Professor Michael Lavelle-Jones Bestowed with Dr. Henry Fok Medal

By Christopher Cottrell/Images: Christopher Cottrell

Macau medical education and Chinese heritage paid homage to the late Dr. Henry Fok last night with the inaugural launch of a special lecture series—the Dr. Henry Fok Memorial Lecture.

Professor Manson Fok, son of Dr. Henry Fok said, “They say you die two deaths. The first is physical. The second is when people no longer remember your life. Tonight we honor my father’s memory.”

Dr. Billy Chan, Vice President of the Sino-Luso International Medical Forum, said, “For tonight’s inaugural lecture, we are proud to welcome Professor Michael Lavelle-Jones, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Last year, Professor Lavelle-Jones officiated the first surgical skills training center in China right here in Macau—at our faculty of health sciences at MUST.”

Professor Lavelle-Jones, who is also a Consultant General Surgeon at Ninewells Hospital Dundee in the United Kingdom, gave an illuminating talk on the history and current pathways of medical education.

One key element of the talk that aroused discussion was how to engage generations X,Y, and Z—all of whom have been touched and influenced by technology in their personal and professional development.

Regarding these new generation doctors, Prof. Lavelle-Jones said, “ I think that’s the thing we forget. We forget that we’re training a different generation who are coming to the professional life from a different place. I think that’s so important to take that into account, and also to remember that technology is hugely important.”

Prof. Lavelle-Jones continued, “ But without good surgical trainers or medical trainers who are well motivated and well set up to deliver their training—because they need to be trained—I think without that, everything will fall down. It’s really important not to forget the basic steps.”

Regarding the Olympic sized medal he received, Prof. Lavelle-Jones said, “It’s a huge honor, absolutely marvelous. It will go back to the oldest college in the world at the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh and it will be put in our display cabinet as a memory of today and also a sign of our willingness to partner here in the future.”

The event was attended by Macau’s medical community from both the government and private sector, to good friends of the late Dr. Henry Fok.