President Address 2024

Dear Fellows and Trainees,

It is a privilege for me to prepare this year’s presidential address.

Emergency Medicine is a challenging yet rewarding field that plays a critical role in healthcare. We stand at the frontlines, ready to tackle any medical situations at a moment’s notice. The nature of Emergency Medicine demands us, physicians, with quick thinking, broad knowledge and good teamwork.

To tackle the ever-changing challenges, we understand the importance of building synergy among regional partners. We have a long history and connection with the Emergency Medicine professionals in the region. In May 2024, the 1st Greater Bay Area Emergency Medicine Conference and the 8th Hong Kong Shenzhen Emergency Medicine Conference (第一屆大灣區急診醫學論壇暨第八屆港深急診論壇) was jointly organised by our College and the Hong Kong Society for Emergency Medicine & Surgery (HKSEMS) with 478 participants attended. This landmark event brought together brilliant minds across the Greater Bay Area, fostering a lot of friendship, connections and knowledge exchange among Emergency Medicine professionals.

We are committed to providing a diverse spectrum of training and support to our fellows and trainees. I am proud to see that the inaugural Certificate Course on Prehospital Medical Support for Horse Racing was successfully organised in November 2023 to provide professional training to the medical team in sports setting. The course has been accredited by the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM). This achievement underscores our dedication to extending our expertise beyond hospital to the very first point of contact with patients. For professional education, Online Learning Subcommittee was formed in 2023 to facilitate the implementation of bite-sised tutorials through online learning. The College Tutorial Reform (CTR) Pilot project has also been kick-started in September 2024 and the 3rd edition of Practice of Emergency Medicine is going to be published soon.

2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine (HKJEM). Over the past 30 years, HKJEM has evolved from a local journal to an international publication. HKJEM now works with Wiley under a gold open-access model, which means that all users can access it for free. HKJEM aims to improve the quality of emergency patient care in the Asia-Pacific region by disseminating knowledge, and we are fortunate to work with our supporting organisations including China Hong Kong Ambulance Service Institute (CHK ASI), Hong Kong College of Emergency Nursing (HKCEN), Hong Kong Emergency Nurses Association (HKENA), HKSEMS, and Hong Kong Society of Critical Care Medicine (HKSCCM). We hope to see HKJEM be more diverse and inclusive, especially involving the younger generation of clinicians and practitioners.

Supporting fellows’ wellbeing through human connections is another area that we value. Mentorship Programme and Fellowship Programme have been introduced to create a supportive environment where knowledge, feelings and wisdom can be shared freely. A series of engagement activities, including Leadership Dialogue, BBQ gatherings and Board Game nights, are organised in informal settings for networking, socialising and learning from each other.

Lastly, I am humbled to share with all of you that I, as College President, have recently been honoured with a prestigious award – the Order of IFEM. Our College has a long, well-established relationship with IFEM as we are its first regional member since its establishment with 4 founding members. The award from IFEM is a testament to our collective efforts in advancing the field of emergency medicine. It reflects our dedication to improving patient care and promoting best practices on a global scale.

May I also express my sincere gratitude to all Past Presidents, senior fellows, fellows and trainees for all the support and contributions to make our College a better one. Thank you very much.

Dr. WU Wing Yee, Clara
President, Hong Kong College of Emergency Medicine