The Medical Sciences Division held the Inaugural Distinguished Lecture Series “Fitness to Practice” on 8th May 2023 in N214. This lecture series is designed to bring together some of the most prominent and distinguished figures in medicine and health sciences, to share their knowledge, insights, and experiences with our community. We hope that this series will not only be informative, but also inspiring, as we work together to address the challenges and opportunities facing our field. We invited Professor Grace Tang, a renowned specialist in Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Chairperson of the Education & Accreditation Committee and Special Registration Committee of the Medical Council of HKSAR to give the first lecture of this important series. Vice President of M.U.S.T., Chair Prof. Paul Tam welcomed and thanked Professor Grace Tang for giving our students and teachers a keynote speech. The lecture was broadcasted live simultaneously on the online platform.
Group photo
Vice President Paul Tam gave an opening speech
Vice President Paul Tam presented a souvenir to Professor Grace Tang
On-site at the lecture
Attending guests included a delegation of top experts from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong consisting of Professor Chak Sing Lau, Dean; Professor Ying Shing Chan, Director (Development and Infrastructure) and Advisor to Dean; Professor Mary Ip, Mok Hing Yiu Endowed Professor of Respiratory Medicine; Professor Cindy Lam, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care; Professor John Nichols, Department of Pathology; Dr Philip Beh, Principal Clinical Practitioner, Department of Pathology; Professor Peter Chiu, Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Professor in Orthopedic Surgery; Dr Josephine Wong, Department of Psychiatry; as well as Dr. Lam Kuo, Secretary General of the Macau Academy of Medicine of Macao SAR; Chair Prof. Paul Tam, Vice President of M.U.S.T.; Prof. Manson Fok, Dean of Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T.; Prof. Zeng Li, Dean of Faculty of Chinese Medicine of M.U.S.T.; Prof. Niv Patil, Vice Dean of Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T.; and Dr. Valencia Chang, Vice President of University Hospital and Assistant Dean of Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T. More than 150 students and teachers as well as 1500 doctors and students attended the distinguished lecture in person and online.
In the lecture, Professor Tang introduced the concept of ‘Fitness to Practice’ in the medical profession. Fitness to Practice refers to the Attitude, Skills, and Knowledge (ASK) of health professionals that are necessary for them to practice medicine safely and competently. Medical schools, medical councils, academies of medicine, and hospitals are responsible for initiating and maintaining standards for Fitness to Practice. Prof Tang believes that the curriculum on medical ethics and law plays a significant role in teaching Fitness to Practice but cannot be delivered solely through lectures and scenarios. Prof Tang also believes that continuous professional development mechanisms and competency-based assessments alone are not sufficient to maintain standards for Fitness to Practice, and required performance-based assessments as well. Prof Tang described a number of scenarios where Fitness to Practice was impaired. The lecture provided an excellent opportunity for our medical and pharmacy students to understand what is expected of them professionally, and the consequences of not adhering to these standards.
Professor Grace Tang is a renowned specialist in Obstetrics & Gynecology (OBGYN) and a leader in medical education. As a Dean of Medicine at HKU from 1998-2001, she pioneered a successful curriculum reform and established the Asian Medical Education Association (AMEA). She became President of HKAM in 2005-2008 and later Founding Hospital Chief Executive of HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen in 2011-2016 paving the way for close collaboration with mainland institutions. Currently, she is holding Chairmanships of the Education & Accreditation Committee, Inquiry Panel, and Special Registration Committee of the Medical Council of Hong Kong. She continues to have close contact with medical education and clinical practice through an Honorary Clinical Professorship of the Department of OBGYN, University of Hong Kong; Memberships of the Hospital Governing Committee of Hong Kong Children Hospital, Governing Committee of Queen Mary/Tsan Yuk Hospitals, and Clinical Governance Committee of Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital. Professor Tang is a recipient of many awards and Honorary fellowships from overseas institutions. As a strong believer in the motto “Failure is not an option”, Professor Grace Tang puts her heart and soul to succeed in any role she undertakes.
