Prior to the 1997 handover, graduates of non-Commonwealth jurisdictions had to obtain the LMCHK medical license before being eligible to practice medicine in Hong Kong.
During this Colonial era, doctors of Commonwealth countries were automatically granted registration by the MCHK without taking an examination or undergoing a internship or other period of assessment.
A key facet of the attaining the LMCHK is passing the Hong Kong Medical Licensing Examination (HKMLE).
[3] To be awarded the LMCHK designation, the doctors must pass the rigorous HKMLE and undergo a period of assessment.
[6] Once attained, the LMCHK designation allows holders of the qualification to register as medical practitioners in Hong Kong.