Practicing in Hong Kong

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Do anyone know the procedure to practice in Hong Kong with a MD degree from the United States? Is it possible to do half of my residency in the states and half of it in Hong Kong?

Originally posted by PatriciaNg
Do anyone know the procedure to practice in Hong Kong with a MD degree from the United States? Is it possible to do half of my residency in the states and half of it in Hong Kong?

i have a family friend who was practicing medicine in the united states. when he moved to hong kong, he had to do a 1 year internship despite being in practice for many years.

Thanks for the info! I greatly appreciate it.

Originally posted by PatriciaNg
Thanks for the info! I greatly appreciate it.

so you are doing your residency now?

No, I am actually going to start my first year of medical school in August at Downstate. Eventually, I want to practice in Hong Kong. I got an interview offer at HKU and was debating whether I should go.
Now that I know it's not that hard to move to HK with an MD degree in the US, I decided to withdraw from HKU and go to Downstate.

I'm actually at HKU now. Actually, It's gotten much harder to come back to HK which is one reason why I decided to come back and do med school here. Last year, some 30 of the 300 medical school graduates in HK alone couldn't find a job placement with the Hospital Authority, so I've heard that it's quite hard for someone with an overseas to get training in HK. But I do know it's possible. However, I'm not sure how the prospects are after you complete your residency in the States and try to come back to HK. Another reason people advised me to study in HK is that you end up making connections with the "medical world" in Hong Kong which is quite useful... I would suggest that you come back and do the interview just in case. Maybe you would like the school. In fact the facilities are really good and the curriculum isn't that bad although the professors are so-so.

Did you do your undergrad in the states and then go to HKU for your MBBS degree? I know that if I were to go to medical school in HK, I need to repeat my undergrad years, which would be a waste of time. And if I do study in HK, would it be possible that I come back to the US to practice with a MBBS degree?

American MDs are highly sought after in the rest of the world, and I doubt that armed with one, you would have tremendous difficulty working in Hong Kong or any other locale. Here's the bottomline. What you want is flexibility. Are you positive you want to spend the rest of your life in Hong Kong? Are you sure you'll never want to return to the United States? Or perhaps head out to the United Kingdom? An American MD would offer this type of flexibility where an equivalent degree from Hong Kong University, while a venerable institution within Hong Kong itself, just wouldn't.

And if I'm not mistaken, HKU recently ran advertisements in the Journal of the American Medical Association seeking an American-trained MD for their Family Practice Department. The salary was something like HK$1,000,000.

You'll receive fine training at Downstate and you'll find yourself in an equal, if not better, position than the other Hong Kong-based physicians.

Good luck.

PatriciaNg: I did complete my undergrad in the States and I also did my MCATs. But since I wasn't a US citizen, I decided that I'd either go to a Top 10 US Med school or just head back to HK. Sadly, I only got waitlisted at two and never got admitted. So things drawing me back to HK included the price (it's only 5000 US a year), and I knew that ultimately I wanted to practice in HK. In fact, it's not really a waste of time, you're only doing one more year than your counterparts in the States and actually, I believe the difference in curriculum is we get very little clinical exposure the first two years, but having two and a half years of clinical exposure after that makes up for it. Actually, the program is only 4.5 years, since most 5th years take an elective (overseas or local) January of their final year.

I think it's a bit arrogant to say that EVERYONE is vying for a US MD degree. There are people who've given up the chance to get an MD in the States and who've decided it was better for them to return to their home country to get their medical degree. I believe that the school you go to matters more, it's not just the degree. And there are fine med schools all over the world that cater to their own healthcare system. While HKU isn't perfect, it is still one of the top medical schools in Asia. Additionally, it is not as inflexible as you think. There are a few people every year here who take the USLME and go to the States for their training. I don't think it's any different than if you went to a post-grad program in Australia and applied for a program in the US. Plus, there is someone planning to go back to Japan to do his training.

I think it's great that you get to choose between an MD and a MBBS. If I were you, I'd probably just get the MD too and then see how it goes. One thing I don't like about HKU is that the people are in general not as well-rounded as the people you would hang out with in the States plus most of your classmates would be 3 years younger than you although there's about 5-8 post-grads every year.

