So you want to be a doctor?

ROD Academy
Jan 16, 2022
3 min read

Updated: May 1, 2022

So you want to be a doctor. Let's see what you need to do.

First, you must be admitted to a medical school. It is advisable to aim at getting into a medical school and practice in the same country. If Hong Kong is the only place you have for permanent residence, then University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Chinese University of Hong Kong(CUHK) are the universities you need to get into. Students graduating from overseas medical school who want to return to Hong Kong to practise will need to sit for licencing examination which is an additional barrier.

Second, if you are permanent residents of other countries such as UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, you can consider getting into medical schools of these countries rather than HKU or CUHK.

Third, if you are permanent residents of any other countries except Hong Kong, there is still one way you can do it in the UK. The idea is to gain the status of permanent residents of that country by the time you finish all your medical training so that you have earned your right to practice medicine there. However that would mean you cannot return to Hong Kong to live and practice unless your are prepared to sit for and passed the licensing examination. This step is feasible but you have to plan ahead which involves studying 2 years of A-level, 6 years of medical school and 2 years of Foundation training.

What qualifications to apply to medical schools

There are a many ways, four of which is more familiar to Hong Kong People:

A-Level (UK and international)

IBDP (international)

AP (USA)

OSSD (Ontarial Secondary School Diploma, Canada)

Of the above 4 qualifications:

A-Level and IBDP are the most well known and accepted by universities in the world including HKU and CUHK

A-Level

Students choose 3 to 5 A-Level subjects from a large number of subjects for 2 years and sat for an A-Level Examination. There are multiple papers for each A-Level subjects and the final grade is a weighted average of the score in different papers. Their grades are from A* to F with A* being the highest. The cut-off score to enter the medical schools in HKU and CUHK varies from year to year. Students are required to obtain 4 A* or a minimum of 3A*, 1A to have any chance.

IBDP

Students choose 6 subjects to study over a period of 2 years. They have continuous assessment based on their class performance and assignment. They will sit for an IBDP examination by the end of 2 years. An weighted average of the coninuous assessment grades and the final examination will give the students' final mark which is from 1 to 7. In addition, they need to do a compulsory subject known as "Theory of Knowledge" (TOK) which teaches students how to read, understand and carry out research which is only given a grade of pass or fail. In addition, they have to write an Extended Essay which can be a descriptive research or an empirical study involving conducting a laboratory or field study, collection of data, analysis results and conclusions. This study can be done any time within the 2 years of study but must be completed by the end of the 2 years. It will be awarded a maximum of 3 point. So the top score in IBDP is 45 which requires a grade of "7" for all 6 subjects and a maximum score of "3" for the extended essay. The cut off score to enter medical schools in HKU and CUHK varies from year to year. Nevertheless, students are required to obtain a score of 42 or above to have any chance.

Get InspireD and prepared

If you manage to read that far, it is very encouraging because it shows that you are not being put off or intimidated by the level of difficulty of getting into medical school. As a matter of fact, it would be a whole lot easier if we show you the way, guide you all along, advise you to do the essential preparation, help you to get the appropriate attachment, encourage you to engage in activity which demonstrates leadership and the heart to serve. We will help you to prepare for the personal statement, Multimedia Interview (MMI), and the final interview.

Medical students are people possessing the following attributes.