Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Brings Advanced Physician Education Closer to Home

Hospital Helps to Fill Specialist Gaps in Region’s Healthcare Sector

In the face of a growing need for specialized physicians in the region, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s advanced academic programs allow Emirati doctors to specialize closer to home, helping fill the gaps in the UAE’s healthcare sector. 

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of Mubadala’s network of healthcare providers, has placed education at the core of its mission, as part of its commitment to supporting the development of a sustainable healthcare sector in the Emirate. Following its designation as an advanced teaching facility by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, the hospital is expanding its educational offerings to cover a full range of post-graduate medical education opportunities, including residencies and fellowships. 

“As a leading complex and critical care hospital, we treat some of the region’s sickest patients and perform procedures offered in select centers around the world, providing a wide range of unique learning opportunities. Combined with our expert faculty teaching, and multidisciplinary and ‘Patients First’ approach, we have an opportunity to transform medical education in the region,” says Dr. Murat Tuzcu, Chair of the Academic Office at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. 

Physicians completing their training at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi will benefit from the hospital’s state-of-the-art facilities and expert faculty, many of whom have extensive teaching experience from the United States. 

“There is a real need for specialist physicians in the Middle East, especially in surgical subspecialties. Providing these educational opportunities in the UAE will contribute to the sustainability of the healthcare sector, but also enhance the care we are able to offer to our patients,” explains Dr. Sawsan Abdel-Razig, Director of Medical Education at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

The hospital’s education plans span all levels of post-graduate medical education, from internships to fellowships. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi took on its first cohort of physician interns in 2017 in advance of opening its first residencies in 2018. Current educational plans at the hospital are centered around meeting specific needs in the local healthcare landscape, with a particular focus on surgical subspecialties that are not offered anywhere else in Abu Dhabi. 

“Moving forward, we will continue our educational offering to subspecialties, something that Emirati physicians have traditionally had to travel abroad to complete. Providing these opportunities to Emirati physicians means that they’ll be able bring home their skills to care for the local population sooner,” adds Dr. Abdel-Razig.

The hospital currently has eight physician interns, all of whom are UAE nationals. Three more UAE nationals completed their physician intern programs at the hospital earlier this year. By providing educational opportunities to Emirati physicians, the hospital hopes to introduce more cultural awareness and dialogue to patient care. Emiratis on a patient’s care team can highlight social and cultural issues to the consultant leading the care, enhancing the Emirati patient experience.