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It’s 12am. Calvin Cheung Tin-chun has just begun working on his start-up projects and content creation. The 27-year-old had attended classes at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) all day, starting at 9 am. He spent the evening working out and revising.
Now, at midnight, the self-described “daytime medical student, nighttime content creator” finally has a few hours to spare. Cheung wants to solve problems he has come across in studying and healthcare.
He started by working with a classmate to create an artificial intelligence (AI) tool. It turns lectures into flashcards for easier revision.
Then he created an AI app that generates personalised meal plans for patients with health conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
“Medicine … and business might look like two completely different things. But from my perspective, I think they are the same thing. At the end of the day, it’s all problem-solving skills,” Cheung said.
Going into medicine
Cheung has accomplished a lot. But when he was younger, he struggled with studying in Hong Kong.
Everything changed when he went to Canada at the age of 16. There, teachers would teach him why a certain formula was used and how it was formed. This was more effective than his previous education, he said.
“That’s when I started understanding, appreciating and enjoying learning,” he said.
Cheung went on to study a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences and a master of science at University College London. But he realised research was not something that “fit” him. After completing his postgraduate degree, he decided to pursue medicine at HKU.
Before enrolling, Cheung would look at social media content from medical students to help him decide which programme to join.
“Once I started, I thought, ‘Oh, maybe I can also offer my own perspective [on] things,’” he said.
In September 2022, he started his own Instagram page: @calvincheungtc. At first, his videos were mainly about his life as a medical student. But he soon began making posts and videos that made complex medical information simpler to understand.
“Being a doctor in this era isn’t just about helping different patients in hospital wards or clinics – you can also help patients outside of a hospital setting,” he said.
Technology as a helping hand
Medical students need to memorise large amounts of information. Like most of his peers, Cheung relied on flashcards to revise.
But he found that all his time went into making flashcards. When AI chatbots became popular, he wondered if technology could solve his problem.
In 2023, Cheung and a classmate created Memo AI (memo.cards). The AI-powered tool turns lecture notes into flashcards in minutes.
After the success of Memo AI, Cheung launched a start-up based on his experiences in hospital wards. During clinical placements, he often met patients with preventable lifestyle diseases. These included Type-II diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
“During a seven-minute consultation, the doctor will give some very simple advice,” he said. “But what truly motivates them to [follow] it?”
That question inspired HealthMaxx. It creates meal plans based on a user’s goals and health conditions.
Maximising his impact
To balance his studies, business and content creation, Cheung carefully plans his days. He maximises his time by scrolling through revision flashcards during his commute home. He listens to business podcasts while working out.
Cheung said young people should not be afraid of new technology but learn to use it wisely. “Start projects, learn skills [and] put yourself out there,” he said.
When it comes to his future, Cheung is debating whether to follow the traditional route of specialist medical training or continue building healthcare technology. No matter what he chooses, he wants to make a difference.
He explained that a single doctor could help thousands of patients over the course of their career.
But “I need to choose a speciality that allows me to do many things related to medical advocacy … maximise my impact and [reach] more patients,” he said.
