School of Medicine

The mission of the School of MedicineUniversity of Kurdistan, Hewlêr

Graduating ethical and skilled doctors via unlocking learnerspotential

The School of Medicine of UKH strives to graduate knowledgeable, ethical, and skilled doctors who are well-prepared to work as leaders in Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and to be able to undertake postgraduate training, and that it through delivering excellent medical education and unlocking the learners’ potential. Our selection criteria for admission include; besides 12 years grades, English language competency andUCAT test.

The MBBS curriculum is outcome-based by utilizing Curriculum Educational Objectives as well as Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) to produce graduates who are able to fulfill their roles as junior doctors in the Health Care System of Kurdistan Region of Iraq and beyond, by applying clinical communication and procedural skills and attitudes acquired by attending the School of Medicine of UKH.

The MBBS program follows the structure of an integrated spiraling curriculum with a high degree of vertical as well as horizontal integration of preclinical and clinical content. Early patient exposure in the pre-clinical years is followed by increased opportunities in later clinical years. The program encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning to become life-long learners and researchers. Furthermore, the program offers electives for medical students in order to pursue their area of interest. Our academic manpower is selected both from national and international backgrounds reflecting the diversity of our programme.

The MBBS program is system-based and is organized around body systems; into which, different teaching methods are integrated including PBL-based learning and other modern teaching methodologies. Procedural skills training is also used from UG1 to UG6 in Skills Lab and Emergency Hospitals. Small-group learning is supplemented by lecture-based sessions as well as clinical case and patient-based integrated learning activities complemented by a wide variety of other teaching and learning activities, which ensure competence in key areas.

The program encompasses three strands that ensure the teaching of ethics, learning, and communication throughout the curriculum. As the students advance in their studies, they become progressively more self-directed in their learning, aided by IT-based materials and activities.

Both summative and formative assessments are closely matched to the module outcomes as defined in the module descriptor forms. Students receive regular feedback on their academic progress and will be aided by a personal tutor to the extent that faculty and staff permit.  

The curriculum is managed by a team of different specialties, which is led by the Dean of the of School in collaboration with the Medical Education Department. Whilst a full revision of the curriculum is performed every five years, minor changes are made continuously to reflect local and global health needs. A monitoring system is in place to evaluate the implementation of the curriculum and to support a process of continuous improvement.

 

Medicine

Overview

UKH is introducing a unique Medical Education program which trains the student in addition to the mainstream medical education, the research, and clinical evidence based training and education to graduate the doctors of tomorrow.

Critical to the future of medicine is the training of physician-scientist. The profession of medicine has entered an especially challenging and exciting period as the health care system undergoes revolutionary changes in its organization and focus. In addition, we are experiencing an explosion of new knowledge in the basic & clinical sciences. There is therefore, an increase need for the leaders who can use powerful, newly developed technical and conceptual tools to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness. One of the most effective ways to provide leadership on these issues and to advance our knowledge in the science of medicine and healthcare is through an educational program such as the MBBS- Master’s – PhD program. The training provides students through this program are unique as it provides the knowledge in basic, analytical skills coupled with acquisition of highly clinical skills. Our program at SMS/UKH combines systemic and rigorous research preparation for the Master’s & PhD with MBBS curriculum. Our program offers opportunities that are challenging and rewarding for students who are committed and motivated.

The Model
The innovative model developed for the School combines a strong research foundation with a community-wide cooperative clinical education/service system. Students will be exposed to an academic and clinical environment that promotes learning and high standard training programs in a variety of healthcare settings both inside the Kurdistan Region and abroad, while instilling ethical practices at an international standard, and a clear understanding of the role of research in improving medical treatment that can benefit from, and contribute to, the current/future research strengths at UKH and with international collaborators.

A Research-Based Foundation
The School will be research-based. This is essential to providing a high quality educational experience for students, improving healthcare delivery to the Region. From the outset, the School aims to become an aspiring institution in biomedical sciences and healthcare research. An agreement is already signed to establish an advance research center, which will be under the supervision of a sophisticated European medical research center and will become a twin center for one of the prestigious research institutes.

Potential research priorities for the School include areas of relevance to the Region such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, emerging infectious diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, emergency and casualty recovery strategy deployment and health services research. The School will promote and encourage collaborative research in allied and basic science disciplines to benefit from rapid technological advances in computational translational medicine.

Distributed Clinical System
The School will utilize a distributed clinical system, which is both consistent with the proposed mission and, at the same time, socially and economically advantageous. Rather than build its own hospital, especially at this early stage, the School will partner with international and regional hospitals, clinics, and providers for its clinical programs. A distributed model will allow the School to train students in a variety of healthcare settings and populations throughout Kurdistan Region and abroad. At the same time, the distributed model allows for leveraging existing healthcare resources inside the Region by partnering with international hospitals, institutes and clinics. The School will also promote and encourage the emergence of community-wide cooperative clinics that will initially rely on the support of international healthcare institutions as well as Kurdish physicians and consultants working abroad.

The School is well aware of the responsibilities for assuring the highest standards of care in all clinical and/or hospital facilities within which it will operate or affiliate. A particular challenge in this respect relates to maintaining high quality of healthcare and ethical practices in the regional hospitals in comparison to the international European hospitals. A quality control officer will be appointed to establish and adhere to internationally recognizable Quality Assurance processes, which will be open to scrutiny by KRG health and education authorities.

UKH- SoM Intended Educational Outcomes

Foundational Knowledge and Principles

    1. Master fundamental biomedical concepts, processes, and system interactions
    2. Describe psychological and social aspects of healthcare
    3. Utilize evidence in clinical decision making

Clinical Skills and Patient Care

    1. Perform patient interviews and physical examination
    2. Propose appropriate investigation and diagnose patient medical conditions
    3. Suggest evidence-based health promotion and therapeutic management

Quality, Ethics and Health System

    1. Commit to highest professional and moral standards
    2. Advocate for the ethical, humane, just, safe and prudent care of persons
    3. Adapt to the complex economic and social structure of health care delivery

Communication and Interpersonal Development

  1. Present oral and written reports that document a clinical encounter
  2. Communicate and work effectively with others
  3. Demonstrate leadership skills in various settings

Valuing and Caring for Oneself and Others

  1. Care about becoming an excellent physician through a life of service
  2. Care and support others in the profession
  3. Value the importance of and apply self-care

Learning and Discovery

    1. Develop a personal plan to become a better medical professional
    2. Apply critical thinking and intellectual curiosity to become a life-long learner
    3. Appropriately utilize evidence-based resources to address uncertainty in medicine and gaps in knowledge and skills

Programmes

Skills Laboratories

Faculty