Ms Samuel Chan
Programme and Year of Award:
- 1981 Professional Diploma in Occupational Therapy
Current Job:
Operations general manager, Centralized Clinical Rehabilitation Services, Haven of Hope Christian Service
Before entering into the occupational therapy programme, I was not fully aware of the talents and gifts that I had possessed in my middle-school days. Among many different human intellectual gifts, I only knew that I had quite a strong memory, as evidenced by an ease in memorising books, poems, etc. and by often getting full marks in dictation subject. Yet, I didn’t know that my memory capacity could be further stretched until I studied anatomy in Hong Kong Polytechnic.
Because of a basically lazy nature, I never spent enough time revising taught subjects in-between tests and examinations. Similarly, when I was about to write my anatomy examination paper for the first time in Year 1, I still had tons of materials that had not been touched! This really bothered me a lot!
Without any better strategy to help me revise for this subject, I suddenly started to copy one anatomical drawing from the textbook; and immediately I found that I could memorise everything in details in that diagram even though I had just copied it once. Thereafter, I copied the diagrams one by one, and thus I could make use of a relatively short period of time to memorise all the materials, which lead me to get very high marks. Thank God this was one of the precious gifts that I possessed!
Mr Jimmy WU
Programme and Year of Award:
- 1981 Professional Dip in Physiotherapy
- 1991 Registration Certificate in Peripheral Manipulative Therapy
Current Job:
Director (DHCT), Food and Health Bureau, HKSAR
It was 1 October 1978 when the first batch of over 40 physiotherapy students of the then Hong Kong Polytechnic gathered together to prepare for their future professional careers. At that time, when the Polytechnic building was not that complex, with only cores A, B, C, and D, the physiotherapy programme was conducted in two small rooms in the library block. Room L420 was the main classroom, which served as lecture room, practical room, equipment storeroom, and male as well as female changing room, separated by a sliding curtain. Hydrotherapy lessons were conducted in the university’s outdoor swimming pool during the off-peak season – winter! Sometimes, students needed to attend class on the rooftop of the building. The class photo was taken there to. However, all these experiences gave us lots of fond memories of the fun we had.
Throughout the years, I have been and continue to be proud to be a graduate of the programme, to see the great development of RS, and to see the achievements of the alumni in different sectors, particularly those contributions to people with special health needs. I thank all the teachers, staff, and alumni of the department for bringing us to this frontier, and I look forward to the further progression of the department at its 40th anniversary.
Ms Stella Cheng
Programme and Year of Award:
- 1982 Professional Diploma in Occupational Therapy
Current Job:
Kowloon West Cluster Clinical Stream Coordinator (Allied Health)/ Cluster Coordinator (Occupational Therapy)/ Princess Margaret & North Lantau Hospital Department Manager (Occupational Therapy)
I am blessed to be an Occupational Therapist. It started with the sweet time with my OT-79 classmates when I studied in Occupational Therapy in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. It was still so vivid after 38 years! Singing on the roof top garden, sharing in cell group, studying anatomy, ADL, Art Work, OT applied in physical and psychiatric rehabilitation, making projects in the industrial center, organizing O-camp to the new students, pretending to be a wheelchair user on the streets……
After my graduation, I started to apply what I learnt in the mental health field, work rehabilitation, pre-discharge programme, community OT, opening of the first child ward in a mental hospital. I witness the changes and improvements in the service over the past years.
There was a major change in my professional life when I changed to work in the general hospital and clinic in 1989. I was so privileged to work with the multidisciplinary team to implementation different rehabilitation programme- cardiac, pulmonary, renal, work, SARS, stroke, memory and pain clinic.
I had opportunity to contribute further to the service development of Occupational Therapy in HA when I was the Co-chairman of the Coordinating Committee of OT from 2003 to 2014. As the Vice-chairperson of Hong Kong Occupational Therapy Association and the delegate to WFOT, OT’s development to meet the society’s need and the international standard is always in my mind.
I was appointed as the ACHS surveyor in 2013 and the involvement in the accreditation of different hospitals had broadened my exposure to different areas of the health care service. In 2016, I took up the post of Clinical Stream Coordinator of the Allied Health Service. I truly believe the powerful impact of AH on our clients especially when we work together.
