Dubai
to Launch Region’s First US-Style Four-Year Medical School at AUD 
Key Highlights :
AUD to open region's first four-year, US-model graduate medical school in 2027.
Partnership with University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine will guide curriculum and faculty development.
Programme includes two years of academic coursework and two years of hospital-based clinical training in Dubai.
Key Background :
The UAE has been placing utmost priority on investment in education and healthcare as a long-term development strategy, with particular focus on building world-class institutions to pursue global talent. The establishment of a graduate-entry medical school is a significant step towards bridging international models of medical education.
The American University in Dubai has entered into a partnership with one of the United States' best, the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, to give the programme a global best-practice orientation. Penn will offer curriculum design expertise, faculty development, and assessment. Exchanges of faculty will enable knowledge transfer, with local clinicians and professors designing teaching to be regionally healthcare-specific.
Unlike other regional medical schools, which admit high school graduates directly, the new AUD medical school will follow the American practice of admitting students after they have gained a bachelor's degree. This widens the range of applicants to graduates with diverse academic backgrounds who have met the science requirements and MCAT standards.
Curriculum would be structured such that basic science education would be combined with clinical exposure. The students would first go through the first two years of classroom studies and then the next two years of clinical rotations in partner hospitals. This would provide exposure to various disciplines like internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and specialized care and thus offer a well-balanced and rounded training program.
AUD has also placed a premium on accessibility. Almost half of its undergraduate students now receive scholarships, and there should be similar financial assistance for the medical programme. Tuition information is still being worked on, but the university has indicated that admissions will be on a globally recognized cycle, making it competitive and internationally acceptable.
This
step is a milestone on the UAE path towards becoming a global hub of
medical education and research. It expands the local talent pool,
reduces dependency on overseas training, and enhances the standard of
healthcare provision in the region. The opening of the school is set
to become a groundbreaking stimulus for education and health within
Dubai and beyond.
About the Author
Mia Jones
Mia Jones is a Managing Editor at Education Excellence Magazine.