In yet another momentous feat in the realm of education, Qatar has announced the establishment of its first local dental college.

The College of Dental Medicine comes under the umbrella of Qatar University’s (QU) Health division which comprises three other specialized colleges in the area of medicine, pharmacy and health sciences.

Attending the Launch of College of Dental Medicine to join other health care disciplines and Health Cluster @QatarUniversity pic.twitter.com/2qkoj0NjXD

— Dr Mahfoud Amara د.عمارة محفوظ (@AmaraMahfoud) January 20, 2019

QU President, Dr Hassan Al Derham, said, “As part of Qatar’s pivotal role in supporting the direction towards a knowledge economy, we establish this new college- the College of Dental Medicine- to provide the community with the necessary medical competencies in this important discipline,” reported The Gulf Times.

All set to kick-start its operations from September this year; the College presents an opportunity to prospective students to earn a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DND) degree, under a dedicated six year programme.

About 25 students will be accepted to the programme each year, with 70 percent of these being Qatari students.   

“It is an important time to prepare a new generation of skilled Qatari doctors, who are connected with their community, the changes in society and economy, and the health requirements needed,”  Dr Al Derham is quoted to have said by the Peninsula Qatar.

The official announcement of the launch of the College was made at a press conference organized by QU in conjunction with Hamad Medical Corporation.

The learning module is centered on modern-day advancements and will include e-learning components to facilitate active learning and critical thinking among students.

 “Students will benefit from early clinical experience in state of-the-art facilities including a dental simulation clinic and academic dental hospital at HMC [Hamad Medical Corporation], student-tailored elective studies, community-based education, and research possibilities, which are key elements of the curriculum,” Dr Egon Toft, Vice President and Founding Dean, College of Medicine at QU commented on the occasion, reported The Qatar Tribune.

The specialized College will address the country’s oral and dental health concerns, training a cadre of emerging young doctors to gain skills required for awareness, treatment and prevention of oral diseases.

According to details shared at the press conference, the College is built upon international best-practice standards reviewed by accreditation agencies in USA, Australia, Europe and envisions to work jointly with international accreditors to uphold its compliance with the high international standards.

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Cover Image Credit: Virginia Commonwealth University