At Pivot, we find it very unfortunate that there is often a lack of clarity amongst parents and students with regards to the effective pathways that facilitate your applications to medical schools in the UK and Hong Kong, and concerns regarding the transferability of qualifying with Medicine (MBBS) in the UK and then working as a doctor in Hong Kong. Students often overlook or even avoid applying to the UK to study medicine and transferring back to HK due to not being fully informed about their options or for fear of not being able to return to practice medicine in Hong Kong (and becoming trapped in the UK system). The Pivot Medical Programme, which consists of the Pivot Medical Mentorship, the Pivot Interview Programme and the Pivot BMAT/ UKCAT Training Programme, is put in place to help suitable candidates achieve their aspirations of becoming a doctor.
The Mentors
Dr Leung is dually-qualified as a doctor (2011) and dentist (2019), and is currently working as a clinical fellow in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in Queens Hospital, London. He has a strong passion for medical education. His special interests are medical ethics, personal statements, interview training, and UCAT training. Dr Leung has mentored many students through the process and has a motto of 'never give up'.
Dr Man qualified as a doctor in 2010, and is currently working as General Practitioner in London. He is passionate about encouraging and helping students in attaining their places in medical and dental school and had been successful for many years. His special interests are personal statements, interview training, NHS hot topic, and importantly, verbal reasoning in the UCAT examination.
Training in the UK
Once you have been admitted as a medical student in the UK, the study is expected to last for 5-6 years, depending on whether you take 1 year out to obtain an intercalated science degree (BSc) alongside your MBBS, which is becoming a popular trend. After graduating, you shall embark on two years of foundation (FY) training, rotating around different specialties as a foundation doctor in FY1 and FY2 posts. Almost all international students will secure a place in foundation training and obtain their full GMC (General Medical Council) registration upon completion of FY1.
After completing both years of FY training, you will need to decide on what specialty you would like to apply for. As an international student, one disadvantage is that you must at this point secure a training post, as any gaps in your training may devoid your Working Visa. Conversely speaking, there is often minimal need for alarm as most international students would secure a training post if all the necessary boxes are ticked, for example, having a well-prepared resume and sufficient training in interview techniques for specialty interviews. Specialty training duration depends on the specialty selected. General practice (GP) requires 3 years, whereas medical or surgical specialties may take up to 6-7 years. The end goal is to obtain the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) [Pathway A].
HKMLE & transfer to Hong Kong to practice
There are various stages during the doctor’s training pathway in which you can complete the 3-part Hong Kong Medical Licensing Examination (HKMLE) examination. All UK medical graduates would have completed a minimum of 5 years of medical school training, which fulfils the eligibility criteria to take the HKMLE. UK graduates can apply to the 3-part HKMLE at any point after graduation, and on passing the final part of the exam, candidates can commence the Pre-Registration House Officer (PRHO) post in Hong Kong, for 6-12 months [Pathway B]. This will then be followed by their selected specialty training in Hong Kong, e.g. family medicine or general surgery, until Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). For UK graduates that have already completed their specialty training (CCT) in the UK, passing the HKMLE would at present also require completion of the PRHO post, before they can work as a specialist in Hong Kong [Pathway C]. This may change in the future, where UK specialists (CCT) may be exempt from completing the PRHO post.
The pathways to transfer from the UK to HK medical system may seem complicated at first, but with some careful consideration together with comprehensive assistance from Pivot Academics, things become simpler and we are confident that our Pivot Medical Programme would provide you with extra options to achieve your ambitions to become a professionally qualified doctor in Hong Kong
Former Student's Interview "Your view on Euthanasia"
Adrian, a Medicine student in Cambridge, joined our Medical Programme in 2018
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Pivot Medical Mentorship
Pivot Interview Prep
Pivot BMAT/ UKCAT Training
Comprehensive Academic Services
Bring You the Best Results!
At Pivot Academics, we understand the importance of a strong academic foundation, especially when it comes to international curricula.
Our team of experienced tutors and educators are dedicated to providing personalized support and guidance to our students, helping them to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their studies. For all our courses, we offer comprehensive programs that are tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of each student.
Our tutors provide detailed feedback and support, ensuring that our students are continuously improving and making progress towards their academic goals. Parents can trust Pivot Academics to provide a range of high-quality academic services that will help their children to succeed academically and reach their full potential.
Our team is dedicated to providing personalized support and guidance every step of the way, ensuring that each student receives the attention and resources they need to achieve success.
