Background: Brainstem death (BSD), defined as the irreversible loss of consciousness, brainstem reflexes and the capacity to breathe, is not an uncommon scenario seen in the day to day practice of medical personnel. Upon the diagnosis of BSD, controversial issues of withdrawing life-supporting treatments and organ procuring for transplantation inevitably arise. This study evaluated the knowledge, acceptance and perception of BSD amongst medical students in Hong Kong.
Methods: A total of 126 medical students completed a self-administered questionnaire. Ten questions were used to assess their knowledge of BSD and this was correlated with their responses in three hypothetical vignettes.
Results: The mean score of the subjects' knowledge was 6.03 out of 10. Less than half (48.8%) of the subjects' knew that BSD is different from persistent vegetative state while 49.2% and 36.3% knew that BSD is accepted as death medically and legally in Hong Kong, respectively. When 'diagnosed' with BSD, 63.7%, 46.8% and 52.4% of the subjects would agree to the withdrawal of life-support from themselves, their most-loved one/family member and a stranger, respectively. Subjects with better knowledge and those who thought that doctors may tend to diagnose BSD to save resources or procure organs for transplantation were more ready to accept the withdrawal of life-support.
Conclusions: We concluded that knowledge of BSD amongst medical students was unsatisfactory and that urgent actions should be taken to remedy the situation. A better knowledge of BSD positively influenced the decision-making on withdrawing life-support and that adequate information regarding the outcome of BSD should be provided. On the other hand, the perception of doctors' intentions behind diagnosing BSD has no direct influence on the decision-making. More emphasis is required on medical education, including a specific emphasis in the undergraduate lecture curriculum and bedside exposure to BSD diagnosis

Introduction: This study investigated the impact of a Master of Family Medicine degree (via distance education) on GPs' career options, and in particular, whether they were more likely to adopt university positions after the course. A secondary aim was to examine whether those who undertook a research project as part of their Masters took up different career options than Masters graduates who undertook a more clinically orientated course.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was posted to all 192 graduates of the Master of Family Medicine degree. Approximately one fifth of these resided overseas, with the majority in Hong Kong.
Results: The response rate was 68%. Graduates stated that they benefited from the course, particularly in the areas of clinical knowledge and improvement in 'academic' skills. Changes in careers, with increases in non-clinical appointments, did occur after the course for both the Research and Clinical Masters graduates.
Discussion: Responses to the survey indicated that graduates benefited in completing the course and changes in their career direction following graduation. However, whether the Masters course provided new skills to enable career change, or the GPs were in the process of change anyway, cannot be determined with certainty. Further studies, including interviews, are required to establish the impact of a distance education higher degree.
Conclusion: The research output of general practice remains behind that of its specialist colleagues. Higher degrees for GPs might encourage them to undertake more academic pursuits, but the precise relationship still remains uncertain.
[Copyright of Medical Teacher is the property of Informa Healthcare . Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01421590701287905]

The rapidly growing older population has generated the need for more gerontological or geriatric care professionals. This study evaluated the undergraduate programs offered by the departments of medicine, nursing studies and social work at a university in Hong Kong, based on the data of a recent alumni survey. It also identified factors that determine the perceived adequacy of training. The training was found to be moderately adequate in preparing the alumni for practice in the field of aging, but there is a need to improve the existing curricula. Suggestions for further studies are discussed.
[Copyright of Educational Gerontology is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03601270701569200]

Evidence for the use of a patient-centred model for interviewing is well established in the West. There is much less evidence for the application of the model in other cultural settings. This paper describes the impact of a communication skills (CS) course for doctors (n = 32) working in government outpatient clinics in Hong Kong. Emphasis is placed on the cultural relevance of the patient-centred interview (PCI) and educational techniques. Knowledge scores increased immediately after the course and again 8 weeks later (p < 0.001). Participants held favourable attitudes at the outset of the course and these were largely maintained. Qualitative data suggests that the doctors' competence in CS increased. The PCI model was perceived as relevant to the practices of these doctors. Barriers preventing the implementation of this approach related to organizational rather than cultural factors. The educational strategies were well received, suggesting that adult Chinese learners are not dissimilar to their Western counterparts in approaches to learning.
[Copyright of Medical Teacher is the property of Informa Healthcare . Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01421590020031147]