Ho-ming Lee
Student spotlight details
Ho-ming Lee is a specialist in family medicine who started the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care in 2018. He took the Meta-analysis module online from his home in Hong Kong and now uses the skills he learnt to perform his own meta-analysis, and to engage with confidence in the discussion of forest plots (graphs used in medical research to represent a meta-analysis of the results of randomized controlled trials) with other professionals.
'I am a family medicine specialist based in Hong Kong. I started studying for the part-time MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care in 2018. I initially applied for this master's programme as I had an interest in the history and philosophy of medicine and saw from the course information that there was a module on the History and Philosophy of Evidence-Based Health Care. When I applied, I knew Oxford admission would be very competitive, so when I was offered a place on this master's degree programme, I was overjoyed.
'During the Systematic Reviews module led by Mike Clarke, I learnt the basics of writing a systematic review. I approached Mike after every class to clarify some concepts and he would always answer all my questions and clear up any misconceptions. It was during this module that I formed the idea for my dissertation: A systematic review of the online interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
'I thoroughly enjoyed the module on the History and Philosophy of Evidence-Based Health Care, from which I learned about Captain Cook, James Lind and the first clinical trials in history. Attending this module in Oxford meant I got to read in the Bodleian Library, to punt in the rivers at Oxford and chat with fellow classmates from all over the world.
'The Meta-analysis module was the most unforgettable to me. I am a clinician by background and did not have any knowledge about statistics and meta-analysis. I did this module online while I was sitting at home in Hong Kong. For a while I was very worried that I might not be able to perform a meta-analysis by myself. However, thanks to the patience of my tutors, I was able to complete all the workshop exercises one by one, and finally completed the module assignment using meta-analysis software. How great it was to be able to perform my own meta-analysis at the end of the module! From now on, I can perform my own meta-analysis on any topic I choose for research. This skill certainly helps my work in Hong Kong. I can discuss forest plots confidently with other doctors and scientists, and point out what is missing in any particular review article.
'Finally, it came to the dissertation. Thanks to my supervisors Andrea Roalfe and Sarah Tonkin-Crine, I got a clear picture of what I needed to do. There were many meetings between me and my supervisors, both in person and online, and they guided me with good expertise and great patience. When the dissertation scored high marks, I was overjoyed and am very thankful to my supervisors for guiding me through my studies. Looking back, the conversations with them were the most meaningful. Throughout this process, I understood more about myself and what I wanted. The next step is to publish my research and share the findings of my review, working toward providing more resources for online interventions for PTSD.
'It has been four years since I entered onto this programme. It is one of the most beautiful and fruitful programmes I studied. Looking back, the work itself was very challenging. I felt immersed in an environment so culturally rich and so stimulating. I will always remember the moments of punting with my classmates, having dinner with them and enjoying meaningful conversations. I will recommend this master's programme to all those who have an interest in the philosophy of medicine and evidence-based medicine.'
Ho-ming graduated from medical school in the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2009. He obtained fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in 2016, and was awarded fellowship of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in 2021. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He also writes articles for the Hong Kong Economic Journal on topics of family medicine.