Dr Herman LAU
Programme and Year of Award:
- 1984 Professional Diploma in Physiotherapy
- 2006 Master of Philosophy
- 2011 Postdoctoral Degree
Current Job:
Hospital Chief Executive of Shatin Hospital, Cheshire Home, Shatin, Bradbury Hospice
“Touching Lives, Making an Impact”– the value of the Rehabilitation Sciences Department is also my motto no matter when I was working as a frontline Physiotherapist and Hospital Management now. Nevertheless, I believe our power on impacting lives, as a therapist, do not confine only to our daily works. In the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, as the volunteer Rehabilitation Coordinator of “Stand TALL Project” of the Chinese Speaking Orthopaedic Society and Expert Panel Member of the Sichuan Re-development Project of Hospital Authority, I have initiated and coordinated the rehabilitation stream support for the victims. More than 200 Allied Health Professionals joined us in the voluntary service eventually. Not only being touched with the scenes of witnessing how the victims gone through the rehabilitation journey, I was deeply touched with the compassion of our volunteer professionals.
Besides, I have been teaching in the Department after my Master of Philosophy study since 2006, and during the meantime, I had completed my study in Doctor of Philosophy in 2011, and taken up the post of Professor of Practice (Physiotherapy) from January 2018. Not only to build up an analytical mind, to me, more we learnt from our teachers were their spirits in pursuing in excellence in technology and humanity towards our patients. I wish our spirit of Rehabilitation Sciences will pass on, influencing the professionals, and blessing the patients and their families.
It is my honour to be a team member of the Rehabilitation Sciences Department and I hope with my knowledge and experience I could continue to contribute to the HK Polytechnic University.
Dr Bacon NG
Programme and Year of Award:
- 1988 Professional Diploma in Occupational Therapy
- 1999 Master of Science in Health Care (OT)
- 2017 Doctor of Health Science (OT)
Current Job:
Manager (Chinese Medicine Education & Research), Hospital Authority
Thirty years ago, I graduated from HKPU. My early life studies nurtured my interest in research and paved the way I am. I treasured the pre-contemplation stage of struggling jointly, from muddled to meaningful, about what Occupational Therapy (OT) is. I remembered the laughter and sorrows, when we shared humor and when we failed together. I heard the triumph of employment, and touched the tragedy for switching career. The tutorials given by Late Dr Philip Chan related to neurolinguistics and scientific research were internalized as my passion, and groomed me into a life-long learner. I believe there will be learning points if I choose to stay instead of skipping classes! Indeed, I sharpened my active listening skills upon attending one-to-one tutorials. My perception of learning served as a drive for me to complete two doctoral degrees and stretched my comfort zone to cross-disciplinary.
I have the honor to share my experiences with 17 generations of OT when I served as Clinical Educator in Castle Peak Hospital. The shift from clinician to executive further broadens my horizon and satisfies my hunger for exploring. I put myself in the profession and engage in the development of HK Provisional OT College, Programs Accreditation, works of Committees of OT Board, Councils and Non-governmental Organizations during my leisure time. I am proud to participate in the profession, share with the profession, and work for the profession.
Mr Peter POON
Programme and Year of Award:
- 1983 Professional Dip in Physiotherapy
- 1987 Post-graduate Certificate in Spinal Manipulation
Current Job:
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation
It has been more than three decades since my graduation from the Physiotherapy Program at PolyU. It feels like yesterday with everything still vividly in my mind, the very packed program that filled with lectures and practical sessions, the kind but firm lecturers’ faces, the joy and sweat of learning to be a caring healthcare professional and a life-long career in rehabilitation.
Since my graduation, I have spent most of my time working in the community settings that included my earlier career in Melbourne, Australia as a Community Health Physiotherapist and the later development in community rehabilitation for the people with chronic diseases in Hong Kong since 1994. The many encounters with the people with disabilities and chronic diseases have inspired me the concept of holistic care and the very important concept of “self-management” and “patient empowerment” and I have dedicated myself to be a trainer and advocate on these areas both within my organization and in the outside arena.