Cheers!

Originally posted by cleaner2
I think it's a bit arrogant to say that EVERYONE is vying for a US MD degree. There are people who've given up the chance to get an MD in the States and who've decided it was better for them to return to their home country to get their medical degree. I believe that the school you go to matters more, it's not just the degree. And there are fine med schools all over the world that cater to their own healthcare system. While HKU isn't perfect, it is still one of the top medical schools in Asia. Additionally, it is not as inflexible as you think. There are a few people every year here who take the USLME and go to the States for their training. I don't think it's any different than if you went to a post-grad program in Australia and applied for a program in the US. Plus, there is someone planning to go back to Japan to do his training.

I never stated "everyone is vying for a US MD degree," what I said was that an American-trained MD is highly sought after all over the world. Furthermore, you seem to imply that I said there did not exist "fine med schools" outside the United States, when I'm positive that there are plenty of them.

The point is PatriciaNg should have flexibility and that is with an MD from a US medical school and NOT Hong Kong University.

I think I am going to choose to study in the US over HK because there are less uncertainties here. I moved from HK to NYC 10 years ago, although I go back every couple of years, I am not sure I would be able to adapt to the environment and people.

Thanks for everyone's advices!!

My bad Tim Wu. I concur that the MD does open more doors than MBBS. But does it really make that much of a difference after residency?

Just as residency training elsewhere doesn't usually qualify one to practice here in that same specialty, I doubt residency here in the US would allow one to practice elsewhere without additional training.

hey my cousin's name is patricia ng!

Moving to the International Forum...

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hi....i have been a keen reader of this thread .....i am a British Citizen did my mbbs from pakistan.and was supposed to start my residency in internal medicine at a teaching hospital in chicago.but unfortunately i was denied J1 visa at us emabassy london. i have passed my step one and two with scores in 90s.ecfmg certified and also got IL state license.
i was wondering can i apply for internship (or what ever is equalant to it in HK)...
plz let me know about it...thanking you...
reagards
tando

I graduated in Chinese University of Hong Kong and holds a MBChB and MRCGP(UK); training here now is risky as there is no gurarantee one will get adequate training before his contract expires; it's not that you're doing badly but the government is broke and won't want to pay your salary while you're being trained; many have to go into private sector without completing training and the income in private practice nosedives in the last few years; us doctors seems to be flarring better and MD is probably a more desirable choice than a MBBS from Hong Kong
actually I am thinking of going to US for OB GYN training as I'm fed up with family practice(done that for 5 years); do you guys know how hong kong graduates are doing in US residency? Do many of them enters fellowship? How do you rate their performance? would appreciate very much for your commend

bump

Originally posted by Timothy Wu
Just as residency training elsewhere doesn't usually qualify one to practice here in that same specialty, I doubt residency here in the US would allow one to practice elsewhere without additional training.

timothy,

With all do respect in a lot of Asian countries the American degree is not as "highly" sought after as u may think. I have lived in Australia for two years now and have had many encounters from many different asian countries and I have seen how much red tape there are for American grads in some asian countries. I'm not an expert on HK but I would warn u not to be so optimistic unless u are 100% sure an American grad can get licensed there. My personal adivice is to do ur degree where u want to get licensed...

It's A LOT EASIER to get into the US as an IMG then it is to get into some other asian countries...whether u r fully licensed or not.

does anyone know about practicing dentistry in Hong Kong? I want to have an office for underprivileged families open in hong kong after I graduate dental school and become work for a while here...Any info on licensing and opening a practice would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

from HK in the US for training. According to them it is very difficult for somebody outside the system to get a job there unless you have connections. Getting certain specialties also may be near impossible.

People complain about the USA for IMGs but it probably one of the easiest industrialized countries to get a license in and practice if you are a IMG.

Hi,

I am just wondering if there is any opportunity for US med student to rotate an elective in HKU or CU program. I am a 2nd year in DO school now and if I choose to rotate an elective in HK, I have to submit all paper work to school for approval. I know my friend a few years ago went back to HKU to do a ped elective. Since my family are still in HK, I can take this opportunity to stay with my family for a while as well as learn in HK. If someone know any info, please let me know. Thanks!!