Pivot Medical Program
We offer a comprehensive program to assist students in their journey towards becoming a doctor. Our Pivot Medical Programme comprises the Medical Mentorship, Interview Programme, and BMAT/UKCAT Training Programme, all designed to provide the necessary guidance and support for students to successfully apply to medical schools in the UK and Hong Kong.
STUDENT REVIEWS
Let's see how our students think about us!
Teresa is a very friendly tutor and very knowledgeable about the admissions process. I got a lot done in a few hours as the deadline approached. She gave me a lot of great ideas in my personal essay that I wouldn't have thought of myself. I'd definitely recommend it to students looking for help with their college applications!
I always had difficulties with my studies, but Sunny didn't give up on me and helped me achieve an A* in IGCSE at age 9! He never looked down on me and did his best to support me during the exam.
I've been learning from Serene through my IGCSE and IB years, and I'm so grateful for her guidance! Serene has really helped me understand all the topics I've struggled with, from motors in Physics all the way up to stop me from pulling my hair out in HL Maths AA! Her meticulous and caring teaching truly helped me understand the concepts for exams, alongside many past paper questions and continuous help even outside the classroom! Thank you so much :D
Sunny's classes were really helpful. He managed to identify and improve my weakness. The tedious concepts were delivered in a comprehensive way. I was able to be clearer about the content after every class and eventually achieved an ideal grade. Now I'm studying at my dream university, and I would not have done that without his help.
I only consider Lancing school if I want to study in the UK. I am very grateful to Pivot Academics for helping me to get the best results!
When I decided to go to the UK, most of the schools have passed the deadline, and there are certain restrictions on where I can go to study, but after the Pivot Academics counsellor took over my case, they still tried their best to get me into the region and the top school. And finally, I was successfully admitted. My family and I were ecstatic. The counsellor would still pay attention to my study journey in the UK and maintain close contact. This kind of thorough care, It's hard to find elsewhere.
Most unique to Pivot is the wide network of mentors and students, meaning that for virtually any query, there is likely someone who has had a recent experience with the issue at hand. Pivot also holds frequent sessions spanning various aspects of the application process and provides a well-rounded approach to medical applications. Arrangement of work experience is also of great help to students, who may otherwise struggle to find the tailor-made work experience opportunities that Pivot offers.
In my opinion, the biggest strength that Pivot Medical Programme provides, and what distinguishes it from other programmes that support aspiring medical students, is the “whole-package” style, individualised support to the applicant. Applicants are followed through from their GCSEs, through A-levels, up until they get into medical school, so mentors have a full understanding of the applicant’s profile from academics, motivation, work experience, UCAT, BMAT, etc. and can therefore provide the right kind of support and guidance at the appropriate times as needed or as requested (e.g. when decisions have to be made on subject choice, or when deciding whether to take the UCAT/ BMAT or both). This also proves to be especially helpful in personal statement writing and university selection, as the mentors’ holistic understanding of the applicant allows them to provide better guidance when working with them on their personal statement; as well as choosing the right university to apply to, as all the strengths and weaknesses of the applicant’s profile are taken into account. For interview preparation, practice sessions are available on-request, which is extremely helpful as medical school interviews come closer, and the experienced mentors are able to provide realistic mock-interviews, as well as invaluable advice like “red-flag” mistakes to avoid and points to work on.
Pivot Medical Program mentoring by doctors who are very passionate about teaching aspiring medics, know the NHS very well, available anytime for advice and support. Regular interview training was extremely helpful!
The strengths of the Pivot Medical Programme include access to work experience with good variety in both primary and secondary care, personal statement coaching with tailored statements for different medical school admissions, and mock interviews, covering MMIs, interview techniques and professional development.
Over the past two years, Billy (Dr Leung) and Alex (Dr Man) have been excellent mentors for me and a tremendous inspiration to me. There is no doubt to say that their guidance has brought me further in life. I couldn’t recommend anyone better to have both as a guide and mentor.
The Pivot Medical programme helped massively with my medical school application, especially with interview training and constructing a good personal statement. All the mentors are passionate about helping students achieve their best with personalised feedback and support.
A very detailed and personalised medical programme which ensures everyone can receive holistic support in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I really enjoyed the packed sessions with different mentors that cover all aspects of the selection process from preparing a personal statement to MMI interviews. Without the help of excellent standards, my application process could have been a lot more challenging.
The holistic support from the Pivot Medical Programme. I was able to receive advice on every aspect of the university application process from different mentors. Also, I was able to meet peers who are in the same process as me and form this support network.
