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Scattered efforts have been made to address the shortage in doctors, albeit evidently, with
limited effectiveness. It is our view that due consideration needs to be given to evaluating the
supply of healthcare manpower and specifically, becoming more receptive towards augmenting
the role of foreign-trained doctors in our public healthcare system.

As of now, two pathways exist that allow for foreign-trained doctors to practice in Hong
Kong. The first is through obtaining limited registration which as the name suggests, allows well-
qualified doctors who have been selected for employment to directly practice at limited venues
(generally at the Hospital Authority, Department of Health, or medical schools at the University of
Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong) for a limited duration of 3 years (with
potential for renewal for another 3 years). Doctors applying through this path are not required to
sit the Licensing Examination but they also do not naturally progress to full registration. This
contrasts with a clear progression track leading to full registration for ‘non- exam’ pathways
observed in other jurisdictions. As an example, in Singapore, a ‘non-exam’ temporary registration
that allows performance of procedures on patients in public or private settings may be granted to
visiting experts for a set duration. However, well-qualified and experienced foreign-trained
doctors also have the option to apply for conditional registration, undergo supervised practice in
public or private settings for a minimal of 2 years before being considered for full registration
without sitting a licensing examination. Less experienced medical graduates with an approved
primary qualification from 28 jurisdictions (including qualifications from the University of Hong
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Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong) could apply for provisional registration for
employment as a ‘Postgraduate Year 1 trainee’ to complete a 12-month internship at an
approved hospital in Singapore before becoming eligible for conditional and eventually full
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registration without sitting a licensing examination. As a result, as at 31 December 2017,
doctors practicing through limited registration in Hong Kong made up just close to 1% of our
medical practitioner workforce 5, 7 while in Singapore, foreign-trained doctors made up
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approximately 40% of the medical practitioner workforce .

On a separate track, individuals who wish to be considered for full registration to practice in
Hong Kong must pass the 3-part Licensing Examination and complete a 12-month period of
assessment in approved hospitals. This evidently is no easy way out- in 2016, the pass rate for
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part 1 of the exam was an average of 12% across two sittings , and only 60 individuals were
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successfully registered through this route . Less stringent examination criteria are observed
elsewhere. For example, to be considered for general registration in Australia, international
medical graduates could opt for taking the ‘Standard pathway’ and are required to pass just a 2-

6 List of Registrable Basic Medical Qualifications- the “Second Schedule”, Singapore Medical Council.
7 Note: some individuals in our medical professional workforce have medical qualifications of recognised Commonwealth countries and were recognised for
registration by MCHK before September 1996. From that time, foreign-trained doctors (apart from those registered under the transitional provision
detailed in section 35 of the Medical Registration Ordinance) must pass the MCHK-administered Licensing Examination and complete an internship
assessment before they become eligible for full registration to practice in Hong Kong.
8 Singapore Medical Council Annual Report 2017.
9 Licensing Examination Information Portal, The Medical Council of Hong Kong.
10 Strategic Review on Healthcare Manpower Planning and Professional Development Report (2017), HKSAR Food and Health Bureau.

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