During my specialist training in the United States in the 1970s, my competency in practising western medicine was constantly suspect because I graduated from a medical school in the orient.
Such professional prejudice was widespread and understandable, given that we were foreigners in a country with claims of being the most advanced in medicine, science and technology.
I must admit that in those days, being a medical graduate of the University of Hong Kong was more a hang-up for me than a source of pride.
I would have to defensively explain our curriculum, and brag about the fact our pass rate for the notoriously condescending examination - required of all foreign medical graduates before acceptance into US training programmes - was the highest in the world.
I wonder if things might have been easier for me had the medical school been named the McFadzean School of Medicine (Alexander McFadzean was the formidable professor of medicine in my days).
A Scottish moniker would have reflected the true nature of our education since most of the senior teaching staff were from the United Kingdom.