CUHK Graduate School

M.D. 1.0 General

1.1	The general conditions governing the conferment of the M.D. degree shall be as stipulated in Sections 8 and 10 of Statute 26 of the University Ordinance, which read:

	8.	Save as provided in paragraphs 10 and 11, the degree of Doctor of Literature, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Social Science, Doctor of Business Administration or Doctor of Medicine shall not be conferred upon any person unless
		(a)	he shall be a graduate of the University of not less than seven years standing; and
		(b)	he shall have made in the opinion of the examiners a sustained contribution of distinction to the advancement of his subject.

	10.	The Senate may recommend the award of the degree of master or doctor in any faculty to any member of the academic staff of the University and for this purpose may exempt any such person from any of the requirements prescribed for the conferment of the degree other than the examination therefor.

1.2	There shall be an M.D. Sub-Committee consisting of a Chairman appointed by the Dean of Faculty of Medicine; seven members from the Faculty of Medicine and a representative of the Graduate Council.

M.D. 2.0 Admission to Candidature

2.1	An applicant seeking admission to M.D. candidature shall either:

	(a)	have held the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of The Chinese University of Hong Kong for at least three years; or

	(b)	(i)	have held for at least three years the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery or a degree or other qualification of another recognized university or institution, and have been qualified as a medical practitioner recognized by the Hong Kong Medical Council; and

		(ii)	have had at least three years’ continuous standing as a staff member of a recognized institution, including at least one year as a full-time or part-time member of the academic staff in one of the departments of the Faculty of Medicine of this university. Honorary academic appointments shall not normally be considered as full-time or part-time members of the academic staff for this purpose except in special cases based on strong recommendations from heads of the departments concerned and approval of the Faculty Board of Medicine of this university

2.2	Only in very special circumstances and with the approval of the Senate on the strength of the evidence of acceptable research experience shall admission be granted to an applicant under Rule 2.1 (a) and (b) with less than three years’ standing after graduation.

2.3	The applicant must submit satisfactory evidence of his/her postgraduate training and appropriate experience in the field of study proposed to the M.D. Sub-Committee at the time of application for admission.

M.D. 3.0 Registration

3.1	A successful applicant shall be permitted to register forthwith. Registration shall include the payment of fees prescribed by the University.

3.2	A candidate shall be required to submit his/her thesis not later than at the end of five calendar years from his/her date of first registration. The candidature of those who cannot submit the thesis within the aforementioned period shall be terminated. However, in special cases, the Graduate Council may on the recommendation of the M.D. Sub-committee grant a candidate extension of candidature.

M.D. 4.0 Thesis

4.1	Normally the M.D. candidate shall, at least three months prior to the submission of his/her thesis, submit to the M.D. Sub-Committee a title and a précis of the thesis for approval by the Graduate Council. After the title of the thesis has been approved, it may not be changed except with the approval of the Graduate Council.

4.2	The candidate shall produce evidence to satisfy the Graduate Council and the M.D. Sub-Committee that s/he has been engaged in practice and/or research in a manner appropriate to the subject matter of the thesis submitted.

4.3	Each candidate must submit four copies of a thesis, including the original, all properly type-written or printed or copied and bound in a form approved by the Graduate Council.

4.4	The candidate shall not be permitted to submit a thesis which has previously been submitted to this or any other university for a degree conferred on him.

4.5	The candidate must indicate in a written declaration how far the thesis embodies the result of his/her own research and to what extent s/he has availed him/herself of the work of others.

M.D. 5.0 Conduct of Thesis Examination

5.1	The thesis shall be examined by a board of examiners nominated by the M.D. Sub-Committee through the faculty board for approval by the Senate. Two members, who are not members of the University, of the board of examiners shall be external examiners appointed by the University on the recommendation of the faculty board.

5.2	The candidate shall be required to submit the revised thesis within a period of 6 to 12 months from the date of the letter with which the M.D. Sub-Committee sends the comments from examiners to the candidate. The candidature of a candidate who fails to submit the revised thesis within the stipulated period shall be terminated, unless special approval is granted by the Graduate Council upon the recommendation of the M.D. Sub-Committee.

5.3	The candidate shall be subjected to an oral examination on the subject matter of his/her thesis.

5.4	The board of examiners may require the re-submission of a thesis with corrections or additional work.

5.5	If the board of examiners finds a candidate’s thesis and/or performance at the oral examination to be unsatisfactory, the candidature shall be terminated unless special approval is granted by the Graduate Council upon the recommendation of the M.D. Sub-Committee.

M.D. 6.0 Conferment of Degree

6.1	On the recommendation of the board of examiners and the M.D. Sub-Committee, the Graduate Council may
	(i)	recommend to the Senate that the M.D. degree be conferred on a candidate;
	(ii)	request the board of examiners and the M.D. Sub-Committee to further advise the Graduate Council; or
	(iii)	recommend that the M.D. degree be not awarded.

6.2	Each candidate shall be notified of the results of the thesis examination after the approval of the Senate.