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Faculty Teaching Medal 2019

Faculty Teaching Medal 2019

Each year the faculty honours teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and who have introduced and promoted good educational practices. The awardees’ dedication to quality teaching and innovation in pedagogy has inspired our students to engage with their studies in deeper and more diverse ways. Such efforts have advanced our goal to become a truly student-centred medical faculty. Congratulations to this year’s Laureates of the Faculty Teaching Medal!

Full-time teaching staff

Dr Elaine Yuen-Phin Lee 
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology

How did you start your affiliation with HKU Med?
I joined the Faculty of Medicine at the end of 2010 after completing my specialist training in the UK.

How would you describe your teaching style?
I believe that medical students should be enthusiastic and be responsible for their own learning. I try to introduce these qualities to my students when I teach and engage them in active learning. I do this by making the content of the teaching material relevant to the students’ lives, in order to spark critical inquiry for knowledge and active engagement in the learning process.  Furthermore, I create a non-judgemental and conducive learning environment for my students, and finding ways to foster collaborative learning and partnership.

How do you relate to your students?
I want my students to see me as their mentor and partner in their intellectual development. I try to guide my students through this complex process, enabling my students to own their own experience of learning, making connections between the learned knowledge and their contexts in medicine. With this relationship, we can build a conducive and non-threatening learning environment.

How do you integrate your research and teaching?
I inspire my students to write and research, so that they learn from these processes and own these valuable experiences. I have had the opportunities to mentor a few of the students who had poster presentations at local conferences and co-authored scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals. ​In addition, we also shared our experience in setting up the undergraduate ultrasound module, feedback and results from the initial experiment with the academic community through conferences and journal publications.

What is the most rewarding part of teaching?
Both teaching and learning should be fun. It is most rewarding when my students tell me that my teaching has inspired them to inquire more into the subject. It empowers me to want to learn more from my students, to improve upon my teaching delivery and to be an inspiring mentor to my students.

 

 

Dr Victor Ho-Fun Lee
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Oncology

How did you start your affiliation with HKU Med?
 I joined HKUMed in 2008 as Clinical Assistant Professor in Department of Clinical Oncology.

How would you describe your teaching style? 
I like bottom-up approach, thinking the pleasure and challenges of learning from their perspectives, so that I know what they need and wish to learn from me.

Are there any notable teachers who have influenced you in the past?  Professor Rosie Young, Professor CL Lai, Dr. Samson Wong

How do you integrate your research and teaching? 
I will usually share my published research findings with my students.

What is the most rewarding part of teaching? 
The most rewarding part is when the students ask questions, you know they are really engaged and interested in your teaching.

What does this recognition mean you? 
I think it is just the first milestone I have attained in teaching. I still need to learn much more on how to teach and how to learn.

Could you give some valuable suggestions for other teachers?
 Consider teaching as your learning process and activity. If you enjoy learning, you will enjoy teaching.

 

Dr Desmond Yat-Hin Yap 
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine

How did you start your affiliation with HKU Med?
 After I graduated from MBBS in HKU, I joined the Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital for my training as a physician and nephrologist. I left Hospital Authority in 2012 and joined the Department of Medicine as Clinical Assistant Professor.

How would you describe your teaching style?
I tend to ask a lot of questions during my teaching, especially those related to basic anatomy, pathophysiology and microbiology. This will help them integrate their pre-clinical and clinical knowledge and reinforce the retention of knowledge. I always challenge my students when they report their findings in PBL or bedside teachings, and also ask them to critically analyse their findings. This will help stimulate their analytic power in clinical medicine.

How do you relate to your students?
I always try to use some daily life experience (e.g. sports, cooking) to illustrate some difficult concepts or pathophysiology in medicine. Moreover, I also share my own experience during my student days so I can better connect with my students. Every now and then, I also ask about their student lives and difficulties encountered during my teachings.

What is the most rewarding part of teaching?
The most rewarding part of teaching in medicine is that often your students graduate and soon become your colleagues. Sometimes during the ward rounds, they will tell you that they have been taught by you and well appreciated your teaching, which is very gratifying.

What did you like most when teaching in HKU Med?
I enjoy teaching in HKU Med because there are many different modes of teachings, which include PBL, clinical skills practicum, lectures, tutorials, teaching clinics, bedside teachings and emergency night rounds, just to name a few. Such diversity can better stimulate the students and teacher in the education process.

Honorary teaching staff

Dr Yu-Cho Woo
Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine

How did you start your affiliation with HKU Med?
 I joined Department of Medicine QMH as an associate consultant in 2010, as was appointment as Hon. clinical assistant Professor in the same year. I was promoted to consultant in 2016 and the Hon appointment with HKU Med has changed (or promoted) to Hon clinical associate professor since then. But even before I joined the department, I had been invited as speakers in teaching courses organised by the division of endocrinology.

How would you describe your teaching style?​
More like the discussing style I think.  I usually flooded students with questions… of different levels. I do encourage them to answer earlier in the class or tutorial as those questions are easier. I need students to raise questions too. As I am a clinician, I have a very clear role of sharing with students my clinical experience. I have many case scenarios to share with them and that usually illustrate the theme or topic of discussion very well. The interesting cases are usually presented to them in a story telling way and that can arouse students’ interest easily.

Are there any notable teachers who have influenced you in the past?
Father Alfred Deignan, former Hong Kong Jesuit head and ex-principal of Wah Yan College, Kowloon. He was friendly and approachable for students. A real educator and gentleman. He taught me by example.

What is the most rewarding part of teaching?
When my students become my colleagues and excel in their field.

How would you use being the recipient of this award to influence others and how would it impact your career?
A good chance to motivate my colleagues in HA to teach. Sharing our clinical experience and wisdom with students earlier in their career will be of much benefit to them and our patients.