Volume 32, Issue 2 (click here to download the full pdf version)
Message from the President
It is with great pleasure that our College can finally host our Annual Dinner once again in 2023, following the return to normalcy in Hong Kong. I look forward to meeting all of you in the coming Annual General Meeting and the Conferment Ceremony. This year, we have offered the option of vegetarian dinner, and we have planned to introduce on-site download of event photos. We hope you will appreciate our new initiatives, and we shall review their popularity afterwards.
On top of organizing the regular College activities taking place each year, our College is particularly busy this year because of two special events.
The International Liaison of Pathology Presidents (ILPP) annual meeting was hosted by our College in Hong Kong on 30-31 October 2023. The last time the meeting was held in Hong Kong was back in 2010. Although it is demanding to be the host organization, it has provided us with an opportunity to introduce Hong Kong to the Presidents or representatives of other Pathology Colleges or organizations in the world.
Other than preparing for the meeting and the related social activities, we have also coordinated with the International Academy of Pathology, Hong Kong Division, to co-host an ILPP session during their Fall Scientific Meeting on 29 October 2023. The session was well received, and it covered hot topics such as artificial intelligence, digital pathology and globalization.
During the ILPP meeting, members shared the challenges and practice of their localities. It was a fruitful meeting for information sharing and network building. Hosting it in Hong Kong has also provided a precious opportunity for some of the younger Fellows to meet these international leaders in Pathology.
We were very lucky that the event went smoothly, and the weather has been on our side. I believe all of you will know how uncommon it is to see Victoria Harbour with a clear blue sky! The guests enjoyed the meeting and our hospitality, and I am very proud of our team in making this meeting a success. A big thank you to all those who have contributed to this exceptional event.
In addition to organizing the ILPP meeting, the other major task which our College has embarked on this year is the revision of the Regulations on Postgraduate Training and Examinations and the related logbooks. This labour-intensive task involves various Specialty Boards and the Training & Examinations Committee (TEC). The new version will be rolled out soon after endorsement of the regulations by the Education Committee of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. Detailed information will be promulgated by TEC in due course.
This year marks the end of my College Presidency. After nearly two decades in the College Council, I am happy to see many young and energetic successors ready to take up the future challenges of the College. These past few years have been exceptionally difficult for the medical profession and our College. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all Council members, College Secretariat and all those who have contributed to the College in many different ways.
Dr. CHAN Chak Lam, Alexander
President
Volume 32, Issue 1 (click here to download the full pdf version)
Message from the President
Wish you all a Happy New Year of the Rabbit.
Our College hosted our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the Conferment Ceremony successfully in 2022 despite the COVID-19 outbreak. Congratulations once again to all the new Members and Fellows. We are very fortunate that Dr. Michael BUCKLEY, our Honorary Fellow and the speaker of the TB Teoh Foundation Lecture, has attended the event in person despite the restriction related to the outbreak. Dr. Buckley’s enlightening lecture, “Exomes and Genomes: from Bedside to Bench-top", was very well received.
The 18th Trainee Presentation Session was also held on the same day of AGM. All the trainees who have participated in the session have done a great job, and congratulations to the winner Dr. Aden CHAN of Anatomical Pathology for his study “Combinations of Single Gene Biomarkers can Precisely Stratify 1,028 Adult Gliomas for Prognostication”. Thanks to Dr. Derek YAU, Dr. Christopher LAI and to all the judges for making the session a success.
The continuing medical education/continuous professional development (CME/CPD) 3-year cycle 2020-22 has just ended, and a new 3-year cycle (2023-25) has started. On behalf of the Education Committee, may I remind our new Fellows that CME/CPD is important in your career development and future practice. Failed compliance may result in suspension of your Academy’s Fellowship and your specialist registration status.
