Medical Education Symposium 2024 - Competencies and Beyond

Dr. Fatma Al Jasmi is a Professor of Pediatrics and Acting Dean of College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al Ain, and a Metabolic consultant at Tawam Hospital. She did her undergraduate studies at UAE University, UAE, and graduated in 2000 with a bachelor's in Medicine and health science. She pursued her postgraduate studies at the University of Toronto, and the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada.

In 2006, Dr. Al Jasmi received the Canadian Board of Pediatrics after completing the Pediatric residency program. Subsequently, she did her fellowship in biochemical genetics, and in 2008 she was certified by the Canadian College of Medical Genetics Board (Biochemical Genetics).

Previously he was founding member and Char Departent of Medical Education, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Saudi Arabia. He was seconded to WHO EMR as Regional Advisor for Health Professions Education.

Professor Magzoub obtained his MBBS form Univesity of Gezira, Sudan and Masters degree from Univesity of London. He completed his PhD degree from University of Maastricht in 1994. He is member of Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians, London, Edinburgh a nd Glasgow since 2000. He has authored many scientific articles books and chapters in medical education.

Commissioner Qandil received his BSc Degree in Pharmacy from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), Jordan and his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design form Purdue University, USA. Before joining the Commission, Prof. Qandil was an Associate Professor of Medicinal and Organic Chemistry in the Faculty of Pharmacy at Jordan University of Science and Technology, and a Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the College of Pharmacy at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, KSA. He has published work in several areas including Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Design, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Education. During the past 14 years he chaired the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy was the Assistant Dean of Pharmacy (JUST) and the founding chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (KSAU-HS).

Additionally, Prof. Qandil chaired the Quality Unit and the Curriculum, Student Assessment and Accreditation Committees in both Colleges and also served as an Accreditation Academic Advisor to the Vice President, Development and Quality Management at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, KSA.

Prof. Hossam Hamdy is Professor of Surgery and Medical Education. An internationally known medical educator and active Pediatric Surgeon. A scholar, professional, and leader in higher education in the Middle East and renowned internationally. He has established, contributed, and led several Medical Colleges, Suez Canal University, Egypt, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain, and Gulf Medical University, UAE. He has served in different senior academic and administrative positions as Chancellor, Gulf Medical University, Vice Chancellor Medical & Health Science Colleges, Sharjah University, Director of the Institute of Leadership in Higher Education, Sharjah University, Advisor to the President of Medical Education, Qatar University and Dean College of Medicine, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. He has served as WHO Temporary Advisor ‘Consultant’ in Medical Education.

He is active in medical education research and has published many studies in medical education and surgery and has introduced several innovations and best practices in Medical Education. He is a member of several editorial Board Journals in Medical Education (Medical Teacher, Medical Educator, Korean Journal of Medical Education, etc.) He is a member of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) Assessors team.

His work and contribution to Medicine and Medical Education over more than 40 years has been acknowledged and has won him many awards: The Sheikh Khalifa Award for Higher Education for “Distinguished Professor in Teaching”, led the College of Medicine, Arabian Gulf University to win the “Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award” for Best Medical College in the Arab world, “Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England “By Election”, and “Fellow of the Royal College of Physician of England”. He was awarded the honorary Fellow of Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) in 2021.

Prof. Hossam Hamdy was decorated by the Republic of France with the prestigious decoration of “Chevalier Dans L’ordre Des Palmes Academiques” / “Knight of the Order of Academic Palms” in 2011; awarded the Health Workers Recognition Award:  Health Professionals Education by the WHO Regional Office for Eastern Mediterranean in 2021 for his achievements in Medical Education and the Emirati Doctor award in 2023.

• President, RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, (Feb 2023 – Present)
• Chief Executive Officer, King Abdullah University Hospital (750 Bed Tertiary Hospital), August 27, 2016 – September 16, 2018). 
• Dean of Medicine (Sep. 1, 2014 – Sep. 1, 2016).
• Vice Dean, School of Medicine (Sep 2008 – Sep 2010 and Jan 2011 – Sep 2013).
• Chairman of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine and KAUH, JUST, (Sep 2002 – Sep 2015). 
• Associate Professor of Pathology, School of Medicine (July 2008 – June 2013). 
• Assistant Professor of Pathology, School of Medicine (April 2001 – June 2008). 
• Director of Allied Health Affairs Directorate - KAUH (March 1, 2003 – Nov. 1, 2004). 
• Director of Administration Affairs Directorate - KAUH (Jan. 1, 2004 – Nov. 1, 2004).
• Member, Institutional Review Board, JUST (Jan 2011 – Sep 2016).

Prof. Senthil Kumar Rajasekaran, M.D., MMHPE, joins Khalifa University from Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM), in Detroit, Michigan where he was the Senior Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs and Undergraduate Medical Education. He received his MD from The Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry in Moscow, Russia, and completed his postgraduate medical training at Sri Ramachandra Medical University in Chennai, India.

He has a prominent international profile with formal engagements and official roles in the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Medical Education (LINK). Dr. Rajasekaran was part of the 10-member working group convened by the WHO that led to the publication of the Global Competency Framework (LINK). He is a member of The Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education at the National Academy of Medicine (LINK).

