The Faculty of Medicine is largely self-contained within the massive CUHK campus in the New Territories, offering a unique university environment.

Physical Infrastructure and Learning Environment

• Campus Layout: CUHK's main campus is located in Sha Tin, New Territories, featuring a large, beautiful, and mountainous campus with its own distinct character, separate from the dense city center.

• Medical Education Facilities: Housed in dedicated blocks, including the Health Sciences Building and Basic Medical Sciences Building, all integrated with the teaching hospital complex.

• Simulation Center: Maintains the CUHK Clinical Skills Training Centre, offering advanced simulation and skills training facilities for high-fidelity procedural practice.

• Anatomy Facilities: Features modern Anatomy Laboratories with advanced resources, reflecting high standards of anatomical and surgical education.

• Laboratories: Extensive, highly equipped research and teaching laboratories supporting clinical and biomedical sciences.

• Central Library: Access to the specialized Medical Library and the main CUHK library system.

• IT Infrastructure: Excellent IT support and high-speed Wi-Fi access across the campus and clinical sites.

• Collegiate System: CUHK operates a unique collegiate system, providing smaller, supportive residential communities within the large university.

Clinical training is concentrated around the largest public hospital in Hong Kong, providing comprehensive exposure.

Clinical Facilities and Exposure

1. Primary Teaching Hospital: Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) is the main teaching and academic health center, one of the largest public hospitals in Hong Kong, located immediately adjacent to the CUHK medical campus.

2. Affiliated Hospitals: Rotations take place across the Hospital Authority's network, including:

   • Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital

   • Shatin Hospital

   • Various specialist and district hospitals throughout the New Territories and Kowloon.

3. Patient Load: Exposure to an extremely high volume of diverse and complex pathology is guaranteed, serving the large population of the New Territories.

4. Clinical Exposure Model: Students receive patient contact from the early years, with immersive and extended clerkships in the later years.

5. Training Method: Emphasis on bedside teaching, evidence-based medicine, and multidisciplinary teamwork.

6. Language Application: Mandatory communication in Cantonese and/or English with patients during clinical rotations.

Tuition fees for non-local (international) students are substantial, reflecting the high costs of world-class education and living in Hong Kong.

Financial Commitments

1. Annual Tuition Fee (Non-Local): Approx. HKD 171,000 – HKD 182,000 per year (approx. $22,000 – $23,500 USD).

2. Total 6-Year Tuition: Approx. HKD 1,026,000 – HKD 1,092,000 (total academic fee).

3. Mandatory Charges: Includes student union fees and medical insurance.

4. Accommodation (Annual): On-campus housing is generally available but highly competitive for international students and significantly cheaper than private rentals.

   • Estimate: Approx. HKD 15,000 – HKD 40,000 per year (approx. $1,900 – $5,100 USD) for subsidized university housing (collegiate system). Private rental is significantly higher.

5. Cost of Living (Annual): Very High (Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities globally).

   • Estimate: Approx. HKD 80,000 – HKD 120,000 ($10,000 – $15,000 USD, excluding tuition/housing).

6. No Capitation Fee: No non-refundable development or capitation fees are charged.

Hong Kong is a dynamic, densely populated global city and a Special Administrative Region of China, known for its deep harbor, dramatic skyline, and status as a major international financial centre.

Life in Hong Kong

1. General Atmosphere: A high-energy, incredibly dense metropolis that blends traditional Chinese culture with global commerce. It offers exceptional contrasts between high-rises and nature parks.

2. Safety Profile: Hong Kong is regarded as exceptionally safe for students and residents, with very low crime rates.

3. Student Life: Highly dynamic and cosmopolitan, with excellent connectivity via the Mass Transit Railway (MTR).

4. Climate: Experiences a humid subtropical climate, with long, hot, and wet summers and mild, dry winters.

5. Transportation: World-class, efficient, and affordable public transport (MTR, buses, ferries, trams) is the main way to travel.

6. Famous Food: Famous for Cantonese cuisine, dim sum, and a vast array of high-quality international food options.

7. Indian Food Accessibility: Excellent. Hong Kong has a significant South Asian community, with many areas offering abundant and high-quality Indian restaurants and specialty grocery stores.

8. Language in Daily Life: Cantonese is the local language. English is the language of business, law, and education. Mandarin is also widely spoken.

9. Cost of Living: Extremely High. Housing is the single largest and most prohibitive expense, although CUHK's residential colleges mitigate this significantly for their students.

CUHK offers a unique, more traditional campus experience compared to the urban feel of HKU.

Residential Details and Student Life

1. Accommodation: CUHK's Collegiate System provides unique opportunities for non-local students to secure highly subsidized on-campus residency, fostering a strong sense of community and support.

2. Self-Catering: Hall life typically involves some subsidized catering, but facilities are available for self-catering.

3. Safety: Hong Kong and the CUHK campus are considered extremely safe.

4. Student Amenities: A massive range of university societies, active professional associations, and excellent on-campus facilities (including fitness centers and catering options).

5. Location: The campus is in the New Territories, offering more space and nature than the city center, but requires reliance on the MTR for travel to central districts.

Key Student Obligations & Career Pathways

1. Admission Selection: Extremely competitive, requiring exceptional academic results and strong performance in the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), which assesses communication, ethics, and critical thinking.

2. Internship Requirement: Graduates must complete a mandatory, structured 12-month pre-registration internship in a public hospital in Hong Kong to gain full registration with the Medical Council of Hong Kong.

3. NExT Eligibility (India): Graduates must successfully complete the full 6-year MBChB program plus the mandatory 1-year internship to be eligible for the NExT exam and licensure in India.

4. Career in Hong Kong: Graduates are highly sought after for local residency and practice within the Hospital Authority, benefiting from a well-structured post-graduate training system.

5. Visa Requirements: Requires a valid student visa/entry permit for non-local citizens.