Curriculum
The Qatar University’s College of Medicine (CMED), which was founded in 2015, offers a six-year Medical Doctor (MD) program (Qatar University, n.d.). The CMED curriculum reflects a student-centered approach and is founded on the principles of integrated, competency-based, team-based, case-based, problem-based, and virtual patient learning (TBL, CBL, PBL, VPL). The MD program uses the European credit transfer system (ECTS) to calculate students’ workload starting from the second year.
CMED adopts an interactive and engaging pedagogy where students get involved in active learning. This learning approach helps develop the student’s critical thinking, reasoning, and decision-making skills. Students are enabled to retrieve information and encouraged to become lifelong learners and even researchers who seek continuous development. The College regularly reviews and monitors the MD program and its learning outcomes.
Studying Phases
The educational process at CMED is divided into 3 phases. The first phase (1 year) is a transition year that focuses on the basic medical sciences and core curriculum. The second, pre-clerkship phase (2.5 years), explores patient and population cares in-depth while developing clinical skills encountering standardized patients and manikins. During the third clerkship phase (2.5 years), students rotate through pediatrics, gynecology, obstetrics, surgery medicine, emergency medicine, mental health, and family medicine.
Clinical Placements
CMED students receive training and clinical placements at numerous facilities: Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary HealthCare Centers, and Sidra Medicine hospital. In Hamad Medical Corporation, students can gain experience in care services, including general medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, mental health, and psychiatry. Primary HealthCare Centers offer experience in family medicine, clinical examination, and clinical reasoning. Sidra Medicine hospital is a place where students can develop their skills in specialized care services, such as obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics.
References
Qatar University. (n.d.). Dean’s message. Web.