Maho Toyota, a final (6th) year medical student, spent last November in Hong Kong for clinical attachment. Maho shares her valuable experience that struck her, and tips to get through the hard work.

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I studied at Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong for 4 weeks in November 2014. I attended Obstetrics and Gynecology department as a member of bedside training students.

I was stimulated and inspired by medical students in Hong Kong.

Firstly, I was surprised at the ability of medical students in Hong Kong to use English freely and fluently. They study everything of medicine in English, read English medical textbooks, and discuss with classmates and colleagues in English. However, they speak Cantonese in daily conversation. It means they are not native English speakers just like us, but students in Hong Kong have been learning English since they were 3 years old. They have been making much effort for many years.

One episode impressed on me the necessity of learning English. When we attended the clinic, we encountered some problems unsolved. During the next lunch time, I found my colleague searching papers and materials in English about these problems on the internet in the library. I realized the ability to use English makes quite a difference in the amount of information we could get.

Secondly, medical students in Hong Kong are required to have as much knowledge and management ability as medical interns in Japan. For example, teachers always ask students, “What is your next plan?”, “Which examination will you order?” For every answer student makes, teachers ask, “Why?”, “Why do you think so?” These Qs and As train the students’ ability to manage patients well.

For these reasons, medical students in Hong Kong must study hard every day. But they play hard, too. If there is a spare time, even if it’s only for 1 hour, they play ping pong or basket ball! After the time for refreshment, they return to their desk at once. I found medical students in Hong Kong good at managing their own time.

By the way, I have fully enjoyed the food in Hong Kong. We used a cafeteria of the hospital for lunch. Surprisingly, in this cafeteria, there was a tower of steaming bamboo baskets containing a variety of “Dim Sum”! We could choose any one we like. They taste so good, but the price was reasonable. Delicious meals definitely helped me push through the hard work!

This truly was an eye-opening experience for me!! I’m happy I made many friends in Hong Kong, and look forward to meeting them again as doctors!