What's up, Doc?

Gulf Medical College (GMC) has opened a new postgraduate programme in collaboration with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACPG) for students interested in pursuing a postgraduate degree in medicine. The new GMC-RACGP Training Programme in Family Practice has only 25 seats to offer in the UAE and aims to provide quality training for medical graduates in association with the UAE Ministry of Health.

The Fellowship in Family Practice is a three-year full-time programme that allows graduates to gain practical experience in teaching hospitals, as well as rural and urban medical centres that provide healthcare to individuals, families and their communities.

Throughout their studies, students will rotate between hospitals and departments to gain exposure to the various fields of medicine.

"GMC is committed to supplementing the core training programme of integrated primary care by offering a broad range of clinical settings," said Gita Ashok Raj, dean of GMC. "This encourages a strong general practice with multidisciplinary teamwork and delegations between primary and healthcare professionals."

The training programme will be conducted in the UAE Ministry of Health accredited hospitals and health centres. Opportunities for the trainees will also include IT training where students will learn how to access web-based education, which will provide online cases for practice, and will be evaluated through an e-learning platform with e-portfolios that will help keep track of an individual's learning progress.

Become a general practitioner

Who is eligible and what are the requirements?

Individuals interested in the programme must fulfil the following requirements to qualify for the programme:

How long is the programme?

The programme is three years long. During the first 18 months, teaching is classroom-based. Upon completion of the first half, students take an examination. The remaining 18 months consist of practical application in which students are placed in various clinics and hospitals and are finally examined upon the term's completion.

How much does it cost?

The average yearly tuition is Dh75,000 with a Dh3,000 fee for the mid-term exam and Dh7,000 for the final examination.

When is the induction for the next batch and what is the application deadline?

The programme will be launched by the end of March and registration is still open.

What can I do with a degree from the GMC-RACGP training programme?

Unlike other programmes where students are required to complete two years of training practice prior to working as a full time practitioner, this programme allows students to be evaluated directly by the Ministry of Health upon graduation and begin their careers as general practitioners.