the established and open
guidelines. For instance, a candidate who has satisfactorily completed his
internship training in a hospital outside Hong Kong accredited by the Medical
Council, or holds a specialist qualification in a particular discipline
comparable to a Fellowship of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, may apply for
exemption from the internship training in that discipline. Besides, if a
candidate has at least ten years of overseas post-registration experience, is an
internationally renowned medical practitioner with outstanding qualities, and
has not failed in the relevant part of the Licensing Examination, he may apply
for exemption from the Examination in Professional Knowledge and the Clinical
Examination. My reply to various parts of the question is as follows:
(a) & (b) The Licensing Examination is held annually by the Medical Council and
it consists of three parts: Part I - Examination in Professional Knowledge; Part
II - Proficiency Test in Medical English; and Part III - Clinical Examination.
If a candidate has taken any part of the Licensing Examination five consecutive
times and failed each time, the Medical Council may prohibit him from taking the
Licensing Examination again. Besides, a pass in Part I - Examination in
Professional Knowledge will be valid for five years. Candidates may choose to
take and complete all parts of the Licensing Examination within the same year or
sit the remaining parts of the Licensing Examination within the five-year
validity period of the pass in Part I. The Medical Council has not maintained
records of the number of candidates who were medical graduates returning to Hong
Kong from other places. Such information as the number of candidates who sat the
various parts of the Licensing Examination, the passing rates, and whether the
candidates held registration status to practise as a medical practitioner
outside Hong Kong in the past three years are set out in Annex I, II and III to
this reply.
(c) Under the Medical Registration Ordinance, the Medical Council will recommend
and review regularly the standard and structure of undergraduate medical
education and medical training provided by the two faculties of medicine in Hong
Kong. The Licensing Examination of the Medical Council aims to ensure that those
who wish to register as medical practitioners in Hong Kong after receiving
medical training outside Hong Kong have attained a professional standard
comparable to that of local medical undergraduates, so as to safeguard the
quality of our medical services and hence public health. Therefore, the Medical
Council will ensure that the standard of the Licensing Examination is consistent
with that adopted by the two faculties of medicine in Hong Kong for assessing
their medical graduates. Besides, the Medical Council will invite overseas
experts to participate in the assessment of candidates for the Clinical
Examination. As the statutory body responsible for the registration of medical
practitioners, the Medical Council will, within the purview of its professional
autonomy, formulate the appropriate arrangements for medical practitioners
registration. While the Administration certainly hopes that the supply of
medical personnel is sufficient in Hong Kong, we have to ensure the professional
standard of medical practitioners in order to provide the public with reliable
and professional medical services.
Ends/Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Issued at HKT 14:20
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