CUHK MbChB
Written by Annabelle Ngai
Date: 19 August 2021
‘‘I really like how the year 1 curriculum provides students with such a huge flexibility to do whatever they want to.’’
Special grouping system
Though all medical lessons were conducted online on zoom, there were still times when I got to hang out with my small group group mates and we managed to have lessons at the library. I really appreciate this ‘small group system’, where all freshmen are assigned into different groups (named after different specialties) (e.g. ENT for ear, nose, throat). This grouping is remained for the rest of our MbChB programme so this system does not only allows us to develop a stronger bond between peers, seniors from respective groups can also provide guidance for us throughout our medical journey.
Course content in Semester 1
In semester 1, we are exposed to four medical related courses: health science, systemic anatomy, public health and bioethics. Group projects are also incorporated in some of our courses. Amongst the four subjects, health science and systemic anatomy in health science are the two examined courses. For health science, we learnt about biochemistry such as the Krebs cycle and other metabolic pathways. Personally, I think the hardest part would be to memorise the exact step of each cycle. On the other hand with regards to systemic anatomy, we were taught about the basic bits of each system such as the respiratory and nervous system. Each anatomy lesson is then followed by a respective practical lesson where we get to look at different specimens/ prosections.
Course content in Semester 2
In semester 2, we are exposed to two areas (histology and physiology). At the very beginning, I had a hard time differentiating between between structures because they are all stained pink and some structure such as the epithelium look extremely alike. After loads of practicing using our e learning platform (containing many histology slides) I am able to recognise the specific structure in a very short period of time and spot the pattern of different structures respectively. At the end of the semester, we need to take a spot test which is basically an extended version of MMI with lots of stations. Each station has a histology slide and we have to name the structure within 45 seconds which was quite intense! Overall, histology is quite a fun subject and with time and patience, I believe everyone can excel!
Another course that we took is physiology which is learning how things function in our body. I think the hardest topic to me is the nervous system learning about membrane potential and the movement of different ions in an action potential!!
I would say semester 2 was academically less hectic than semester 1 because I have fewer university courses (some general education courses) to study. Therefore, I have more time to do self care and meet up with my friends.
Exams
Both multiple choice questions (MCQs) and short answered questions (SAQs) are included in the exam. A lot of people might find the thought of exams daunting but I believe that it is actually relatively easy to get good grades if you drill on past papers for year 1.
I really like how the year 1 curriculum provides students with such a huge flexibility to do whatever they want to. Most of my classmates opt for taking extra electives in fields that they are interested in. Moreover, all my peers are extremely willing to help each other out when we come across difficulties academic wise. This nice, friendly culture definitely improves my overall experience at CUHK.
I really enjoyed my first year at CUHK and I look forward to more challenging stuff in year 2!