Group photo with guests, faculty and students
On September 27, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., the Faculty of Medicine of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) held the Oath and Declaration Ceremony for first-year students of the Bachelor of Medicine (MBBS) program in the N101 Grand Auditorium. New students, guests, and faculty gathered to witness this important milestone.
Distinguished guests in attendance included Mr. Carlos Roberto Xavier, Head of the Department of Tertiary Education of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macau SAR Government; Dr. Fong Kuong Pang, Chief Medical Officer of Conde S. Januário Hospital of the Health Bureau of the Macau SAR Government; Dr. Ruiquan Fan, Party Secretary of the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Ms. Huiyan Tan, Vice President of Hengqin Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University; Dr. Haixuan Yang, Vice President of Zhuhai People’s Hospital; Associate Prof. Wai I Ng, Vice President (Academic) of Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau; Dr. Xuebin Xie, Vice President of Kiang Wu Hospital; Ms. Iok Wa Leong, Consultant of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions; Dr. Yu Liu, Director of the Medical Education Department of Zhuhai People’s Hospital; Mr. Fangao Kong, Director of the General Administration Department of Hengqin Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University. MUST guests included Dr. Ka Lok Tong, Vice President of MUST; Chair Professor Paul Kwong-Hang Tam, Vice President and Chairman of the Medical Sciences Division; Professor Manson Fok, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and President of University Hospital; Professor Vincent Kam Wai Wong, Assistant Director of the State Key Laboratory of Mechanism and Quality of Chinese Medicine; and Associate Professor Daniel Baptista-Hon, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
Opening speech by Dean Manson Fok
The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks by Dean Manson Fok. Addressing the seventh cohort, he noted that putting on the white coat means stepping into a “circle of responsibility.” Trust must be built over time through competence, empathy, and honesty, and it is revealed in the details—greeting, pausing, and listening. As medical technology advances rapidly, students should integrate knowledge with judgment, ethics with evidence, and data with dignity. The future will be uncertain and complex; what patients need most is your presence and companionship. The oath taken today is ancient yet not outdated: put patients, truth, and learning first; use resources prudently; and hold fast to compassion. MUST’s holistic training, he said, will help students move forward with responsibility and kindness.
First-year medical student representative Ms. Yuning Huang
First-year medical student representative Ms. Yuning Huang then shared her aspirations. She spoke of the weight of the white coat—the weight of trust and mission. In Macau, where East meets West, she hopes to combine scientific rigor with a human touch, to hone clinical expertise while cultivating empathy and listening. In study and practice, she strives to see the person behind the illness, to embrace lifelong learning, to encourage and grow with her peers, to honor the expectations of teachers and family, and to live up to the pledge that “health is entrusted; life is entrusted.”
Students taking the oath led by Dean Fok
Witnessed by guests, faculty, and families, students donned their white coats and, led by Dean Fok, recited the Hippocratic Oath in English. The oath emphasizes core ethical principles—respect for patient autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice—together with virtues such as humility, honesty, compassion, and the professional work ethic central to modern healthcare. It reminds future physicians to do their utmost to care for patients, serve society, and uphold the highest standards of conduct.
Closing remarks by Vice President Paul Kwong-Hang Tam
In closing, Chair Professor Paul Kwong-Hang Tam, Vice President of MUST, conveyed the university’s congratulations and welcome to the new students. An oath need not be loud to last, he said; it will accompany you through 3 a.m. emergencies, difficult conversations, and research challenges. The white coat is a promise of trust that must be translated into verifiable service: one more return call, one more explanation, one extra moment to confirm understanding. Patient safety is protected through meticulous documentation, clear handovers, honest audits, and continuous improvement. Modern medicine is global, team-based work, and Macau’s crossroads position carries both advantage and responsibility: bring the world’s best science into local practice and share local experience with the world. He urged students to remember three enduring commitments—never stop learning, never compromise integrity, and keep a healthy balance of body and mind. Patients do not judge by slogans but by reliability: say it and do it; own mistakes and correct them; align care with patients’ goals. “Today is not an end, but a beginning,” he concluded. “May you pursue medicine with skill, humility, and courage—reliable and humane.”