Currently, I am working as senior management staff for the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation with the mission to promote holistic rehabilitation, inclusion and community participation.
When looking back, my undergraduate and post-graduate training at RS of PolyU have equipped me not only on the professional knowledge and skills, but also the values and attitudes that are essential to be a caring and responsible service provider to put patient centered care as the core value and practice.
I am proud to be part of RS of PolyU and may I congratulate the department on this very important landmark of 40th anniversary and on all the contributions it has made to the society.
Ms Priscillia POON
Programme and Year of Award:
- 1989 Professional Diploma in Physiotherapy
- 1997 MSc in Health Care (Physiotherapy)
Current Job:
Senior Manager(Allied Health), Hospital Authority
Being a 100% PolyU-made physiotherapist from my undergraduate to post-graduate physiotherapy training, I am so pleased and prestige to participate in this Alumni story section.
During my undergraduate training, I am so blessed to be taught and embraced by kind-hearted, enthusiastic and positive lecturers including Mrs Gardner, Mr. Charles Lo, Mrs Peggy Chan, Mrs Celica Webb……. Apart from teaching, they are so passionate to make me feel warm & supported during my hard times so that I am able to be graduated as a registered physiotherapist with 3H characteristics (Heart-Head-Hand). They also influenced me to adopt a life-long-learning approach in my career with enrollment to the post-graduate trainings. I still remembered the moment on taking research data on Christmas Eve and scrolling on millions of excel files for statistical analysis. Such intensive training by my supervisor, Prof. Daniel Chow, guided me a serious learning and working attitude, not just achieving an outstanding academic Master award.
I am always being told we are so lucky to be a profession who are able to serve and thus I have served the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association for 20 years with 10 years of presidency so that I can contribute back to my beloved profession and the society with close collaboration with the RS of PolyU.
I am very proud to be the graduate of RS and definitely RS will further nurture new generation of super high-quality bringing health and luck to our community in the coming years.
Mr Michael TSUI
Programme and Year of Award:
- 1991 Professional Diploma in Occupational Therapy
Current Job:
CEO, Deltason Medical Ltd. & Rehab-Robotics Co. Ltd.
It has been 30 years ago, I evolved since from an Occupational Therapy student to now become an entrepreneur and innovator. The 4 years study was teaching a lot but mainly not related to business, especially when later I was not practicing as a clinician. What I basically learnt from the course was creativity and innovation.
Occupational Therapist starts their day with empathy. We have to imagine what the patient has gone through, know everything about that person, what are important to them, and then help by acting as a problem solver. We are looking at every aspect of a person’s life, physical, mental, social and environmental. We take holistic and sustainable approach. We will take care of issues, with lots of creativity. We have to do whatever we can to help people’s life better, to regain meaning in their daily occupation.
The knowledge and skills I learnt from Occupational Therapy always open doors for me so I could walk into different categories of knowledge including Business Management and Engineering. It also brought me to Science Park, brought me to the Grand Prix Award in Geneva, and brought me to the stage of Hong Kong Poly U Outstanding Alumni.
I will keep using my imagination, empathy, my heart to listen, to think and to experience, the fundamental and essential I learnt from the course occupational therapy and further my journey.
Mr Elton NG
Programme and Year of Award:
- 2000 BSc(Hons) in Physiotherapy
Current Job:
Founder, CORES (Centre of Rehabilitation & Exercising Specialist)
” Strive for self-improvements and perfections, dream will always come true.” –
To all Hong Kong people,
From the summit of Everest
Elton Ng Chun Ting (Graduate of BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy Programme in Year 2000), who became the seventh Hongkonger to conquer Mount Everest (8,448 metres) on 21 May 2017. Elton founded one of the largest physiotherapy clinic in Central and devoted to his clinical work and charity services over 80 hours a week, yet he still managed to train as an elite mountain race athlete, who represents Hong Kong, travels around the world and compete with all other elites. He sleeps only four hours a night, attributes his successes to good time management. Elton spends most of my spare time reading to enrich my working knowledge, and designed a highly efficient workflow for clinic and sports life. He revealed his extensive physiotherapy training in university and oversea sports onfield experience cultivated and inspired him how to conquering challenges for his life. He believes “we must always well-prepared, partake and pursuit of excellence whole-heartedly, not just focusing on the uncontrollable outcomes, but we always learn from what we overcame, that is what we should treasure the most.”
