XN000022-1977-04-28 — Page 2

THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1977

145 PASS PART II OF LICENTIATE EXAM.

FOR UNREGISTRABLE DOCTORS

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THE LICENTIATE COMMITTEE OF THE HONG KONG MEDICAL COUNCIL TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT 145 CANDIDATES HAVE PASSED PART II OF THE LICENTIATE EXAMINATION FOR UNREGISTRABLE DOCTORS.

A TOTAL OF 170 CANDIDATES SAT FOR THE 3-HOUR EXAMINATION ON APRIL 15, WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO TEST THE CANDIDATES' ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES.

THE 25 CANDIDATES WHO FAILED WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESIT THIS PART OF THE EXAMINATION NEXT YEAR.

THE SECRETARY TO THE COMMITTEE, MR. IAN YOUNG, EXPLAINED THAT THE PAPER COMPRISED A MEDICAL TEXT FOR COMPREHENSION ON WHICH THERE WERE TWELVE QUESTIONS OF THE +TRUE+ OR +FALSE+ TYPE. CANDIDATES WERE ALSO ASKED SEVEN QUESTIONS ON THREE MEDICAL CASE HISTORIES. INCLUDING WRITING A REFERRAL LETTER TO A SPECIALIST, WHAT ADVICE THEY WOULD GIVE A PATIENT SUFFERING FROM A PARTICULAR COMPLAINT AND TO SELECT AND COMPLETE THE APPROPRIATE NOTIFICATION FORM FOR A CERTAIN DISEASE.

HE REITERATED THAT AS RECOMMENDED BY THE WORKING PARTY ON UNREGISTRABLE DOCTORS, IT WAS NOT THE AIM TO TEST GENERAL COMPETENCE IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN THIS PART OF THE EXAMINATION.

+THE PAPER HAD BEEN DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT THE CANDIDATES' COMMAND OF WRITTEN ENGLISH IS ADEQUATE FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES SO THAT THEY CAN COPE WITH SUCH MATTERS AS PRESCRIPTIONS, STATUTORY FORMS, CLINICAL CASE NOTES, TECHNICAL INVESTIGATION REPORTS AND REFERRALS AND KEEP THEMSELVES REASONABLY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE DEVELOPMENTS AND PROGRESS OF WESTERN MEDICINE THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS,+ HE SAID,

MR. YOUNG SAID THAT HE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY CRITICISM OF THIS PAPER FROM ANY OF THE CANDIDATES ALTHOUGH THERE HAD BEEN SOME SPECULATION IN THE PRESS ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF THE PAPER BY PEOPLE WHO HAD NOT SEEN IT.

HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WOULD BE ABLE TO SIT FOR THE THIRD PART OF THE LICENTIATE EXAMINATION IN JULY, WHICH IS A 45-MINUTE ORAL EXAMINATION ON PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE. THIS WILL TEST THE CANDIDATES' ABILITY TO APPLY THEIR PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE TO CLINICAL PROBLEMS WITH EMPHASIS UPON ASPECTS OF MEDICINE ENCOUNTERED IN HONG KONG. CANDIDATES WILL BE GIVEN 15-MINUTE ORAL EXAMINATION IN THE THREE DISCIPLINES OF MEDICINE, SURGERY, OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY AND THEY MUST PASS ALL SUBJECTS AT ONE SITTING. CANDIDATES WILL BE GIVEN THE OPTION OF TAKING THE EXAMINATION IN CHINESE OR ENGLISH.

CANDIDATES WHO PASS PART 111 WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO UNDERGO THE PERIOD OF PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT AND TRAINING OR EXTERNSHIP+ WHICH WILL NORMALLY BE OF 12-VONTHS DURATION. THE EXTERNSHIP IS DUE TO COMMENCE IN SEPTEMBER.

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