The coming year is a busy year for Training and Examinations Committee (TEC). TEC is currently engaging various Specialty Boards in the review of our training programmes. We are grateful for the advice we have received from our Academy’s Educationist, Dr. SO Hing Yu. Concurrent with the training programme review exercise, our College is also planning to contribute to the development of training programmes for the SZ-HK Medical Specialist Training Centre. This is in support of the Academy’s initiative to strengthen our collaboration with the Shenzhen medical profession.
These few years have been challenging times for all of us. Other than taking care of our patients, we also need to take good care of ourselves and those around us. Academy has taken various initiatives to promote the well being of doctors. Helpful material is available in the Academy’s website, and peer supporters (with some from our College) are ready to help. Our younger generation is encountering lots of challenges and uncertainties in life. As trainers and seniors, we should be supportive. On the other hand, I hope our younger members can also understand that the trainers are likewise facing unprecedented stress, but you should not hesitate to approach your seniors, colleagues or Academy’s peer supporters in case of need.
The multifactorial manpower shortage issue has great impact on our specialty and other medical professions. Our College will work closely with the Academy, the Hospital Authority, and the government, on exploring various options to tackle the matter. Meanwhile, we hope all new Fellows can stay longer in the public sector, to contribute to the training of our next generation of Pathologists.
Regarding government’s plan to explore empowering Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs) to prescribe diagnostic imaging and laboratory tests for their patients, our College is working closely with our sister Colleges and the Academy to deliberate with the government and relevant parties. The Academy had a meeting with the Hong Kong Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioners Association on 16 January 2023, exploring the view of some CMPs.
Our College wishes to engage more young Fellows in College activity. After the establishment of the Academy‘s Young Fellows Chapter (YFC), we have set up our College’s own YFC. Some of our young Fellows are currently members of our College Council and some College committees. We treasure their input and contribution, and it is essential for succession planning. Our current YFC Chairman, Dr. Ivy CHENG, is also in charge of our College Facebook page. We hope to use this platform more often to share information, and your comment is most welcome. ( https://www.facebook.com/hkcpath/ )
The Academy’s Conferment Ceremony was held on 16 December 2022. Congratulations to our new Academy Fellows and to Dr. Lois CHOY, our College trainee in Chemical Pathology who won the gold medal of the Academy’s 2022 Best Original Research by Trainees (BORT) on that day.
International Pathology Day Workshop 2022 was held successfully on 17 December 2022. Dr. Rock LEUNG and his team have done an excellent job introducing our profession to over 200 secondary school students.
I represented our College to attend the Opening Ceremony of the New Territories (Shatin) Forensic Medicine Centre on 29 December 2022. The establishment of this new state-of-the-art facility is an important milestone for Forensic Pathology.
The year 2023 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Academy. The Tripartite Medical Education Conference on 14 January 2023 is the first of a series of celebration events, and Dr. MAK Siu Ming (Chairman of Training & Examinations Committee), Dr. Christopher LAI (Chairman of Education Committee) and I have attended the conference. Dr. MAK and I have also joined the Academy’s Strategic Planning Retreat on Education and Training on 4 March 2023, and it was a precious opportunity for experience-sharing amongst all Colleges and the Academy.
The next Academy’s anniversary celebration event will be Health for All, Move Forward Together on 19 March 2023. Our College has formed a competition team for the run, and some College members have also registered for the event.
The Academy has resumed the annual gathering with the media this year. I attended the HKAM Media Spring Tea Reception held on 3 February 2023. It was a good opportunity for the Academy to highlight the latest development of the Academy and promulgate the Academy’s view on some healthcare related policies and initiatives.
The next annual International Liaison of Pathology Presidents (ILPP) meeting has been planned to take place in Hong Kong in October 2023. Hong Kong was the hosting city in 2010. We look forward to hosting it once again after more than one decade.
With return to normalcy, I expect we shall be able to organise the long-overdue College annual dinner in 2023. I look forward to seeing you all.
Dr. CHAN Chak Lam, Alexander
President