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 the requisite skills to interact effectively in the professional clinical setting, the Clinical Interpersonal Skills Programme (CIPS) focuses on key communication and interpersonal skills which need to be practiced and built up during the developmental process of each doctor’s professional life. These selected skills are necessary for the formation of relationships, the gathering and giving of information in the promotion of physical, emotional and social well-being of patients and their families. This course runs longitudinally with sessions held between Year 2-6 of the MBBS programme.

Clinical Foundation Block (MBBS IV)

The CFB serves as a bridge between the pre-clinical system blocks and the clinical clerkships in preparation for the more concentrated clinical learning in hospitals and outpatient clinics. Students are introduced to the principles of Family Medicine and common problems encountered in primary care and also learn foundational skills in history-taking and making diagnoses.

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. A scaffolded learning approach provides a safe environment to practice consultation skills through role play and with patient-educators, followed by teleconsultations and video review and finally conducting clinical consultations with real patients through attachment in private community family practices and public general outpatient clinics. An end-of-rotation clinical test assesses competency and a debriefing session enables students to reflect on and consolidate their learning.

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

This seven-week specialty clerkship provides an integrated learning experience in family medicine and community-based care settings that enables students to acquire skills of health care delivery in the community and gives them a richer understanding of the impact of social determinants of health on patient care. Students learn in the community across multiple disciplines engaged in community based- care including Family Medicine, Rehabilitation Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. The clerkship culminates with a 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