Results of College Examination October 2024

Click here for PDF file

Results of College Examination September 2024

Click here for PDF file

Results of College Examination July 2024

Click here for PDF file

Viscoelastic Haemostatic Assays in Clinical Practice

Dr Joyce KWONG and Dr Eudora CHOW

Consultant Haematologists, Department of Pathology, United Christian Hospital, Hospital Authority

Volume 19, Issue 2, July 2024  (download full article in pdf)

Editorial note:

Viscoelastic haemostatic assays have emerged as a popular rapid point-of-care test to assess haemostasis in bleeding patients and serve to guide patient-tailored transfusion strategies. In this issue of Topical Update, Drs Joyce KWONG and Eudora CHOW share their valuable experience of using viscoelastic haemostatic assays to investigate and guide treatment in patients with challenging bleeding tendency. We welcome any feedback or suggestion. Please direct them to Dr Alvin IP, Education Committee, The Hong Kong College of Pathologists. Opinions expressed are those of authors or named individuals, and are not necessarily those of The Hong Kong College of Pathologists.

Volume 33, Issue 1 (click here to download the full pdf version)

Message from the President

It is my great pleasure to write my first message in the College newsletter. Following the Annual General Meeting held on 25 November 2023, I have assumed the position of College President. That evening, I had the privilege of sharing a memorable and enjoyable dinner, a long-awaited one after the COVID era, with our esteemed past Presidents, including Dr MAK Wai Ping, Dr LEE Kam Cheong, Prof CHEUNG Nga Yin, Annie, Dr CHAN Ho Ming and Dr CHAN Chak Lam, Alexander. Through these interactions, I gained a deeper understanding of the immense responsibilities that come with being a President, and I am committed to upholding the legacy of our predecessors.

As mentioned in the President’s Speech at the Conferment Ceremony, I outlined a number of key priorities for the College. Moving forward, we will focus on the faculty development initiatives aligned with the Academy’s vision, and on the implementation of the revised Regulations on Postgraduate Training and Examinations, which shall be led by Dr LEUNG Yuk Yan, Rock, one of our College Vice-Presidents, in the coming days. I am pleased that a successful forum was organized in late April, which was attended by trainers and trainees from various disciplines. The forum provided an invaluable opportunity for us to discuss the changes in the new Regulations and to address questions from the audience. I am grateful to all who contributed to the success of this event, and I believe it further strengthens our commitment to transparency and collaboration.

As we step into 2024, a year filled with both challenges and opportunities, we are confronted with a significant workforce challenge that has persisted over the past decade. This issue is not limited to Hong Kong or Asia but is a global phenomenon. I had the privilege of joining the International Liaison of Pathology Presidents (ILPP) 2023, where I learned about the strategies from around the world aimed at alleviating the manpower gap. Despite various efforts, significant improvements have been elusive. It is time for us to think outside the box and consider innovative approaches. I firmly believe that advocating for the adoption of digital pathology and artificial intelligence can be a potential solution, paving the way for enhanced efficiency and accuracy in patient care.

In addition to addressing the workforce challenge, our Council remains dedicated to enhancing the College’s reputation and image, while upholding the standard of practice and fostering collaboration with overseas and local organizations. We will continue our efforts to promote Pathology through International Pathology Day and our College’s International Pathology Day Workshop, which usually takes place in early December each year. The International Pathology Day Workshop has already become a flagship program for our younger generation to learn about and engage with Pathology. It is satisfying to witness the enthusiasm and eagerness of our Young Fellows in leading the workshop and promoting our specialty within the society. I am delighted to share that some participants of our previous workshops have chosen Pathology as their career path, a testament to the impact we are making.

Personally, I will continue to fulfil my responsibilities as President, which include working closely with our College Fellows, Members and trainees. I will align our efforts with the Academy’s direction, particularly in light of the Position Statement "Position Paper on Postgraduate Medical Education 2023" released earlier in 2023. I aim to foster synergy with the sister Colleges in Hong Kong and maintain strong connections with our overseas counterparts.

Dr MAK Siu Ming

President

May 2024

Screening of DPD Deficiency before Fluoropyrimidine Chemotherapy

Dr Felix Wong

Consultant Chemical Pathologist, Queen Mary Hospital

Volume 19, Issue 1, Jan 2024  (download full article in pdf)

Editorial note:

Screening of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency before systemic fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy can improve safety and prevent the occurrence of the associated toxicity. Both genotyping and phenotyping approaches have been advocated. In this review, Dr Felix Wong compares and contrasts both approaches and explains the upcoming situation in Hong Kong in the near future. We welcome any feedback or suggestions. Please direct them to Dr Esther Hung of Education Committee, the Hong Kong College of Pathologists. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or named individuals, and are not necessarily those of the Hong Kong College of Pathologists.

Good afternoon, Prof. Gilberto Leung, Dr. the Honorable David Lam, Dr. Teresa Li, Dr. Law Chun Bon, Presidents and representatives from Sister Colleges, Fellows, Members, ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome you all to the conferment ceremony of our College this afternoon.

