The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) - Medical University of Bahrain recently welcomed international dignitaries to its campus to enhance its framework for international collaborations, focusing on clinical and research elective opportunities for undergraduate students.
RCSI Medical University of Bahrain is a participating institution in the Visiting Students Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program by the Association of American Medical Colleges. This affiliation facilitates global mobility for student electives, offering medical students access to prestigious institutions worldwide. These include Johns Hopkins University, Yale University School of Medicine, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, George Washington University, University of Alabama, PennState University, Wheeling Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Kochi University, Taipei City Hospital, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
The University also offers global mobility opportunities for undergraduate nursing students through an exchange program with Keele University (UK). Additionally, a recent Letter of Intent (LOI) has been signed with Regis College, Boston (USA), marking the commencement of student exchanges starting in the academic year 2024-2025.
Professor Sameer Otoom, President of RCSI Medical University of Bahrain commented, “We look forward to fostering with our international partners a global collaboration framework to help our undergraduate students gain holistic educational, clinical and research experience, to support them in navigating the complex landscape of global health challenges and prepare them to contribute to the betterment of healthcare services and patient care worldwide”.
During the summer months, our undergraduate students have the opportunity to engage in prestigious research programs. These include the Keenan Summer Research Internship at St Michael’s Hospital (Canada), the ASPIRE research program at Keele University - School of Medicine (UK), and the RCSI Research Summer School. Students work for several weeks on research projects under the guidance of faculty and expert researchers in their respective fields. These programs are structured to enhance students' skills in scientific writing, presentation, data management, statistics, ethics, and patient-centered research. Since our partnership with Lahey Hospital & Medical Center began in 2016, over 70 RCSI Medical University of Bahrain students have participated in electives at this institution, leading to several students securing residency training positions.
