Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program

The program goals of the Khalifa University CMHS doctor of medicine (M.D.) program are to:

• Provide an integrated clinical and research experience in a singular postgraduate level medical education program;
• Educate and inspire a diverse workforce of physicians who understand the needs of patients, are able to communicate across cultures, and collaborate with diverse teams;
• Prepare physicians who are able to seamlessly integrate technology into personalized preventative medical practice;
• Prepare medical students and residents to serve as specialty physicians to practice evidence-based medicine in the healthcare and hospital systems of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates;
• Attract and retain a diverse and talented faculty dedicated to providing outstanding medical education and supporting the professional development of medical students;
• Respond to stakeholder and government needs for medical education leading to clinicians who can serve the healthcare needs of the United Arab Emirates; and
• Be an essential contributor to the development, enhancement and completion of the existing healthcare ecosystem of Abu Dhabi.

The four-year course of study leading to the doctor of medicine degree at Khalifa University is based on development of competencies across ten domains. These competencies provide a summary of what graduates of the program are expected to demonstrate in the workplace after graduation, as residents, fellows, and clinical practitioners. They are based on the needs of the program’s constituencies. The ten domains are:

• Patient care (CD1)
• Knowledge for practice (CD2)
• Practice-based learning and improvement (CD3)
• Interpersonal and communication skills (CD4)
• Professionalism (CD5)
• Systems-based practice (CD6)
• Interprofessional collaboration (CD7)
• Personal and professional development (CD8)
• Technology enhanced healthcare (CD9)
• Social Accountability (CD10)

Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for Entering Residency provide expectations for both learners and teachers that include 13 activities all medical students should be able to perform upon entering residency, regardless of their future career specialty. EPAs offer a practical approach to assessing competence in real-world settings. During your time as a student, your competency in performing the EPAs is documented in an e-portfolio that can be shared with residency directors to demonstrate that you can successfully perform the activities required for entrance into residency. The 13 core EPAS are:

• EPA 1 Gather a history and perform a physical examination.
• EPA 2 Prioritize a differential diagnosis following a clinical encounter.
• EPA 3 Recommend and interpret common diagnostic and screening tests.
• EPA 4 Enter and discuss orders and prescriptions.
• EPA 5 Document a clinical encounter in the patient record.
• EPA 6 Provide an oral presentation of a clinical encounter.
• EPA 7 Form clinical questions and retrieve evidence to advance patient care.
• EPA 8 Give or receive a patient handover to transition care responsibility.
• EPA 9 Collaborate as a member of an inter-professional team.
• EPA 10 Recognize a patient requiring urgent or emergent care and initiate evaluation and management.
• EPA 11 Obtain informed consent for tests and/or procedures.
• EPA 12 Perform general procedures of a physician.
• EPA 13 Identify system failures and contribute to a culture of safety and improvement.