Wong Fun

Wong Fun was the first Western-trained Chinese doctor and the earliest Chinese graduate from any European institution. From 1850 to 1855, he studied at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with a thesis titled 'On Functional Disorders of the Stomach'. 

During this era, the University of Edinburgh's Medical School was globally renowned and significantly contributed to medical missions in Africa and Asia. The Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society (EMMS), founded in 1841, played a vital role in supporting overseas students like Wong. After his initial financial backers stopped their support, the EMMS financed his studies, covering his tuition and living expenses.

Wong graduated from Edinburgh Medical School in 1855. Following his studies, Wong obtained a position as a clinical clerk and pursued postgraduate work in pathology and anatomy at the New Surgical Hospital, which was part of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. 

Following his return to China, he worked as a medical missionary in Guangzhou with the London Missionary Society. He subsequently opened a dispensary in Hong Kong, helped rebuild a hospital in Guangzhou that had been destroyed in the Second Opium War, and served as the first Chinese Customs Medical Officer in Canton. These roles significantly influenced the acceptance and integration of Western medicine in the region.