Mr Alex Chou Man-ching | Year 1 Student (Class 2024), Master of Science in Nursing

2021 was a life-changing year for me. After my family business was shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I had a chance to work as a patient care assistant in a surgical ward. This reignited my passion to take care of patients, which dated back to 2008 when I failed to get into medical school for my bachelor’s degree. With encouragement from colleagues and patients, I started searching for nursing programmes for non-nursing degree holders. I attended the online information seminar held by Dr Veronica Lam, the Programme Director of the Master of Science in Nursing, and Dr Edmond Choi, the Associate Director of the programme. Their inspiring speeches marked the start of my journey towards my second master’s degree, and I have never been more certain that this is what I would love to fully commit to for the rest of my career.

At the beginning of this programme, all students, especially those with no scientific academic background, were struggling to adapt because we have to acquire all the necessary nursing knowledge in 3 years. Although it has been physically and mentally demanding, the support from the teaching staff has been exceptional. They continuously evaluate their teaching methods, as well as our learning progress, and respond to our concerns promptly. This bidirectional communication is the key to facilitate our learning in this intense, yet rewarding, programme. From my personal experience as a student, their care and support are second to none.

When looking back on what I have accomplished so far, I realise that failures in the past may create another opportunity in the future. It is never too late to challenge ourselves and step out of our comfort zones to learn something new. I look forward to utilising the knowledge I acquired at HKU and helping patients get through the darkest and most vulnerable time of their lives.