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Varsity to meet growing demand for health sciences education

DUBAI — The Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University (RAK-MHSU), which is offering a five-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme, will open its doors to the students on October 1.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Dr S. Gurumadhva Rao said: “The university aims to meet the increasing demand for health sciences education in the region. Both expatriate and local students (boys and Girls) can enrol in the university provided they meet the admission criteria based on merit — a total aggregate score of 80 per cent in grade 12, or an aggregate of 70 per cent marks in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.”

Rao disclosed the initial intake in the MBBS programme will include 50 students. However, plans to increase the intake of students in the future will follow the opening of new health sciences undergraduate programmes in Dental, Pharmacy, Nursing as well as graduate and Phd programmes.

Explaining the need for the new health sciences university in the UAE, he disclosed: “Currently UAE offers around 200 seats in the various health sciences programmes available at health sciences colleges in the country. But, the demand for the programme within and outside the UAE, specially the neighbouring Gulf countries, is increasing. There is a need for health sciences universities to offer atleast 500 seats annually.”

“Statistics unveil that around 67 per cent of the total UAE students pursuing higher education include girls. Since, male students travel overseas for higher education, large majority of girls are forced to remain in the country and take up programmes available in the country. Opening of more health sciences institutions in the UAE will help promote UAE as the hub of education for health sciences programmes, ” Rao noted.

RAK-MHSU established as a joint venture of Ras Al Khaimah Government, Al Ghurair Investments and ETA Star Group, Dubai, has been granted initial licensure and initial accreditation for MBBS programme by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The Medical College of the University will be automatically enlisted in the World Health Organisation (WHO) upon graduation of the first batch of students.

The university is currently located in a temporary premises in RAK but fully furnished and equipped meeting the medical college requirements. The government has already allotted suitable land for the construction of the permanent campus of RAK-MHSU in a plot adjacent to the Shaikh Saqr Hospital in RAK. The construction of the permanent campus will be completed by April 2008. Separate residential accommodation facilities are arranged for boys and girls, he pointed out.

The university offers five-year MBBS programme in addition to one-year internship. The clinical training and internship will be provided in the government hospitals in RAK. In addition, it also offers one-year foundation programme in English language and other skills for students who fail to fulfil the English language requirements of the university.

Commenting on the education programme offered at the university, he said it has been designed to give the best medical education with a combination of system wise, integrated and problem based curriculum. Further, students will be eligible to appear for various qualifying examinations in the US and UK for higher studies.

Indian students will be eligible for the screening test conducted by the Medical Council of India, which entitles them to register with MCI and practise in India, and also pursue higher studies.

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