I feel sorry for the med graduates in HK.By the way, do U have any idea how I can apply to do an elective in a HK teaching hospital ie a residency elective.b/c I plan to do a month fo elective during the third yr of residency there.About the situation U ask -- want to do ob/gyn training in US, as far as I know, I did not come across any HK graduate who enter ob/gyn residency here.I guess different reasons causing this.first of all, not too many HK graduates want/desire to practice in foreign countries, unlike indians ,russian,philipines,China,taiwan..etc.second, ob/gyn residency in us is quite competitive even for us graduates, plus these days, due to the law suits and hi malpractice insurance fee, many ob/gyn practicians are switching their practice to gyn only or other specialty. So, think about it twice b/c making any decision.Hope this help. Please reply ASAp.

hey 5th cusp :-)
how are u doing? hehe... So u wanna practice in Hong Kong huh? Let's start a practice together!!
Merry Christmas!

most definately qoo!...=o) I look forward to joining forces with you to give hong kong a bigger brighter smile!

You may just write a letter to the desired department to the 2 teaching hospitals here, Prince of wales and queen mary hospitals namely. This should not be difficult. I have seen US elective students when I was a student there. BTW are you from Hong Kong?
As for FM in hk please refer to the other thread about HK which you have posted your reply.
Good luck my friend.

Hong Kong ?
Come !!

I'll agree with anyone here who recommends you to go for a MD or DO in a U.S. school instead of a medical degree in a foreign country, unless you're sure you wanna spend the rest of your life in the foreign country.

A MBBS degree from UK and a MD degree from the U.S. are both more "universally-recognized". You may need to undergo additional training if you wanna practice in another country, but you will probably have an easier time than say, having a MBBS from Hong Kong.

why would an american-board certified MD want to practice in HK? For much higher income or lifestyle?

It could be the person was born and raised in HK, received medical education in US, get board certified and wants to go back to HK to pratice b/c his /her family ,friends are all in HK.It does not have to be for more money and in fact, he/she will make less money compare to US.

I finished med school in the UK last year, and was hoping to go back to HK for surgical training, and only then did I realise that my chances were next to nil Anyhow, am doing my basic surgical training in London now, but wonder whether I will ever be able to practise as a surgeon in HK?

Kenneth, I guess Hk should be happy to have u practice after u complete the training .If they do not take u, it could be due to financial or political reason ie gov't have no money or they only take surgeons from mainland China.

Originally Posted by benjee

It could be the person was born and raised in HK, received medical education in US, get board certified and wants to go back to HK to pratice b/c his /her family ,friends are all in HK.It does not have to be for more money and in fact, he/she will make less money compare to US.

i have a family friend who went back to HK because the HMO system was preventing him from practicing medicine the way he wanted to.

i plan on doing a rotation at Queen Mary Hospital. Can anyone tell me what they think of it? I'm not sure what department, but contact is in the department of pediatrics.

Hey oldman,
U may ask rex lau or consult ur family friend if he/she is currently practicing in HK.

Many people here have asked about the US -> HK move. Does anybody have any experience/knowledge with transferring from the UK medical system to the HK medical system? When's the best time to make the switch, how easy is it to switch, and do UK medics fare any better (or worse) than US graduates?

I'm also interested in doing an elective in HK. I've also heard that a lot of newly minted MBBS grads from HK cannot find jobs/residency and are unemployed. Anyone know if there's any truth to this rumor? I might want to move to HK eventually because I still have a lot of family there...

I would LOVE to practice medicine in Hong Kong!
But I have some questions...

Would it be a good idea to go to Hong Kong University straight out of high school and get the MBBS degree? If I did that, what would I do afterwards? If I didn't like Hong Kong after I got my MBBS degree, would I still be able to come back to the US and go to a medical school like New York University? What if I did like Hong Kong though...what steps would I take after getting the MBBS degree? And once I am a doctor, what are the salaries like? Fianally and probably most importantly...would I have to be able to speak Chinese???

