Overview

The Doctor of Medicine (MD Program) is accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), Ministry of Education, Higher Education Affairs, United Arab Emirates. The outcome competencies of the program are benchmarked with internationally known competency frameworks, including the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies, and have been adapted to the cultural context of the Arabian Gulf region, while remaining aligned with the EmiratesMEDs Competency Framework. The graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program is a 4-year competency-based program with a total of 152 credits. This program is suitable for students who have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree and fulfills the admission criteria for the four-year MD program. The program is organized in two inter-related phases, each of two years duration with critical points or “Gates” at the end of each phase. The eligibility of students’ progression to the next phase will be checked at the gates. Each phase will have specific “Phase Learning Outcomes” which are milestones towards the Program Learning Outcomes: Phase of‘Core Medical Sciences’ (Years 1 & 2) Phase of ‘Transition to Practice’(Years 3 & 4) After the successful completion of the Phase of “Transition to Practice” requirements, they graduate with a MD degree. The duration of the graduate-entry MD program is 4 years, and the curriculum is organized in an organ-system based sequence integrating biomedical sciences, clinical sciences, social/behavioral sciences and patient-care skills. The curriculum is designed to develop a culture of teamwork, scientific enquiry and lifelong learning in the students which are essential for the effective practice of medicine. The pedagogy used in the MD program includes diverse teaching/learning methods to cater to different learning styles of a culturally diverse group of students. More small-group and active learning strategies like Student-led Seminars (SLS), Problem-based Learning (PBL), Team-based Learning (TBL), Virtual-patient Learning (VPL) etc. are used. Early clinical exposure is the highlight of the MD program. The curriculum is delivered in a number of different healthcare settings including ambulatory and inpatient care, primary health care, emergency, and community settings providing wide experience. Training in the state-of-the-art simulation set-up provides additional hands-on training during the pre-clinical years. Assessments are of high standard and benchmarked internationally by students taking the International Foundation of Medicine (IFOM) Examination (Basic and Clinical Sciences) conducted by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), USA. Graduates are awarded the MD degree on successful completion of the 4-year program, attaining 152 credits and passing a comprehensive Exit Examination. The MD degree awarded by GMU is recognized by the Ministry of Health, UAE and all graduates are eligible to take the licensing exam in the country to be evaluated for independent practice.