Congratulations:

Today is a very special day for our new Fellows. This is a very important milestone, and it signifies the beginning of the next phase of your career. May I take this opportunity to congratulate you, and on your behalf, thank your family, including your parents, your significant others and your children, for their unfailing support and encouragement; also thank your mentors, trainers and colleagues for their guidance; and thank the patients you have helped to manage, who have provided you with the training opportunity.

Chinese: 我代表香港病理學專科學院新院士多謝屋企人多年來嘅支持和包容，令他們現在可以成為香港病理學專科的新生力軍，為香港市民服務。希望你們在未來可以繼續支持他們，因為香港醫療界正面對許多的挑戰。

For those Members in the audience who have already passed our intermediate exam, I am sure it will be your turn very soon to come up here for your Fellowship conferment.

CME/CPD reminder and Genetic and Genomic Pathology:

To our new Fellows: Your future practice requires you to be competent in your field of practice. CME/CPD, continuing medical education/continuous professional development, is essential for your career development, and I believe Prof. Leung from the Academy will remind you again later.

Artificial Intelligence:

I am sure you have all heard a lot about Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) in the news recently, especially regarding the recent appointment of the CEO of OpenAI. A.I. has been a hot topic for some time, and its development has been remarkable, particularly in the field of medicine, including pathology. While this topic can easily fill an entire week of seminars and lectures, I will just highlight a few key points here:

The Academy and the College have released a policy on using Large Language Models (LLM) such as ChatGPT in written assignments of specialist trainees. I would like to emphasize that our College policy on Large Language Models does not impede their use. On the contrary, we believe it is crucial for our trainees to understand the advantages and limitations of these applications and the importance of proper declaration of their usage. By the way, to ensure the originality, I have chosen not to utilize ChatGPT to draft this speech.

A number of my friends have expressed concerns about the impact of A.I. on the field of pathology. However, as a pathologist, I believe that A.I. should be seen as an opportunity rather than a challenge. I draw a parallel to the discussions we had about the impact of genetic and genomic pathology in the past. Initially, there was a perception that molecular diagnosis could replace a significant portion of our work. But over time, we realized the pivotal role pathologists play in this field, especially in the era of personalized medicine. The College has now integrated Genetic and Genomic Pathology into various training programmes. Similarly, A.I. can enhance our efficiency and efficacy as pathologists, streamlining our diagnostic processes. It is therefore crucial for us to embrace this technology and update our knowledge on its utilization. A.I. will be a promising tool in the future.

Faculty Development and Position Paper:

Speaking of the future, I had the honour of participating in the Tripartite Medical Education Conference and the Strategic Planning Retreat on Education and Training 2023, organized by the Academy earlier this year. The purpose of these events was to formulate actions for the future of postgraduate medical education. The Academy has published a position paper that clearly outlines the recommendations made in various areas, including Faculty Development, training based on competency-based medical education, and the implementation of train-the-trainers and train-the-examiners programs.

In line with the Academy’s directions, our College has recently revised our > and the logbooks to incorporate the new concept of workplace-based assessment. This marks our College’s initial step towards implementing competency-based medical education, aligning with Academy’s future direction. Our College is also actively planning to contribute to the development of training programmes for the Shenzhen-HK Medical Specialist Training Centre, giving full support for the Academy’s effort to strengthen our collaboration with the Shenzhen medical profession.

International Liaison of Pathology Presidents (ILPP) 2023:

I would also like to highlight the International Liaison of Pathology Presidents (ILPP) meeting that our College hosted last month. ILPP is a platform for interaction and exchange of ideas among various overseas Pathology Presidents from around the world, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Australia, Malaysia, United States, Canada and a representative from the World Health Organisation. During the two-day ILPP event, topics such as manpower shortage, professionalism and ethics, competency-based training, the adoption of digital pathology, the role of scientific officers and medical technologists, and so on, were all discussed. This ILPP has reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to maintaining international collaboration to advance the field of pathology, foster global sharing of ideas and knowledge, and collectively address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Young Fellows Chapter, Facebook and other Social Medias:

May I also take this opportunity to mention the Academy Young Fellows Chapter (YFC) and our College's active participation in it. I am honoured to have served as the first College representative in the Academy Young Fellows Chapter and as the inaugural Chairman of my College’s Young Fellows Chapter. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Gilberto Leung and Prof. Lau Chak Sing for establishing the Academy YFC, which provides an excellent platform for Fellows from various sister Colleges to work and collaborate together.

To further engage our young fellows, we actively update our Facebook page. I invite you to come visit us on Facebook, give us “likes” and leave some comments. I have also created my personal Facebook and Instagram accounts, where you can learn more about my College responsibilities in the days to come.

About dinner:

This year, our College is finally able to host our Annual Dinner after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to a sister College hosting her AGM and Conferment Ceremony on the same day, some of our guests may not be able to attend. We encourage our College Fellows, Members and Associates to stay for the T.B. Teoh Foundation Lecture on “Everything Immunology, from diagnosis to treatment” by Prof. Lau Chak Sing, followed by the Annual Dinner. Let's enjoy this long-awaited event after its cancellation in the past few years due to COVID-19.

Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have contributed to the preparation of this event. It has been a lot of hard work, as always. I wish everyone the best in the days to come.

Dr MAK Siu Ming

President

25 November 2023