The global pandemic has led universities across the world to reinvent themselves and push the envelope to accommodate the changing dynamics and higher education sector was the first one to tune to this change and one such name is Gulf Medical University (GMU). Established by Dr. Thumbay Moideen, the inception story of Gulf Medical University (GMU) has become legendary in business circles across UAE. It all began in the year 1997 when Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder, President of Thumbay Group, had a chance meeting with a member of Ajman's royal family, who asked him for ideas on projects that could help boost the Emirate's economy. Soon, Dr. Thumbay Moideen proposed an educational institution modelled on the likes of a similar establishment he had seen in the state of Karnataka in India. The plan was highly appreciated, and he was soon invited to initiate and lead the creation of a medical academic center in Ajman.
While Dr. Thumbay Moideen had no prior experience about this segment at the time, he saw a great potential in the inherent idea and decided to pursue it and scale up further. A year later, in 1998, Gulf Medical College was established, and ever since it has grown leaps and bounds thereon and become Gulf Medical University today - one of the most sought-after private medical universities in the GCC region, where 60 per cent of the health professionals trained in the UAE are alumni of this prestigious university. It's not doctors only, but also nurses, dental, physiotherapy, among others.
Highlighting the evolution and development of the Gulf Medical University in terms of buildings, staff, students and scientific and educational degrees, Dr. Thumbay Moideen said, "From humble beginnings as the region's first private medical University, today GMU is a testament of a long and distinguished success story of being the region's only private Academic Health System - delivering futuristic medical education at the same time playing an important role in providing state-of-the-art healthcare and promoting innovative research. Our progress over the last 24 years has been driven by the dedication of our staff, students and partners, in addition to GMU's philosophy of constant innovation and above all, the Grace of the Almighty. We have also received excellent support from the government throughout this journey.
Gulf Medical university boasts a student-bank of over 3000 students from more than 90 different nationalities, offering 29 accredited Undergraduate and Graduate programs run by the 6 constituent colleges in the field of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, biomedical sciences, healthcare management and economics. Graduate programs are offered in public health, physical therapy, endodontology, periodontics, clinical pharmacy, drug discovery development, healthcare management and economics, health professions education and medical laboratory sciences.
"Our Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) Program outcomes are aligned to the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) Standards. Our Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences Program is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), UK and our PharmD Program is certified by Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), USA. Our hospitals are JCI accredited, and our Laboratories are CAP accredited, signifying that we give high priority to the quality. The national, international, and regional engagements exceed 70 collaborations with top international universities in Europe, United States, Japan, Malaysia and Far East", briefs Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
The Thumbay Research Institute of Precision Medicine Research is the hub for postgraduate studies in Biomedical Sciences, translational research, and innovation. The university is also offering Doctor of Philosophy in Precision Medicine in collaboration with Université Paris Saclay. At Gulf Medical University, the unflinching commitment to quality of education provided and the world-class infrastructure and facilities ensure that students gain the best professional knowledge. Furthermore, the university's unique Summer Training Program readies its students to deal with professional challenges, in addition to widening the horizons of their knowledge and providing them the potential of unrivalled employability.
`Right' Courses with the `Right' Formats
Since Gulf Medical University has been a pioneer in the health professions higher education segment as first private academic institute, GMU has paired the `right' courses with the `right' formats to build students' career. Gulf Medical University is full of opportunities for students aspiring to make a career in health professions. From short-term courses, full-fledged degrees to tie-ups with other international colleges, students gain learning in an environment that emphasizes on `learning through doing'. The University presents a dynamic curriculum, which provides excellent clinical training, integrates the health sciences with clinical experience, and utilizes modern technology. GMU is also one of the most in-demand private medical universities in the Middle East region which gets around 6000 student applications for just around 270 spots, every year, which is a testament to its excellence in higher education.
Moreover, students benefit with adequate opportunities to showcase their achievements through student activities, Interprofessional skills, sporting and cultural events that train them to be multi-disciplinary experts. Other benefits provided to the students include: Clinical training sites of unmatched quality at 8 hospitals, 10 clinics, 5 labs and 48 pharmacies and a total of 700 beds; tie-ups with other local entities as clinical training sites with over 400 qualified faculty, doctors and adjunct faculty who provide one-on-one clinical training to students and quality care to the patients of UAE; access to technological platforms and an outstanding infrastructure for research on imaging, functional genomics, sequencing with NGS facility.
