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The LKS Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) is integrating technology into its teaching and training methods. Over the past decade, HKUMed has formed its own multimedia production team to create interactive online teaching materials.
The launch of simulation wards at the Academic Building on Sassoon Road in 2022, equipped with high-fidelity simulators, has significantly advanced nursing education and interprofessional education, garnering recognition with the ‘Teaching and Learning Strategy of the Year’ award at THE Awards Asia 2023.
HKUMed was also among the pioneers in Asia to introduce extensive point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education, providing senior medical students with portable devices for skill development in ultrasonography for bedside assessment and therapy. Furthermore, the institution has embraced cutting-edge augmented and virtual reality facilities for enhanced human anatomy education, ensuring students have continuous access to immersive learning experiences.
Image Credits: HKU, Press Release
The Dean of Medicine at HKU emphasised the need for health professional students to broaden their perspective beyond clinical competence by appreciating the humanities in medicine and understanding sectors such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and informatics, which are transforming healthcare. He expressed gratitude to a philanthropist for his generous support to enhance AI integration into medical teaching, helping HKUMed maintain its excellence in training future healthcare professionals.
The transformative impact of AI on the world and the importance of meaningful applications in healthcare research, medical curricula and services to develop new therapies and enhance health and quality of life were stressed. He expressed his pleasure in supporting initiatives aimed at popularising AI education in Hong Kong and empowering the younger generation to utilise AI innovatively in education.
The philanthropist donated HK$30 million to HKUMed to support AI education, and in response, the institution committed to investing an additional HK$30 million to expand its digital learning capabilities, including hardware, software, and human resources, to further develop AI medical education. Scholarships and grants will be established to assist financially needy students and reward those excelling in AI learning.
The Director of Education Technology at HKUMed outlined plans to enhance health professional students’ digital health competencies through curriculum expansion. Initiatives include incorporating Generative AI (GenAI) technologies to simulate realistic patient scenarios, fostering a multimodal learning experience, and improving history-taking, clinical reasoning, and interpersonal skills. AI will also be used to capture and analyse interactions during teaching and assessments, providing timely feedback to enhance teaching, learning practices, and inter-professional health education.
Since the curriculum reform in 2019, HKUMed has involved students in innovative teaching and pedagogical developments through the ‘Student in Medical Education’ initiative, promoting a culture that recognises teaching as part of professional development. Active student participation in AI advancements continues through the Generative AI Resource Hub, a student-educator partnership initiative aimed at enhancing GenAI literacy for students and faculty members.
With the donation and matching fund, the enhancement of digital learning capacity at HKUMed will better prepare tomorrow’s healthcare professionals to meet society’s healthcare needs and safeguard public health in the future.
The initiatives undertaken by the LKS Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) align with the broader efforts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to promote innovation and technology in various sectors, including healthcare.
HKUMed’s focus on integrating AI and digital learning into medical education contributes to the HKSAR’s goal of becoming a hub for technological innovation, fostering a skilled workforce capable of addressing the region’s healthcare needs and advancing the application of AI in healthcare services, thus reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a leader in innovation and education.
OpenGov Asia reported earlier that HKPC Academy collaborated with a specialist company to incorporate interactive training content and hands-on exercises into the programme. This addition aims to make the programme more practical and industry-relevant, providing participants with the skills needed to master cutting-edge educational technologies and application solutions.
