Expanding program good for up to 400 students per year

University of Hong Kong's medical school can take in as many as 400 students a year in the next four to five years, says Wallace Lau Chak-sing, who officially became dean last month.

Lau said its medical school has the experience to train that many medical students.

Both HKU and Chinese University each admit 295 students annually.

"The number of places in our medical school has increased by 40 percent in the past 12 years. We have the experience to handle a further increase in students," Lau said.

"We've been recruiting staff and constructing new buildings so that we can increase our training capacity."

As the University of Science and Technology is considering setting up a medical school, Lau said: "No matter how many medical schools there are in Hong Kong, all of them are solely aimed at training experts."

Recruiting students to HKU is not "a competition" with CUHK, he added.

"The only competition we have is the one with ourselves. I'm not saying how well our students perform in examinations, but whether they can be a good doctor," Lau said.

Lau's predecessor, Gabriel Leung Cheuk-wai, had promised to reserve 75 percent of places for Joint University Programmes Admissions System applicants, but the university has never achieved that target.

"HKU's faculty of medicine selects students based on merit. I don't think we should admit students just to achieve the [75 percent] target, but instead determine whether the student is suitable to be trained and become a doctor in the future," Lau said.

He said the government relaxing requirements for overseas doctors to practice in Hong Kong affected his school's admission numbers, but if the institution shows there is room for development for both students and teachers - alongside expanding accomplished teaching and research staff - students will eventually choose to study in the SAR.

Lau said he has already formed his new 37-member leadership cabinet of the higher admissions capacity.

He continued: "Some members will be responsible for extending the medical school's connection and cooperation with overseas, mainland and local organizations, as well as recruiting outstanding teachers and students. "This will enhance the international image of the university and keep our school in pace with global trends."

The medical school is interested in participating in the development of a tertiary education institution in the Northern Metropolis, which will allow it to take part in research collaboration with HKU's Shenzhen Hospital and other cities in the Greater Bay Area to promote transformation of scientific research into application.