Newsletter

Year 2014

Volume 23, Issue 1

Message from the President:

First of all, I wish to extend my warmest welcome to all newly admitted Fellows and Members to the family of The Hong Kong Collegeof Pathologists.

Pathology has evolved into a field combining clinical interpretation and application of advanced laboratory techniques. It is estimated nearly 70% of clinical decision is related to medical laboratory test results.

To address the increased expectation of the community, not just patients and relatives, we have to get well prepared. Nowadays, our responsibilities are not confined to diagnosing infection or malignancy efficiently and finding causes of sufferings or death accurately. From a few cells or drops of blood, we need to predict prognosis and guide the use of personalized medicine, to trace the routes of infection, to dissect genetic basis...

Year 2013

Volume 22, Issue 1

Message from the President:

After nearly two years of hard work among Councillors, Honorary Advisor and the lawyer of the Company Registry, we are in the process of calling an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in early June. A lot of work has been done on updating our Articles with modifications, including adopting a similar mechanism as the Academy on nomination of Honorary Fellow. The Registrar has, by the time of publishing this Newsletter, sent you the relevant information and invitation to attend the EGM held in the Academy Building in the evening on 10 June. I urge you to come and support the EGM which will only take a little bit of your time. If time permits, we may have a chat and you may let me know your thoughts on College matters. This is an important step for our College to move forward.

I am happy to announce...

Year 2012

Volume 21, Issue 1

Message from the President:

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the College. We are facing a few major changes in the road ahead. Our TEC (Training and Examinations Committee) will start to implement a structured training programme in Molecular Pathology for different disciplines, including conducting the first round of inspection on training centres. The essence of the programme is to introduce some practical experience for our trainees. My personal feeling is that, analogous to performing deliveries during our undergraduate days, our trainees will understand the technology as well as its implications and limitations for their future practice. After all, it is the pathologist who is responsible for the interpretative reporting in pathology practice. The programme is simply an introduction to the field. Pursuit on further...

Year 2011

Volume 20, Issue 1

Message from the President:

The appeal to address manpower shortage from the Department of Medicine in Tuen Mun Hospital initiated a series of events in the medical circle. I attended a forum for Chiefs of Services (COS) of the Hospital Authority (HA) in the Head Office on 8 March evening chaired by Dr. P.Y. Leung, the Chief Executive, and Mr. Anthony Wu, the HA Chairman. The top management appeared to be taken by surprise in regards to the magnitude of the problem which spread beyond one clinical discipline. They were sincere and eager to find immediate or short-term measures to help the frontline doctors.

During the session, many COS presented their views and ideas in helping their staff. It was recognized that the staff morale had been poor since the segregation of salary scales and contract terms a few years back. With...

Year 2010

Volume 19, Issue 1

Message from the President:

I have been asked a few times about my plan since I took office last November. Though I have some ideas about the work, I must admit I have little time to set up any schedule. Perhaps this gives me a chance to write up some thoughts.

Over the past few years since I joined the College Council, there were major changes. We have a full-time College Secretary who helps to tidy up bits and pieces in our Chamber, including taking Council minutes, managing daily operation of the College, and assistance in CME/CPD. At present, Adrienne plays a crucial role in communication among Fellows, Councillors and the Academy. We discussed and implemented changes in standardizing score in examinations, examination formats in specialties, training requirements (such as in case of long sick leave, autopsy numbers),...

Year 2009

Volume 18, Issue 1

From the Chief Editor

Dear Fellows and Members,

Happy New Year! Time flies, and here is another issue of Pathologue.

In the Message from the President, Dr. NG Wing Fung shared with us his vision regarding the future of pathology practice and the College. The 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the 17th T.B. Teoh Foundation Lecture were well attended. As in previous years, we have captured the happy and exciting moments for your memory. The 17th T.B. Teoh Foundation Lecture was delivered by Professor KAN Yuet Wai and entitled “Haemoglobin Genetics, from Diagnosis to Treatment”. The 4th Trainee Presentation Session took place on the same day of the AGM. The winner this year, Dr. Doris CHING, presented the detective work undertaken by the Toxicology Reference Laboratory of Princess Margaret Hospital in identifying the...

Year 2008

Volume 17, Issue 1

From the Chief Editor

Dear Fellows and Members,

In this issue of Pathologue, our new President Dr. W.F. Ng delivered his first Message from the President, with emphasis on his vision regarding training.

For those who could not join us at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the 3rd Trainee Presentation Session last year, we have captured the happy moments to share with you. The winner of the 3rd Trainee Presentation Session, Dr. Allen Chan, provided us with the abstract of his presentation entitled ‘Development and evaluation of a new molecular diagnostic test for the detection, monitoring and prognostication of hepatocellular carcinoma’. He also expressed his personal view towards the Trainee Presentation Session.

The latest Topical Update from the Education Committee is from Forensic Pathology. Dr. Philip...

Year 2007

Volume 16, Issue 1

From the Chief Editor

In the first issue of the College Newsletter this year, Dr. K.C. Lee shares with us his view regarding the current and future trend in the training in Pathology in the Message from the President.

To go back in time, in this featured article, the Passion for Pathology Runs in the Blood, we tell the stories of two important families of pathologists that are instrumental in the development of Pathology in Hong Kong.

In the Topical Update from the Education Committee, Dr. Edmond Ma discusses the Recent Perspectives in Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency. This is another example where molecular biology is playing an important role in the practice of Pathology.

The 15th AGM 2006 and the 15th T.B. Teoh Foundation Lecture were both well attended. For those who could not be there...

Year 2006

Volume 15, Issue 1

Message from the President

I gave the following message to our new Fellows and Members at the last Admission Ceremony, and wish them to take a broader view on their future careers.

For all young Fellows, and even for us who have been in the profession for quite some years, I think we should not stop reflecting our past and debating on our way forward, for I believe it is our collective hope and desires that are important to shape our own future. So it may help if from time to time we could set ourselves free from all busy routine, take a moment to look back on the path that brought us here, and wonder how we should go forward - ask ourselves questions, get a different view, and critically rethink even the most obvious. You may perhaps also agree with me the two things I am going to say about what pathology is not, and...

Year 2005

Volume 14, Issue 1

Message from the President

Why Pathology Matters? A word to the new pathologists at the 13th Admission Ceremony I wish to extend my warmest congratulations to all soon to be admitted new Fellows and Members of the College. Your success in becoming a specialist is especially welcome and somewhat relieving in times when the prospect of shortage of pathologists is worrisome, when we may edging towards the global trend of manpower insufficiency in pathologists as in many developed countries.

Sometimes I wonder, from the day you decide to take up pathology as your career, what have been your responses to the all-too-familiar question of your parents or friends, when they say: “Well, very good, you want to become a pathologist, but don’t you want to be a REAL doctor? Don't you want to take care of patients? Do you really like dead...