A Total of 40 Trained Physicians Join UAE’s Growing Healthcare Sector
Khalifa University organized the Hippocratic Oath Ceremony for 40 graduating cohort of 2026 MD students from the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, at the Main Campus, recognizing the graduating medical students’ formal commitment to the ethical and expert standards of the medical profession.
H.E. Homaid Al Shimmari, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees, H.E. Prof. Ebrahim Al Hajri, President, Khalifa University, and members of the University’s Executive Committee including Prof. Habiba Alsafar, Dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, attended the ceremony.
The Hippocratic Oath was recited by H.E. Dr. Omniyat Al Hajeri, Executive Director of Community Health, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, and Dr. Ajlan Zaki, Buhooth Scholar and Staff Physician, Medical Oncology and Hematology, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Cancer Institute. Rashed Almheiri, MD, batch of 2026, delivered the student address on behalf of his graduating cohort.
The 2026 cohort recorded the highest U.S. Medical Licensing Examination pass rate and the highest Step 2 average score in the program’s history, at 247. Of the 40 graduates, representing 16 nationalities, 21 have already secured residency placements at hospitals in the U.S. and Canada in highly competitive specialties including surgery, pediatrics, neurology, internal medicine, and interventional radiology. The remaining 19 graduates have applied for positions in the UAE, with match results expected in mid-July 2026.
Prof. Habiba Alsafar said: “The physicians who graduated today are the product of rigorous scientific training, cutting-edge research, and an unwavering commitment to serving the UAE. At the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, we develop medical scientists who are equipped to tackle the healthcare challenges of tomorrow, contribute to discovery, and strengthen the foundations of a healthcare system the UAE is building for generations to come.”
Rashed Almheiri, MD, Class of 2026, said: “Taking this oath, carries a weight I have been preparing for throughout my years at Khalifa University. This personal milestone is also a responsibility to the patients who will place their trust in us and to a country that has invested in our medical training and our future.”
Jude Maraka, MD, Class of 2026, said: “I am incredibly proud to be among the physicians trained entirely within the UAE. This moment belongs to my family, professors, and to a country building its own medical future.”
Alisha Roy
Science Writer
