Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland unveils medical courses in Dubai

The programmes will be offered at Knowledge Village, Dubai from October 2005, and the new facility is aimed at both students who want a career in medicine and existing healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses, specialists, technicians and administrators, who wish to develop and extend their management knowledge and skills.

The new facility at Bloc 19 in the Knowledge Village will offer one-year Foundation Program in Medicine and the two-year MSc in Healthcare Management. Those who successfully pass the examinations at the end of the foundation programme will be directly admitted to the five-year medical course at Medical University of Bahrain (MUB) or Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Speaking about the new initiative, Mr. Ali Hamel Al Ghaith, Chairman of Al Ghaith Holding, said: "The Royal Medical Institute recognizes the need for the advancement and development of the medical academic field in the region. Bringing the world-renowned Royal College of Surgeons into Dubai is one of the many steps that we are taking to further advance our goal aimed at strengthening our commitment to providing the highest standards in medical education."

RCSI's presence in Dubai is of considerable potential value and it represents a policy of the RCSI to develop and strengthen medical, educational and research links with worldwide universities and surgical training institutions and organisations.

Philip Curtis, Associate Director of Admissions and Student Services at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, was equally enthusiastic about the establishment of the part-time programmes in Dubai. In his comments, he said: "RCSI has proven itself for over 200 years as a leader in the surgical and medical education field in Ireland. We are very proud to bring our expertise and knowledge to a pivotal market such as Dubai and we see this as only a stepping stone to future initiatives in other parts of the region."

The courses are open for personnel in allied health businesses such as medical supplies/ equipment and pharmaceutical sectors, will be run directly under the supervision of the RCSI and will therefore further benefit from the College's expertise, thanks to support structures that have been put in place both at academic and management levels. The deadline for receiving applications for the programmes is August 3, 2005.

Mr. Curtis also commented on the RCSI's long tradition of teaching overseas students stating that the international focus has given the College access in countries where graduates have achieved positions of influence and at the same time providing students with a long-term positive view of Ireland.

"The faculty to impart training in the two courses will be from RCSI, Dublin has a long history of forging successful international partnerships. We have a proud tradition of promoting and maintaining the highest possible standards of medical excellence and I have no doubt that this tradition will be carried forward here in Dubai," said Mr. Curtis.