The Chinese University on Sunday said it is gearing up to receive its first batch of graduate-entry medical students this year, the first cohort after authorities opened up an additional 25 spots for the programme to tackle a doctor shortage.

The Education Bureau in February also said that the University of Hong Kong's medical school will get an extra 25 places for the same degree.

Chinese University's Dean of Medicine Philip Chiu told a radio programme that the admission process has been smooth for the four-year programme.

The university will take in a total of 325 medical students from the next academic year starting September, up from the preceding year's 295.

Chiu said the faculty received hundreds of applications for the programme.

"We just completed our first round of interviews, and we have interviewed a few hundred students. Most of them had a background related to medicine, for example, their first degree was in biomedical sciences or chemistry," he said.

"We also saw some very outstanding students that are going to graduate from some renowned schools overseas, such as the Imperial College London and Cambridge University," he added.

Chiu noted that having a strong understanding in science is key to succeeding in the programme.