Originally Posted by benjee

Kenneth, I guess Hk should be happy to have u practice after u complete the training .If they do not take u, it could be due to financial or political reason ie gov't have no money or they only take surgeons from mainland China.

I don't understand this part about "they only take surgeons from mainland China." That's 100% not the case in HK. And the government isn't broke; you might just need friends in the program to get your spot.

On another point, if you want flexibility; go to University of Toronto or McGill to do your MD. The HK MBBS is very recognized worldwide. Here at Sick Kids in Toronto, we have many MBBS from HK.

The reason I said the hospitals only take surgeons from mainland China is b/c the mutual reconization of degrees betw. china and HK plus the political reasons that is there has to have some Docs from China practicing in HK. If what u said is not 100% the case, then it may be too early for me to say.However, when I watch the news, I found there are many China trained professors working in the main Universities in HK .I wonder if the universities in Hk are flooded with china educated professors currently.

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any recent news or experiences regarding US medical students doing research/rotations in HK. I am currently applying to US allopathic schools and there may arise the situation where my SO will be moving to HK while I am in medical school. The possibility of being there while she is there would make a world of a difference if you know what i mean. Anybody that has any relevant or useful knowledge, I would gladly appreciate it! Thanks

What about the MDs from China?Do they still need to take those lic.exams?Or they don't need to due to the policy of mutual recognization bet. china and HK.

Originally Posted by benjee

What about the MDs from China?Do they still need to take those lic.exams?Or they don't need to due to the policy of mutual recognization bet. china and HK.

As far as i know, docs from China are treated as everyone else hving their degrees from outside the region, which means they hv to do the same licensing examination as everyone do. Plus i think ppl in here would prefer a foreign trained doc than a doc from mainland for perceptions reasons. Also it is gettin much easier for a HK trained doc to work in the mainland, which would be a market with tremendous potential serving in big cities like Shanghai and Beijing etc.

x

http://www.takungpao.com/news/07/09/07/FYTX-791873.htm

How true is this??..The monthly salaries??..Are they referring in terms of US$ or HK$?

If its US$, its not just wow!!! its ooowow!!!
If its HK$, its less than what US docs earn.

Originally Posted by francois

http://www.takungpao.com/news/07/09/07/FYTX-791873.htm

How true is this??..The monthly salaries??..Are they referring in terms of US$ or HK$?

If its US$, its not just wow!!! its ooowow!!!
If its HK$, its less than what US docs earn.

Well, it refers to HK$. The amt on the surface is not that much but the malpractice fee and income tax are much less.anyway, it's difficult to compare solely the amount , i would consider other factors, like depreciation of currency, living conditions, political stability ( policy can be changed from time to time due to pressure from mainland)..etc.All these are in uncertainty.

Originally Posted by benjee

Well, it refers to HK$. The amt on the surface is not that much but the malpractice fee and income tax are much less.anyway, it's difficult to compare solely the amount , i would consider other factors, like depreciation of currency, living conditions, political stability ( policy can be changed from time to time due to pressure from mainland)..etc.All these are in uncertainty.

also remember this is the pay for a public hospital. the doctors who work in a public hospital in the US are likely to have a lower income than those who work at a private hospital.

Originally Posted by oldman

also remember this is the pay for a public hospital. the doctors who work in a public hospital in the US are likely to have a lower income than those who work at a private hospital.

yeah, probably so. The same here in us, it makes more in private practice if only based on income without considering any other factors .
As i heard, a child with sever behaviour problems have to wait for 3 years to see a child psych specialist for the first time .

Originally Posted by oldman

i have a family friend who was practicing medicine in the united states. when he moved to hong kong, he had to do a 1 year internship despite being in practice for many years.

I heard about this 1 year internship requirement for foreign doctors who wish to practice medicine in Hong Kong regardless of his experience. However, I would like to know how much does the doctor get paid during this one year period? Are they being paid at a price equivalent to the price of a resident that just graduated from a Hong Kong medical school? Just out of my curiousity and see if anyone knows about this.