How can future doctors blend clinical rigour with AI fluency and empathy?

Medical experts have stressed that Hong Kong’s next generation of healthcare professionals must combine clinical rigour with emotional resilience, an open-minded approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and the drive to transform the sector.

The remarks came during a panel discussion on the first day of the inaugural Global Education Summit, co-organised by the South China Morning Post and HSBC Premier.

“We always talk about people going north, going to Shenzhen … for medical services. But I would say that it’s a good thing for a future doctor. You’re going to be a doctor not just for 7 million people. You’re going to be a doctor for 18 million people,” Dr Chung Kin-lai, chief executive officer of CUHK Medical Centre, said on Saturday.

The discussion, titled “Powering Hong Kong’s healthcare talent pipeline: from medical education to research and industry impact”, explored how the sector was preparing young doctors and healthcare talent for this changing landscape.

The summit, which runs for two days, brought together about 5,000 policymakers, educators and parents from around the world to discuss regional talent development, AI integration and evolving academic pathways.

With AI reshaping clinical workflows, medical leaders warned that traditional metrics for evaluating future doctors were changing. Chung noted that soft skills had become increasingly vital.