Mr. Elton Ng Chun-ting
- Alumnus, Physiotherapy, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
- Founder, CORES (Centre of Rehabilitation & Exercising Specialist)
- Seventh Hong Kong Climber summited The Top of World Mt. Everest 8848m (2017)
- Second Hong Kong Climber summited The World’s Eighth Highest Mt. Manaslu 8163m (2016)
- PolyU Department of Rehabilitation Sciences Elite Alumni (2017)
- Health Ambassador of Hong Kong Arthritis & Rheumatism Foundation (2017)
- Life Invigorating Ambassador and Honorary Medical Advisor of Hong Kong Transplant Sports Association (2009 till now)
- 3rd runners-up of City Chase World Championship, Italy (2007)
- 9 times Champion of Raleigh International Mountain Marathon (2001-2013)
- Author of 《吳俊霆走過的天與地》(2017) and《由零到最遙遠的距離》(2014)
Dr Alex W. K. WONG, PhD, DPhil
Programme and Year of Award:
- 2001 Bachelor of Science (1st Honors) in Occupational Therapy
- 2007 Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Science
Current Job:
Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine in St.Louis
My name is Alex Wong. After I completed my training and met my wife at RS, my family decided to move to America, where I pursued a PhD at the University of Illinois and completed my postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, which has been designated the number one rehabilitation hospital in America every year since 1991. Thenceforth, I was fortunate to begin my career at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, which is the home of the number one program in both OT and PT in America. Currently, I’m an Assistant Professor of OT and Neurology, and an adjunct faculty at the Institute for Informatics. My lab has been supported by a combination of NIH, NIDILRR, foundation, and institutional grants for neurorehabilitation research. When I was a student at RS, I didn’t envision that I would have this unprecedented opportunity to direct a lab to train the next generation of clinicians and scientists in this prestigious institution. Yet, I can’t deny that what I have achieved today was built upon the knowledge I gained in RS. I am proud of being a part of RS, and hope RS has a wonderful 40-year anniversary.
Prof. YAN Tiebin
Programme and Year of Award:
- 2002 PhD programme
Current Job:
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sun Yet-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou China
Never realized that I have left the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for nearly 20 years!
Three years study at PolyU was short for me, but what I had learnt there had made great contributions on my future carrier since then. I was very lucky becoming one of PhD candidates of Professor Christina Hui-Chan. I still remember Professor Hui-Chan has always paid attention to me and discuss with me in my study and also guild me step by step in my scientific research.
Since graduated from PolyU, I have been used what I had learnt in PolyU in my working, teaching and research. Being the member of International Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, vice president of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine, president of Guangdong Association of Rehabilitation Medicine, as well as other positions in the different academic associations at home and abroad, I should say all of my academic achievements might not be achieved without 3 years training in PolyU.
Ms Winnie WONG
Programme and Year of Award:
- 2009 BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy
Current Job:
Member in Hong Kong Team in Life Saving
“First to learn, then to remember, and later to apply”
I remembered entering my first 0830 Anatomy class feeling the “Smell”, the “Cold”, and the “Quietness”. My brain could not be any more helpful by linking up the “Smell” with the roast pork during lunch that day and I did not consume any meat that week.
I remembered bringing the “Foot” model home to be welcomed by my sister’s screaming, and asking me to “PUT THAT AWAY” immediately. I never took any bones back home for revision since then.
I remembered spending 9 hours in the Anatomy lab to “digest” every bones, muscles and nerves in the body for examination the next day. After intensive revision, I got myself a pair of 3D eyes and of course I scored “A” in Anatomy.
Being a physiotherapist and an athlete at the same time is like having live Anatomy classes. Whenever I trained, I became a 3D real-time model, analyzing my own body movements.
Being the first ever World Champion in Life Saving in Hong Kong is not easy. But to me, simply to persevere, to not give up on my dreams despite injuries and setbacks are definitely harder.
