Presented by internationally renowned medical professionals

May 11th, 2009, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Teaching methodologies for the modern era were addressed at the 'DMC Medical Education Symposium 2009' that took place at the Dubai Medical College(DMC) on May 10th. The symposium, accredited by the Dubai Health Authority as a CME (Continued Medical Education) program, saw participation from various medical practitioners and teaching professionals in the region, including representatives from the Department of Health and Medical Sciences (DOHMS).

The symposium was organised as part of DMC's faculty development programs. A series of such events aim to provide a platform for addressing dynamic changes in medical education by internationally renowned speakers, and facilitate discussion among the practitioners and teachers in the region.

Professor Mohammed Galal El Din Ahmed, Dean of DMC commented, "We are extremely happy to have hosted this event where internationally acclaimed professionals shared valuable insights into medical education.   As the first medical college in the UAE, DMC has created a niche for quality healthcare education for girls and strives to become a benchmark for medical education in the Gulf region."

The guest speakers included Professor Parveen Kumar and Dr Michael Clark, co-authors of 'Kumar and Clark', considered the standard text book of clinical medicine. They offered insights into the recent advances in medical education and also addressed clinical cases that can lead to disaster.

Professor Parveen Kumar expressed, "CMEs such as this symposium are important for both practicing and teaching medical professionals to keep up with changing scenarios. I congratulate DMC for their role in organising such activities. I am very happy to be a part of this program. The response has been phenomenal and I look forward to more such platforms."

Other acclaimed speakers were Professor Pierre-Marc Bouloux, Lead consultant, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, who addressed challenges of future medical practice and offered insights on how to equip current students to meet them. Professor Frederick Fenech, a Geriatrics specialist, discussed case studies about different aspects of aging and training of health care professionals to meet the needs of older people. Mr. Bakheet Beshtawy, Head of the Medical Library Section at the Dubai Health Authority addressed the use of modern technology as an aid to medical education.

DMC, a part of the S.S. Lootah Group has been setting new standards for excellence in healthcare education. The college has implemented the EFQM excellence model, making it the first medical college in the UAE to do so. DMC has been awarded the 'Dubai Quality Appreciation Program' for its best practices in the medical curriculum delivery process.

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About Dubai Medical College for Girls (DMCG)
Dubai Medical College for girls was established in 1986 by philanthropist Haj Saeed Bin Ahmed Al Lootah, Founder and Chairman of the Conglomerate S.S. Lootah Group. The fact that DMCG is solely for girls and that DMCG was started at a time when higher education for girls in the region was lagging far behind than that of the developed countries, makes the college very unique even to this day. The 5 year course is accredited by 'Ministry of Higher Education' and the college is enlisted in the World Health Organisation (WHO) Directory of Medical Schools. In addition to Dubai Medical College, the other educational institutions supported by the S.S. Lootah Group are Dubai Pharmacy College, Dubai Medical Treatment and Research centre, Dubai Institute for Environmental Research, Islamic schools, Technical Institutes and Research Centers. They also run orphanages and welfare institutions. 

About the Speakers
Professor Parveen Kumar 
Prof. Parveen Kumar is the author of Kumar and Clark, the standard Text book of Clinical Medicine and several other books. Parveen Kumar is professor of clinical medical education at Bart's and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary College, University of London and honorary consultant physician and gastroenterologist at Bart's and the London NHS Trust and the Homerton University Foundation Hospital NHS Trust. Her area of chief research interest is coeliac disease. She is currently president of the British Medical Association. 

Dr. Michael Clark
Dr. Michael Clark is the author of the standard Text book of Clinical Medicine along with Prof. Parveen Kumar. Dr. Clark is currently  Honorary Senior Lecturer at several medical schools including the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary College, University of London and the Princess Grace Hospital.  An eminent medical educator with rich and varied experience across student spheres,  Dr. Clark will prove to be a tremendous advantage to the medical educators and students in the medical field.

Professor Pierre-Marc Bouloux
Professor Pierre-Marc Bouloux, a renowned clinician and professor of endocrinology, is currently the lead consultant, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust. Prof. Bouloux has authored over 300 peer reviewed articles and reviews/chapters. In addition, he is author to 4 books in Endocrinology and General Medicine. Prof. Bouloux is well known for his contribution to the field of Endocrinology.

Professor Frederick Fenech 
Prof. Frederick Fenech is a well known medical educator. He was Professor of Medicine and Dean of the Royal University of Malta. He is currently the Director of International Institute on Ageing, United Nations at Malta. Prof. Fenech conducts the fellowships in geriatrics for the Merck institute. Prof. Fenech has made several research publications and presentations and is considered to be a pioneer in the field of geriatrics and medical education.

Mr. Bakheet Beshtawy
Mr. Bakheet Suleiman Ali Beshtawy, the head of Medical Library Section, Dubai Health Authority, has been instrumental in building and managing several new technological initiatives in the Rashid Library. Mr. Bakheet has successfully implemented library applications like Athens, QuestionPoint, RefWorks, AtoZ, WebFeat and Horizon at Rashid Library. Mr. Bakheet, currently has membership at several international organizations and conducts several training courses for more than 5000 staff.

For further Information, please Contact :
Samyuktha ,
S.S Lootah Group
Ph: 04 2099327
Mob: 050 8724525
Email: samy@lootah.com

© Press Release 2009