The Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care takes an active role in nurturing the professional development of medical students beginning with the longitudinal Professionalism in Practice (PIP) and Clinical Interpersonal Skills (CIPS) programmes. These emphasize the fundamental values, attitudes and interpersonal skills integral to doctoring which underpin the later core learning in Family Medicine and Primary Care. In the clinical years, the emphasis is on experiential and contextual learning in both public and private family practices in the community. A network of community teaching sites complements the Ap Lei Chau Clinic teaching practice and partnerships with over 200 primary care doctors to provide opportunities for student learning.

Professionalism in Practice Programme (MBBS I-II)

The PIP programme aims to enable students to develop an understanding of what it means to be a doctor, and the nature of professionalism as it manifests in real life practice. This programme is built around early contact with a primary care doctor who will engage with the same student over the first two years of medical school. Each year the programme focuses on certain expected attributes of a good doctor which reflect professionalism: being humanistic and ethical, an expert resource, and a skilled clinician. The PIP programme prepares students for future clinical teaching which holds professionalism at its core.

Clinical Interpersonal Skills Programme (MBBS II-VI)

To help medical students develop a modicum of skills, the Clinical Interpersonal Skills Programme (CIPS) will focus on some key generic skills which need to be practiced and built up during the developmental process of each doctor’s professional life. These selected skills are considered necessary for the formation of relationships, the gathering and giving of information to colleagues, patients and families in the promotion of physical, emotional and social well-being of patients and their families. This course runs longitudinally with sessions held in between Year 2-6 of the MBBS programme.

Clinical Foundation Block (MBBS IV)

The CFB serves as a bridge between system blocks and clinical clerkships. Upon completion of this block, students should be able to:

• Learn and revisit basic communication and clinical skills in a primary care setting;
• Apply basic sciences and public health principles in clinical medicine;
• Integrate core specialties through problem-based learning sessions incorporating various life cycle events;

Learning activities in Family Medicine include consultation skills-acquisition workshops and clinical consultation session at Ap Lei Chau Clinic

General Clerkship - Multi-disciplinary Clerkship (Block C) - Life Course Block- Family Medicine (MBBS IV)

The emphasis for Year IV students is on patient-centred interviewing, clinical problem solving, and making a diagnosis of common illnesses presenting in family medicine and not on the specific management of these conditions. This programme includes the family practice attachments and the consultations at family medicine clinics with supplemental seminars, skill-based workshops and a final debriefing session to reflect and consolidate learning.

Specialty Clerkship – Family Medicine and Community Care (MBBS V-VI)

This seven-week specialty clerkship aims to provide an integration of learning experiences from family medicine and community-based care settings to allow students a richer understanding of social determinants of health and to acquire skills of health care delivery in the community. Students learn in the community across multiple disciplines responsible for community based- care including Family Medicine, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Internal Medicine, Rehabilitation Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. The clerkship culminates in clinical competency test which examines students’ clinical skills in performing family medicine consultations, management interviews, medical record and prescription writing and care of the elderly.

Elective Opportunities