I am grateful for what the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences has given me during my university life: Chances to explore and knowledge to expand.
Prof. Wang Yuling
Programme and Year of Award
- 2012 PhD programme
Current job:
Professor and Head of Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University
One moment that changed my life was when I saw the wall with logo of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2006. I made a decision immediately for application of the PhD study in this department. Fortunately, I joined this great department as a PhD student in 2007. During my study period, I attached many interesting research projects and selected some related courses. The innovative study inspired my brain how to achieve the higher level of rehabilitation sciences. I met the most influential person in my academic life, my Chief-supervisor Dr. Grace Szeto and Co-supervisor Prof. Chetwyn who led me into the sea of musculoskeletal and neuroscience research. Another funny thing is participating university tennis team as the single and double player in three seasons of inter-university match and obtained the Outstanding Athlete Award.
After my graduation of PhD, I returned my previous university. Currently, I am the Professor and Head of Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Adjunct Prof. of Zhejiang University and Tongji University and supervisors on PhD program in Shanghai University of Sports and master program in Guangzhou Sports University. According to my contribution of PT development, I was elected as President of Physical Therapy Sub-Association in Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Chair of China’s Board of Accreditation and Examination for Physical Therapists. Following his PhD study in Dept. of RS in PolyU, I am continuing his research interests on the mechanism of neck pain, exercise science and sports injuries, epidemiology on work-related musculoskeletal disorders. I got the National Natural Science Foundation of China Fund (NSFC), Chinese Medical Board Grant (CMB), National Department of Education Fund and international grants several times.
My research interests also extends on developing the VI and AI system in exercise training and brain plasticity supported by Guangzhou Scientific Research and Development Project. I’m also the editor of Journal Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation & Disabilities, Journal of Performance Health, and Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine (CN) etc. and the reviewers of Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, BMJ Open and International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health etc.
Ms Shelley M.Chow
Programme and Year of Award:
- 2014-2018 Doctor of Health Science (Occupational Therapy)
Current Job:
Senior Consultant, Rehabilitation Consultants
As a new Hong Kong Government recruit in 1978, I was immediately allocated a Hong Kong Polytechnic first year OT student (Margaret Lau Lam) on the very first clinical training placement as part of my posting at Princess Margaret Hospital. While transferring over the next 6 years between various public hospitals and clinics, further undergraduates were placed in my charge for varying short and long clinical experiences, including groups of 6 students as a Clinical Unit Supervisor at Kowloon Hospital and Kwai Chung Hospital. We all learned from each other and developed skills handling a variety of situations – home visits to squatter districts and remote stone huts, tiptoeing past water buffalo and negotiating narrow log bridges, promoting OT to doubting doctors (we were quite a new species in hospitals at the time), TV show theme singing sessions with chronic schizophrenics, problem solving custom-made splints and pressure garments, market trips and ADL cooking sessions with strokes, all using minimal resources. There were some aspects of OT practice then which no longer exist – including orthopedic issues with elderly women with bound feet, working in Vietnamese refugee camps, taking students along when called in to work in the British Military Hospital.
With 6 years spent full-time teaching undergraduates at HKPoly, contact with the clinical training sites was featured, and making teaching relevant to Hong Kong’s needs, plus building long-term close relationships with graduates, and venturing into private practice consultancies through HKPoly.
As a private practitioner from 1990 onwards, Occupational Therapy students have continued to join the clinic from Hong Kong and various countries, for training at Bachelor and Masters level, always arranged through the HKPolyU as a reciprocal agreement. As one of the first private practitioners in OT in Hong Kong, it has been gratifying to lead the way, prove that ethical private OT services can succeed over the long term and to now have so many competitors!
It has been a genuine privilege to be part of the professional development of Occupational Therapy in Hong Kong, and in the region due to teaching and sharing in nearby countries.
As a student again, now in the final months of a HK Polytechnic University doctorate focusing on a framework for sustainable private OT practice, I have been a Hong Kong Polytechnic University lecturer, colleague, employer, adviser, mentor, entrepreneur and student – the full circle of life in OT in Hong Kong!