He co-authored and served as an editor of the Transitions in Medical Education handbook (LINK) which was published by the American Medical Association. Prior to joining WSUSOM, he served in leadership roles at medical schools within the United States and the Caribbean, where he led educational innovations and established Centers of Excellence in Medical Education to promote educational scholarship. Dr. Rajasekaran has been recognized by honorary fellowships from the American College of Clinical Pharmacology and the Academy of Medical Educators in the United Kingdom. He has secured multiple institutional and national awards for educational excellence, including the 2017 Teaching Value Award from the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has multiple publications, has presented at national and international conferences, and chaired panel discussions at world forums.

Dr. Rajasekaran also serves on the editorial board of the reputed Teaching and Learning in Medicine journal. He has a wife and two children, and enjoys listening to music, reading, and learning new languages.

Professor Qutayba Hamid is a distinguished scientist in Respiratory Medicine and a researcher in Asthma; he is currently the Vice Chancellor for Medical and Health Sciences and the Dean of the College of Medicine in the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

He moved to McGill University in Canada in 1993 where he was appointed as an associate professor and then as a professor of Respiratory diseases. He joined the MeakinsChristie institute as a researcher and then as a Director till 2016. He held the prestigious James McGill Chair and clinical Strauss Chair in Respiratory Medicine. Recently, he was elected as a fellow of the prestigious Royal Society to become one of the few in his field to join the society. He is also a member of the Royal College of Internal Medicine in the United Kingdom, a member of the Royal College of Internal Medicine in Canada, and a visiting professor at several international universities. His research interest is mainly focused on asthma. He has published over 500 research papers in prominent international journals, making him one of the top researchers ever to publish on Asthma, and has led to changing the concept of asthma and to the discovery of new drugs that are currently used to treat it. He has additionally contributed to the publishing of textbook chapters on Respiratory diseases.

Dr. Hatem Faraj Al Ameri is the Manager of the of Medical Education and Examination at Department of Health Abu Dhabi, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the United Arab Emirates University.

Through his work at the Department of Health, Dr. Al Ameri has:

• Co-founded the TANSEEQ program, the first centralized Emirate-wide residency match program and the first international partnership with the NRMP-I,
• Pioneered the signing of the ACGME-I/HAAD Memorandum of Understanding
• Overseen the development of multiple regulatory standards in Graduate Medical Education (GME).

Dr. Al Ameri completed his Pulmonary Medicine fellowship training and Internal Medicine residency training in Canada from McGill University in 2002 and 2000 respectively. He has received several academic awards and has authored multiple publications in the field of pulmonary medicine and exercise physiology.

Dr. Al Ameri was the previous Chairman of the Department of Academic Affairs, at Mafraq Hospital, Abu Dhabi between 2007 and 2009 where he oversaw all residency-training programs at this tertiary care center.

Dr. Mohammad H. Taha is a distinguished figure in the field of Medical/Health Professions Education with over 15 years of expertise in educational research and practice. Holding a background as a physician and a certified medical educator, he has earned prestigious fellowships from institutions like the Academy of Medical Educators (UK) and the International Association for Medical Education (AMEE). Dr. Taha has obtained his doctoral and master's degrees in Health Professions Education from the University of Gezira, Sudan, and has contributed significantly to the development of medical education in various capacities.

Currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the University of Sharjah, Dr. Taha holds multiple leadership roles including Director of the Medical Education Center and Coordinator of the Master of Leadership in Health Professions Education program. He has played pivotal roles in curriculum development, faculty development, and accreditation processes in institutions across Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Notably, he led the comprehensive curriculum reform at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia, and facilitated the transition to online learning during the COVID19 pandemic.

Dr. Taha's contributions extend beyond academia, as he actively engages in international organizations such as AMEE and WHO, serving as a consultant and expert in curriculum development and competency framework design. He has authored numerous research articles, book chapters, and led various workshops and courses in medical education. Dr. Taha's dedication to advancing medical education and his extensive experience make him a respected figure both regionally and internationally in the field of Health Professions Education.

Dr. Sawsan Abdelrazig, Chief Academic Officer, Primary Care Medicine, Medical Subspecialties Institute

Dr. Sawsan Abdel-Razig, MD, MEHP, is Chief Academic Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and a Staff Physician within the Medical Subspecialties Institute. She previously served as the Director of Medical Education in the Academic Office. Dr. Abdel-Razig is responsible for the development and administration of medical education and clinical research programs at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Nabil Zary is the senior director of the Institute for Excellence in Health Professions Education (ieHPE) at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine in Health Sciences (MBRU) in Dubai, UAE. He has a background in medicine, technology, and education. He received a bachelor’s in medicine and a doctoral degree in medical sciences at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. 

He is active in investigating the potential of emerging technologies in the context of digital health education – with a particular interest for serious games, extended realities, artificial intelligence, technology standards, and ubiquitous learning approaches for patients and the healthcare workforce. 

Along his professional journey, he has gained experience at strategical/tactical/levels of impactful transformations that have been translated into actionable understanding, expertise, and leadership in complex contexts.