Gulf Medical University – Ajman, one of the leading medical universities in the Middle East with students from over 86 countries, applied the virtual patient technique in the Faculty of Community Medicine at the College of Dentistry at Gulf Medical University. It is the first of its kind application at a dental college in the United Arab Emirates.
According to Prof. Hossam Hamdy, the Chancellor of GMU, “the use of virtual patients in dental education is the first step towards providing an effective alternate method for live patient interactions for training dental students”.
Dr. Hesham Marei, Dean of Gulf Medical University’s College of Dentistry, further added “that the virtual patient is one of the modern methods in medical education, based on simulation using a computer. It is a standardized computer software that allows simulation of real clinical scenarios that encompass the most frequent clinical cases to critical situations. The use of virtual patients can prove as an excellent method for learning and honing patient interaction. Besides, the students are exposed to all the essential procedures – from radiation, analysis, and medical information that enables them to arrive at correct diagnosis and develop an ideal treatment plan in addition to testing the results of their medical decisions”.
The most significant advantage of the teaching program at the Faculty of Dentistry is the exposure it provides to students about the various medical conditions right from the first year of college, which marks a qualitative shift in the way of thinking and making appropriate decisions for each medical problem that is exposed.
The dental program is one of the many programs offered by the College of Dentistry in addition to Master of Dental Surgery in Endodontics (MDS), Master of Dental Surgery in Periodontics (MDS) and Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). The students at all levels of dentistry get their clinical training at Thumbay University Hospitals that are internationally accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI).
Gulf Medical University
Gulf Medical University (GMU), Ajman, has six colleges and offers 26 accredited programs with students of over 86 nationalities. The undergraduate programs offered by GMU include Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Biomedical Sciences, Healthcare Management & Economics, Anesthesia Technology, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Physiotherapy, Medical Imaging Sciences and Associate Degree in Preclinical Sciences. Graduate programs are offered in Public Health, Physical Therapy, Endodontology, Periodontics, Clinical Pharmacy, Healthcare Management & Economics, Health Professions Education and Medical Laboratory Sciences. Located in ThumbayMedicity, Ajman, the hub of state-of-the-art medical education, healthcare and research, GMU provides clinical training to its students through the various academic health centers of the Gulf Medical University Academic Health System, including Thumbay University Hospital, Thumbay Dental Hospital and Thumbay Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Hospitals located in the campus. Since its inception 22 years ago, around 2000 students have passed out of GMU and successfully working at various positions – including CEOs, COOs, Medical Directors and Head of Departments – in the healthcare industry in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Europe, America and Australasia. Among them are a number of Emirati medical practitioners who have made a mark in many UAE hospitals, helping the country advance towards its healthcare goals. The University’s academic and research tie-ups with over 60 international universities and research institutions ensures global acceptance and employability.
