The aim of the Department is to instill among medical students a proper learning attitude to existing and new findings of biochemistry and molecular biology, through open-minded but critical thinking. This will facilitate their comprehension of the interrelationships between biochemistry and related disciplines of medicine, with a view to integrating and applying this knowledge to healthcare. A long term objective is to foster a consistent spirit of self-improvement in modern knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology among the students to achieve their professional goals as practicing physicians or a medical scientists.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of education and training in biochemistry and molecular biology, the medical student will be able to demonstrate:

• Ability to apply biochemical principles to interpret and explain pathogenesis and manifestations of diseases;
• Comprehension of membrane structure and function, with reference to cell compartmentation;
• Understanding of protein structures and their relationships with enzymatic reactions;
• Recognition of homeostatic dynamics through the concepts of inter-regulation of carbohydrate, lipid and amino acid metabolism and human nutrition;
• Understanding of current theories of the structure-activity relationships of nucleic acids, mechanisms of gene regulation, and principles of molecular biology;
• Rational application of basic knowledge of protein synthesis, post-translational modification and targeting of proteins to their cellular destinations;
• Comprehensive understanding of basic principles of hormonal functions and intracellular signal transduction systems;
• Knowledge of basic chemical constituents of biological fluids in health and disease, with the ability to recommend cost-effective and relevant investigations for their applications in clinical diagnosis;
• Problem-solving ability in the application of biochemical knowledge to assess and improve human nutritional status and in applying such knowledge for health promotion and disease prevention in the community;
• Commitment of personal responsibilities for professional ethics and health and environmental protection.