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Celine Sun

CHINESE  medicine pharmacy is becoming a  popular major for university students  because of the  excellent career  prospects,  according to the School of Chinese Medicine  at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).

The school announced this week that the programme's first  14 graduates  had been hired before the end of  the academic year.

Apart from three students who are going to pursue postgraduate studies, five of the graduates will work at pharmaceutical companies, including  big local firms Bright Future and Eu Yan Sang, as well as the United States-based company Merck - one of the world's top-five pharmaceutical makers.

Three others have found jobs  with government departments, including the Hospital Authority and Department of Health.  The  remainder will be working for research institutes or trading companies.

Their average starting salary  is $12,000 per month.

'This  shows that Hong Kong has cultivated our own talents in Chinese medicine pharmacy,'  said  Liu Liang, dean of the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU.

'We  were worried about the employment situation for our students at the very  beginning, but  this proves that our graduates  are in demand.'

Professor Liu  said the huge demand for  Chinese medicine pharmacists  proves that Chinese medicine  is well accepted in Hong Kong.

Recently, Hong Kong authorities have been changing  the policy on Chinese medicine and its development in the territory, which  would  require trained professionals,   he  said.

Chow Yeuk-lung, one of this year's  graduates,  received five job offers  and  chose to  work for the Hospital Authority. 'The pay offered by Hospital Authority is not the highest, actually. Yet I would like to work there because I  hope to do something for  society with my knowledge,' he  said.

Launched in 2001, the Bachelor of Pharmacy in Chinese Medicine offered by HKBU is the  only such

degree programme in the territory.

Despite a quota of 15 students  per year, the four-year  programme receives  more than 1,000 applications every year.  Course director Zhao Zhenzhong  said  they would only select candidates who indicated the university as their first choice under JUPAS and   who have a   good knowledge  of biology and chemistry.



Chinese medicine promises bright future