In terms of advancing healthcare in the UAE and globally, GMU has launched the establishment of the first liquid biopsy facility in the region, the zebra fish and a platform for drug discovery and development. This has led to achieving its position as a leader in research in medical education in UAE and the entire region with 70 percent of all papers published in medical education in the UAE coming from GMU.
Incorporating real-world applications into students' lesson plans, using adaptive learning tools to personalize their courses, and easily accessible platforms for group learning, Gulf Medical University is known for offering stronger student support, integrated technology platforms, and structured course road maps. In parallel, the institution also offers robust technology infrastructure, such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, to overall enhance health professions education, thereby creating exceptional learning experiences for the students.
Highly qualified academicians and experienced practitioners train the students. Teaching methods include traditional lectures, group projects, individual work, practical laboratory sessions and clinical training. GMU's emphasis on research and clinical training drives it on the path to emerge as one of the leading research-based universities in the region. The students at Gulf Medical University are given the opportunity to learn from the best faculty in classrooms, gain first-hand on-job insights at the teaching hospital of the group, develop their awareness of healthcare business operations, and also enhance critical patient-management skills, such as positive inter-profession collaboration and communication. The research-based approach to learning, early exposure to clinical cases and patients and being mentored by some of the leading professionals-cum-academicians gives Gulf Medical University graduates the competitive edge over the others. "Our prolific team headed by the chancellor of Gulf Medical University, Professor Hossam Hamdy, teachers and doctors ensure that students receive first-hand training at our teaching hospitals, assist in developing critical and reasoning skills that will be assets to their personal growth going forward", adds Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Moreover, the university's Alumni Society provides support to new graduates in their career-search, through personal/career counselling, help in CV/resume preparation, empowering them for handling job interviews, preparing documents for residency programs & employment, referring to alumni who can act as mentor/adviser regarding post-graduate training. In addition, a big lot of GMU alumni are pursuing high-flying medical careers in U.S.A, U.K, Middle-East countries, Canada, Australia, India, Pakistan etc. Many of the students also enroll for higher studies, in their chosen areas of specialization. Around 22 percent of our graduates are admitted to U.S. medical schools for further training.
Scope for International Students
The Middle East region today has a number of opportunities for well-trained healthcare professionals. The healthcare sector of the region is witnessing dramatic changes in scope, expansion and investments. In the UAE alone, Gulf Medical University and its network of pioneering teaching hospitals train around 60 percent of the medical professionals in the country. Some of the key offerings for an international student include Internationally Recognized Curriculum, Own Teaching Hospitals at Ajman, Dubai, Sharjah & Fujairah Established Research Division, Innovation Centre, State-of-the-art Phantom Head and Simulation Dental Laboratories, State-of-the-art Simulation Centre/Clinical Skills Lab State-of-the-art Library Community Health Programs Clinical Training at Different Sites across the UAE, All Programs Approved and Accredited by Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR), Hostel & Sports Facilities, Student Cohort from over 90 Countries, Most Modern Computerized Testing Centre G, Great Career Prospects, Well-organized Alumni Network of Highly-Placed Healthcare Professionals around the World and more.
Gulf Medical University's student affairs department acts as a bridge to reflect the needs of international students to university administration. "We aim to enhance international student experience, promote cultural diversity and inclusivity in Gulf Medical University through events and service. It helps, furthermore, to involve students in the University community by providing appropriate student organizations, activities, publications and opportunities for interaction with faculty, staff and peers outside the classroom", speaks Dr. Thumbay Moideen. The Office of Student Affairs coordinates all matters concerning Graduate Student Council, Student Welfare, Career Guidance, Almuni Affairs, Student Health, Placement, Student Discipline, residential Halls, Transportation, Student Publication, Student Activities and Sports. Students may approach the Dean/Associate Dean Student Affairs to resolve issues regarding student affairs and student support services.
The country's visionary leadership has established an excellent education system. The universities attract overseas students in large numbers on account of their modern, state-of-the-art infrastructure, most advanced curriculums, economic tuition fees and expenses, the futuristic/cosmopolitan image of UAE's cities, the remarkably low crime rates, and more. With the UAE gaining precedence for its world-class healthcare ecosystem, so has its popularity with students for health professions education. Medical tourism, too, has grown to become a significant pillar of the UAE's healthcare strategy. A report by Euromonitor International has forecast that the UAE's medical tourism revenues will touch Dhs19bn by 2023, particularly with the government enabling its growth. These offerings reflect how the healthcare delivery system and subsequently the requirement for qualified healthcare professions is projected to see an upward demand.
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