Medical University of Bahrain

About RCSI Bahrain
In October 2003 HE Sh. Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, Ambassador of Bahrain to the United Kingdom and the President of Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Mr. Michael Butler signed a memorandum of understanding which provided for RCSI setting up a medical university in Bahrain. As a result The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain was founded in 2004 under license from the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain and was officially opened in October 2004 by HH the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sh. Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa and the Prime Minister of Ireland, Mr. Bertie Ahearn TD. Students from Bahrain, India, Italy, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States of America and Yemen were admitted to the inaugural foundation year for Medicine in October 2004. As of October 2008 there are students of 34 nationalities represented in the student body. A vibrant school of Nursing admitted its first cohort of students in October 2006.

The RCSI Bahrain is a constituent university of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The role of the University is to provide healthcare education and training to world standards in Bahrain, drawing students from Bahrain, the other GCC countries and beyond. Graduates of the medical course will be awarded the licentiates of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the degrees of MB BCh BAO. The standards set down by the World Federation for Medical Education apply.

The University moved in October 2008 to a purpose built university campus adjacent to the King Hamad General Hospital which is currently under construction. Additional undergraduate healthcare programmes under consideration include dentistry and pharmacy.

Clinical tuition will be provided in the King Hamad General Hospital when completed and is currently provided in the other healthcare facilities of the Ministry of Health and the Bahrain Defence Forces Hospital. The University is staffed in the main by academic and administrative personnel from Ireland and Bahrain.

During the last week of September 2008 RCSI Bahrain has undertaken the move to its new state of the art campus located in Busaiteen. The new campus has and great number of teaching facilities which includes three lecture theatres, three laboratories, nine tutorial rooms and a large library with several group study rooms. In addition to the teaching facilities, the new campus has a bookshop and restaurant. Phase 1 of construction of the new campus will be completed by early 2009 with the opening of the sports hall next to the main campus building.

Phase Development of RCSI Bahrain Muharraq Campus

• Phase 1 - Essential core facilities for the School of Medicine and School of Nursing & Midwifery including recreational facilities.
• Phase 2 - Expansion for potential Schools of Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Healthcare Management, Dentistry and student accommodation.

• Common teaching areas (outlined below)
• Common social / recreational facilities
• Common religious facilities
• Learning Resource Centre
• Administration and academic offices
• ICT core services
• Support services
• Common student services
• School of Medicine
• Sports facilities (indoor multi-purpose hall and outdoor pitch)
• Primary car parking
• Services plant space
• Refuse and clinical laboratory waste