Over the last three decades, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has experienced a dramatic improvement in economic status andAlfaisal University – Surgery development. Health services have developed to an even greater extent, as indicated by accessibility and coverage indicators. There also have been improvements in health indicators such as mortality, morbidity, and life expectancy. However, national health manpower development is not coping with the momentum and attendant growth. Saudis make up only 19% of workers in the health sector. . This figure is extremely low when compared to other sectors such as education and agriculture. Expanding and changing medical education and medical practice is imperative in order to produce healthcare professionals in the needed quantities, at the right times and in the right places.
The existing curricula of many medical schools in Saudi Arabia follow traditional approaches, which deliver knowledge through fragmented and non-integrated avenues. Instead of being community-oriented, they are teacher-oriented and force students into passive roles. Such institutions produce students who opt to work only in urban areas, contributing further to the poor distribution of stable national health personnel and services throughout the Kingdom.
Alfaisal University Medical College which is located in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia and the largest city in the Kingdom, will respond to all of these challenges. The college follows an innovative approach in the education of health professionals, including problem-based learning and community-based education.
Mission:
The Alfaisal College of Medicine will follow a problem-based, self-directed curriculum, in which patients and problems are studied from multiple standpoints. Problem-based learning will be integrated with appropriate clinical skills training and community-based experiences. Emphasis will be placed on critical thinking and problem solving.
The main goal of the undergraduate program is to train students to be critical thinkers and problem solvers, skilled in sensing, formulating, and managing common health problems. In doing so, graduates will be better prepared to expand their competencies in any career and in any particular discipline. Graduate Programs and Research will insure higher education at an international level that will distinguish the university as research based and working towards dissemination of knowledge.
The mission of the Alfaisal College of Medicine is to prepare its students for meeting and responding to the changing healthcare needs and expectations of the Saudi Arabian community. This will be achieved in full partnership with other healthcare providers and relevant sectors in the community.
Goal:
The goal of Alfaisal University is to meet the high demand for quality higher education in the Kingdom. The College of Medicine will address shortages of healthcare professionals who meet international standards and use best practices. Our vision is to use innovative and creative teaching methods in a research environment, foster inquiry and create healthcare leaders in the region. To this end, Alfaisal has chosen several local and international partners for collaboration on the development and implementation of the College of Medicine and its programs.
Collaboration:
The College of Medicine works in partnership with King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (www.kfshrc.edu.sa), a tertiary care hospital that is highly respected worldwide. A second partnership is with Security Forces Hospital (www.sfh.med.sa). These partnerships involve recruitment of faculty members and provide opportunities for student internships.
Partners Harvard Medical International (PHMI) (www.phmi.partners.org) a subsidiary of Harvard Medical School has collaborated with Alfaisal on the development of the curriculum, design of the facilities, organization of the administrative structure and development of the faculty. A ten year agreement was signed that allows PHMI to also share on an advisory board and other committees within the college.
The Program:
The program encompasses a five-year curriculum with three sequential phases beyond the prep (UPP) year followed by a year of Internship:
- Phase I: Introduction to the sciences relevant to medicine (Man and Environment)
- Phase II: System-based learning
- Phase III: Clinical clerkship
- Internship for one year
Graduates of this program will be awarded the MBBS degree.
The Alfaisal College of Medicine will adopt the SPICES model of teaching:
- Student-centered vs Teacher-centered
- Problem-based vs Subject-based
- Integrated vs Discipline-based
- Community-based vs Hospital-based
- Elective vs Standard program
- Systematic vs Opportunistic
MBBS Degree Requirements:
The degree received from the AU College of Medicine is a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS), which requires six years of study. The students in the College are required to successfully complete a specific set of courses in their course of study. These courses are presented in the following curriculum structure.
Graduate Program:
The new graduate programs at Alfaisal University are designed to provide academically qualified men and women students with the opportunity to obtain quality graduate education under the mentorship of internationally known faculty. The graduate programs are designed to produce graduates who are academically well prepared, socially responsible, have a global perspective, and aspire to be leaders in the fields of biomedical sciences. Alfaisal University, through its philosophy and practice of being student-centered and research focused, aims at producing basic and applied research that is publishable in the world’s leading journals. We aim at providing our graduate students with an environment of a globally prominent center of technological and entrepreneurial initiatives. Alfaisal University and its future graduates aim to provide advanced technology-driven solutions and services to individuals, institutions, businesses and society within and beyond the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Annual Report 2010-2011:
The College of Medicine has recently published its annual report for the academic year 2010/2011. The report provides a brief description of the MBBS program offered by the College. It highlights the academic and medical activities being held during this academic year. Read more >>
