• Event
• Expressions Spring 2026

Stepping into the Clinic

BDS 3 Students Take Their Professional Pledge

Students formally begin the clinical phase of their training

The atmosphere at the HKU Faculty of Dentistry was filled with pride and anticipation on 17 September 2025, as the new Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Year 3 cohort marked a defining milestone in their education at the Clinical Pledging Ceremony. Joined by proud parents and loved ones, the students gathered to formally begin the clinical phase of their training. Standing together, they took a professional oath to “uphold the honour and integrity of the dental profession and to provide the highest standard of oral health care,” signalling their transition from simulation-based learning to real-life clinical responsibility.

For the first two years of the BDS curriculum, students train in pre-clinical laboratories and simulation clinics, developing foundational knowledge and practising procedures on models. The pledging ceremony marks the moment when that careful preparation moves into a new arena: working alongside experienced clinicians and beginning to treat actual patients at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital.

The ceremony highlighted not only the technical skills the students have acquired, but also the ethical and human dimensions of their future role. By publicly committing themselves to professionalism, compassion and patient-centred care, the BDS 3 cohort acknowledged the trust that future patients will place in them as dentists-in-training.

The new BDS Year 3 cohort receive their silver name badges on 17 September 2025

In line with the Faculty’s tradition, each student received a silver name badge to mark this important transition. Worn in the hospital clinics, the badge serves as a visible sign of their evolving professional identity and a daily reminder of the promise they have made—to act with integrity, diligence and respect for every patient they encounter. Long after graduation, it will remain a personal memento of where their clinical journey began.

As the ceremony drew to a close, the message from the Faculty was clear: this is both a beginning and a responsibility. With their pledge made and their clinical training about to commence, the BDS 3 students step into the next phase of their education ready to learn, to serve and to grow. A heartfelt congratulations to the BDS 3 cohort – your clinical journey begins now.

Proud moment of students having their silver badges engraved with their names

Students take professional oath to provide the best care for their patients

Student representatives deliver a speech at the clinical pledging ceremony

Parents join the ceremony to mark the proud moment

Dr Kenny Lau encourages students at the ceremony

A student shares the joyful moment with her parents