More and more students dreaming to be doctors pick CUHK over HKU

Over 90 percent of top students scoring 46 marks or above in this year's Diploma of Secondary Education exams have chosen to study medicine at Chinese University - rather than University of Hong Kong.

This came as about 15,500 students have been offered places at nine local universities after the results of the Joint University Programs Admissions System were released yesterday.

Among 336 students admitted to the two local medical schools providing a total of 590 places CUHK admitted 205, taking up 70 percent of its medical school places for year one students.

The remaining 131 of medical school applicants were admitted to HKU, or 44 percent of the JUPAS admission rate. That was a low for the university since 2018.

Over 90 percent of students who scored 46 or above out of 49 marks in seven subjects chose to go to CUHK medical school where its Global Physician-Leadership Stream saw a median admission score of 47 in seven subjects - the highest among nine local universities for the ninth consecutive year.

For other medical degrees the median score for seven subjects reached 43.5 marks out of 49.

CUHK also took five top scorers, including two "super scorers" for the Global Physician-Leadership Stream.

"We are very pleased to see a growing number of students opting to study medicine at CUHK," said the dean of its faculty of medicine, Francis Chan Ka-leung.

"Despite a considerable increase in the intake of medical students we continue to have very high admission scores and maintain a 70 percent intake of DSE students. This reflects the popularity of our program, which is a strong recognition of the quality of our education."

Meanwhile, HKU said its law programs continue to be in the lead position by taking the very top students. All 43 DSE candidates with 42 marks or more in the best six subjects seeking law-related programs have been admitted to HKU.

HKU has also taken in 13 outstanding athletes through its Sports Scholarship Scheme program.

The 13 excel in water polo, shuttlecock, rowing, table tennis, basketball and squash and were admitted to HKU with an average DSE score of 29.6 marks in the best five subjects.

Eighty-six local non-Chinese speaking students have been admitted to HKU - the highest intake among all local universities - with an average score of 27.7 in the best five subjects.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology takes 1,848 DSE students this year, with its quantitative finance degree recruiting 20 students with best results.

Polytechnic University is to take more than 2,200 students and its physiotherapy program has the best admission results.

City University has admitted about 1,600 new students, Baptist University more than 1,100, and the Education University over 910.

sophie.hui@singtaonewscorp.com