Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network, once again reiterated its commitment to attracting Emirati talent to the healthcare industry and training them to become future pioneers in further developing the medical market, across clinical and managerial roles.
Dr. Ali Al Obaidli, Group Chief Academic Affairs Officer and Chairman of AI Committee at SEHA, said: “The healthcare sector is one of the most important industries and demands the highest caliber of talent and expertise to take care of the community. As the leadership continues to invest in the growth of the industry, it is imperative that young Emiratis are able to grow their careers in this sector. For this reason, SEHA is committed to attracting fresh graduates and developing them, providing them with opportunities to work and learn in its network’s hospitals and clinics. Investing in the growth of Emirati medical professionals is aligned with the vision of our leadership and represents a key opportunity for SEHA to play a key role in the future of the nation.”
SEHA provides an extensive list of training programs, including residency and fellowship, and is one of the largest healthcare systems in the region accredited in providing specialized training programs by the Arab Board, the American Accreditation Council of Medical Specialties and the Jordanian Board. In its efforts to develop the talents of medical school graduates, SEHA has partnerships with Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), and Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT).
Physicians accepted into SEHA’s residency program are evaluated based on a rigorous set of requirements that match international standards. They are assessed on a regular basis to ensure alignment to students undertaking similar courses internationally, which allows students to study abroad and develop their skills in a specialized field, to later return and bring the expertise learned abroad to SEHA and its patients. To-date, SEHA has 573 trainees in 26 residency programs and 9 fellowship programs and is continuously exploring opportunities to expand the educational programs available. The UAE dental program that SEHA provides is the first-of-its-kind in the UAE accredited by the Jordanian Dental Council which covers pediatric dentistry, orthodontics and dental prosthetics.
SEHA provides another first-of-its-kind program in the UAE for clinical pharmacy, accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, which offers trainees the opportunity to internationally train. In 2017, 13 pharmacists took part in the study abroad program, 31 in 2018 and 46 in 2019, with 112 graduates to-date. Graduates of the program have all secured roles in their specialized fields, which has boosted the Emiratization percentage in pharmacy.
In line with SEHA’s commitment to expand the medical education programs available to Emirati healthcare students, it is exploring new accreditations by the likes of the Royal College of Physicians in Canada, the Australian Dental Council and others.
