Khalifa University of Science and Technology announced the new batch of enrolled medical students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) took their customary oath at a White Coat Ceremony, marking the start of their Fall 2022 classes.
During the ceremony, students accepted their white coats from a number of CMHS faculty members in the presence of Professor Sir John O’Reilly, President, Khalifa University, Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, and Dr. John Rock, Dean, Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences and members of KU senior management. Later, they pledged their allegiance to the medical code of ethics.
The ceremony welcomes the first-year students to the practice of medicine, elevating the value of humanism as the core of health care. The white coat, which stands as a symbol of the medical profession, also represents a student’s transition to a scientific approach to medicine, while signifying a commitment to the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship.
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi said: “The Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences has steadily progressed into a full-fledged institution, generating interest among the medical and academic communities, as well as among the students aspiring to become medical and healthcare professionals. As we welcome this fourth batch of CMHS students, we believe they will take full advantage of our cutting-edge facilities to develop themselves into top-notch specialists and experts in medical fields, while excelling in scientific research to obtain community-relevant patient care solutions.”
Dr. John Rock said: “By accepting their first medical white coats today, these students affirmed their commitment to supporting our college’s mission to enhance the healthcare ecosystem of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. As medical students and future physicians, they will uphold our values of integrity, responsibility, discovery and innovation, community service, and respect for human life. The white coat symbolizes their entrance to the profession of medicine, and we are proud to welcome them.”
Meanwhile, Khalifa University’s Center for Experiential Learning and Clinical Simulation was successfully granted accreditation as an American Heart Association International Training Center in March 2022. The center now includes a large virtual-environment mass casualty and disaster training area, complete with helicopter and ambulance facilities.
At the same time, KU CMHS now has many leading experts as adjunct faculty including physicians from every specialty and subspecialty in medicine, and is representative of all major teaching hospitals in Abu Dhabi. On the academic side, KU CMHS continues its success with the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step-1, while obtaining superior results in the US International Foundations of Medicine® (IFOM) exams. It has also secured clinical training opportunities for students at premier academic health centers.
Other remarkable achievements by Khalifa University CMHS include publishing a number of research papers to date in respected international scientific and medical journals. Khalifa University CMHS PubMed-listed research papers address a wide array of biomedical topics of relevance to the UAE and beyond, ranging from the Arab genome to diabetes, nanoparticles to cardiovascular and medical education.
During the year, a weeklong Summer Med-Camp provided learning and growth opportunities for UAE National high school students with an interest in pursuing careers in medicine and health sciences. Khalifa University’s unique Pre-Medicine Bridge (PMB) Program conducted a Research Symposium to provide the transitioning students an opportunity to showcase their research efforts.
Located on the Main Campus of Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, the College of Medicine and Health Sciences graduate-level MD degree program is delivered in five curricular strands – Biomedical Science, Clinical Medicine, Medicine and Society, Physicianship, as well as Research, Technology, and Innovation.
Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
27 September 2022
