Top local athletes to join HKU's medicine program

Eunice Lam

Three top scorers in the Diploma of Secondary Education exam will study medicine at the University of Hong Kong, while another will pursue a business degree in international business and global management.

This comes after 15,776, or 39.8 percent, of Hong Kong secondary school graduates were accepted into local universities through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System.

These students received offers for bachelor's degree programs from the eight University Grants Committee-funded universities or self-financed bachelor's degree programs at the Hong Kong Metropolitan University.

Among the 10 DSE top scorers this year, eight were "super top scorers" who also obtained a 5** in extended Mathematics.

Chinese University's medical school secured five of these top scorers - those who scored the highest Level 5** in 6 subjects and obtained an "attained" grade in the new Citizenship and Social Development exam - while the University of Science and Technology said one of the super top scorers will study its Bachelor of Business Administration in Global Business program.

HKU also recruited 8 top local athletes through its Top Athletes Direct Admission Scheme, including hurdler Chloe Pak Hoi-man, who will study medicine.

Pak, who just graduated from Diocesan Girls' School, holds the Hong Kong Under-18 and Under-20 records for the 100-meter hurdles and the Hong Kong record for the 4x200m relay.

She obtained 37 points for her best 6 subjects, including Chemistry, Economics and Extended Mathematics.

Pak plans to balance her studies and athletics training, and is interested in sports medicine and orthopedics after being inspired by doctors and physiotherapists at the Hong Kong Sports Institute.

"As an athlete, I have suffered from injuries such as sprained feet and strained ligaments, and I am interested in sports medicine and orthopedics," she said.

Another athlete, Lee Tin-hang, an 18-year-old squash player from Diocesan Boys' School, was also admitted to HKU's medical school through the School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme.

However, HKU's medical school, which had previously promised in 2013 to recruit 75 percent of its annual quotas from JUPAS applicants, only admitted 52 percent of its 295 quotas through JUPAS this year, with the rest coming from International Baccalaureate or other direct admission schemes.