Emergency Medicine (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

Unit Code

01446

Department/Institution Offering Unit

Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Trauma & Emergency Centre
Prince of Wales Hospital
Shatin, New Territories
Hong Kong

web: www.aemau.cuhk.edu.hk

Unit Points

Research Points: 75

Coursework Points: 25

top of page

Contacts

Unit Coordinator/s:

Prof Timothy Rainer
Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Trauma & Emergency Centre
Prince of Wales Hospital
Shatin, New Territories
Hong Kong

tel: + 852 2632 1033
fax: + 852 2648 1469
email: thrainer@cuhk.edu.hk

Alternative Contact:

Dr Colin Graham
Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Trauma & Emergency Centre
Prince of Wales Hospital
Shatin, New Territories
Hong Kong

tel: + 852 2632 1033
fax: + 852 2648 1469
email: cagraham@cuhk.edu.hk

top of page

Overall Objectives

The Chinese University has the only academic emergency medicine unit in Hong Kong. We have excellent links with the Departments of Chemical Pathology, Radiology, Medicine and Therapeutics and Neurology and we have collaborative research interests in all these areas. We aim to involve students in all aspects of emergency medicine research, from prehospital to clinical to laboratory work and we have supervised local students and elective students undertaking research projects in the unit in the past. The specific objectives for the attachment are as follows:

• To understand the basic priniples of clinical research, with particular emphasis on the unique demands of prehospital and emergency medicine research
• To be able to design, carry out and communicate the results of original research in prehospital and emergency medicine
• To understand the barriers to high quality clinical and laboratory research in prehospital and emergency medicine
• To understand the special ethical issues relating to research in prehospital and emergency medicine
• To be able to critically evaluate biomedical literature and apply it to the prehospital and emergency department context

top of page

Content

Coursework: The two components (each 12.5 points) are:
1. Intermediate Epidemiology and Biostatistics
2. Research in Prehospital and Emergency Medicine: this unit examines the history of emergency medicine research, barriers to high quality research in prehospital and emergency medicine, research designs of particular relevance to research in prehospital and emergency medicine, the special ethical issues related to research in prehospital and emergency medicine and dissemination of evidence in the field of prehospital and emergency medicine. It comprises 5 self-learning modules, each of approximately 3 hours duration.

Research: Research studies will form the major component of the attachment in Hong Kong. Students will be based in the Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit in the Trauma and Emergency Centre at Prince of Wales Hospital in Shatin. The Unit has particular interests in trauma, biochemical markers for emergency medicine, acute stroke, cardiovascular disease and prehospital care. Projects will be offered across a broad range of areas including prehospital care, emergency medicine, trauma and laboratory based emergency medicine topics. Students will be able to negotiate their project area within these areas according to their specific interests and it is likely that research projects will take students into relevant clinical areas.

Sample Research Topics:

1. Fatty acid binding protein in stroke, myocardial infarction and trauma
2. Plasma DNA in acute coronary syndromes and stroke
3. Evolution of trauma systems in Hong Kong
4. Emergency department intubations in Hong Kong
5. Conscious sedation in the emergency department
6. Evaluation of scoring systems for the critically ill ED patient

top of page

Assessment Breakdown

Research Component: 75 points
Research Report (up to 7,000 words): 80%
Oral presentation of the research to the monthly Unit Meeting (20 minutes): 20%

Coursework Component: 25 points
Intermediate Epidemiology and Biostatistics, assessed as per subject description: 12.5 points
Research in Prehospital and Emergency Medicine: 12.5 points. Two assignments of 1,500 - 2,000 words each

top of page

Student Numbers

Number of places available:
4

Prospective students please note: to be eligible for any overseas AMS unit, you must have attained an aggregate of at least 70% in the University of Melbourne medical course.