Connected, RCSI Bahrain Newsletter, April 2016

More than 200 healthcare providers, students and members of the public descended on the RCSI Bahrain campus in February for its first mental health conference.

Entitled; ‘No Health without Mental Health’, the conference aimed to increase awareness of, erase stigma associated with and promote means and resources to overcome mental health issues in Bahrain.

Organised by RCSI Bahrain’s Community Engagement department, in conjunction with Associate Professor Charlotte Kamel, Head of Department of Psychiatry, the event was held under the patronage of Supreme Council for

Health Chairman, His Excellency Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

RCSI Academic Department of Psychiatry Chairman, Professor Kieran Murphy opened with a keynote address, followed by presentations from Association of Arab Universities Secretary General, Professor Sultan T Abu-Orabi and Professor Kamel.

The afternoon session featured a series of interactive workshops focusing on topics such as depression; misconceptions of mental health; art therapy; substance misuse; anxiety management and schizophrenic disorders.

Mental Health conference held under patronage of Lt Gen Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa

RCSI Bahrain receives institutional listingRCSI Bahrain has received confirmation of its listing with the National Authority for Qualification and Quality Assurance of Education and Training (QQA).According to the official Institutional Listing Decision published on the QQA website, the university “Sufficiently meets all of the Institutional Listing Standards, and thus the Overall Judgement is: ‘Listed’.”

The listing is seen as a significant

achievement for RCSI Bahrain, with its programmes now to be included on the National Quality Framework (NQF).

Speaking after the announcement, RCSI Bahrain President, Professor Sameer Otoom praised all staff members who had contributed towards the successful application, in particular highlighting the work carried out by the university’s Quality Enhancement department.

University officials attend National Charter Day celebrationsMembers of the RCSI Bahrain’s Executive Committee (EXCO) attended a special event at the University of Bahrain in February, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Bahrain’s National Charter.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Education and featured a parade of floats designed specifically for the day, which followed the route from the University of Bahrain campus to the National Charter monument.

RCSI Bahrain was among the institutions from all over the country invited by the Higher Education Council (HEC) to participate in Sakhir.

University President, Professor Sameer Otoom meanwhile, took part in a walk alongside Education Minister, Majid bin Ali Al-Nuaimi and fellow presidents.

The patron (middle) with university officials and guests Dr Fadhel Al Nasheet conducting one of the workshops

Professor Otoom with other attendees

Bahrain to form international nursing chapterRCSI Bahrain has been instrumental in paving the way for the formation of the Gulf region’s first ever chapter of the internationally-renowned Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), which will take place later this year.

Founded out of the Indiana University Training School for Nurses in 1922, the not-for-profit STTI now has over 135,000 members of more than 500 chapters across 85 countries and serves as a global community of nursing scholars. Membership is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and to nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing.

STTI’s approval of a chapter in Bahrain earlier this year comes on the back of the establishment of the Rufaida Honor Nursing Society (RHNS) through RCSI Bahrain’s School of Nursing and Midwifery back in 2013.

The official chapter launch is expected to take place at RCSI Bahrain in October of this year, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the opening of the university’s School of Nursing and Midwifery.

The STTI chapter will give nurses in Bahrain and beyond the opportunity to partake in nursing education and scholarly activities and should place the Kingdom in a leading position in terms of the nursing sector in the region.

Senior Lecturer in Family Medicine, Dr Ghufran Ahmed Jassim has launched a new healthcare initiative specifically aimed at women in Bahrain.

Based out of King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH), the Well Woman Clinic is a medical practice specialising

in the unique healthcare needs of women in terms of providing services, information, counselling, referral and education to all women.

Although a worldwide concept for some time, this is the first such clinic to open its doors on the island. The overall goals of the clinic are to promote health education in a convenient and user-friendly environment; to increase screening rates and to improve awareness and knowledge of the importance of early detection and screening.

Among the services on offer will be general and specialist referrals; advice on diet and nutrition, gynaecological problems, postnatal symptoms, menopause, sexual practice and family planning; psychological counselling; urine, weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and smear tests; postpartum and osteoporosis assessments; mammogram screenings and breast examinations.

The clinic will be operated initially on Thursdays only by Dr Jassim and a team of staff with specialist experience in women’s health issues but the hope is that these service times will increase in due time.

New healthcare initiative launched for women

President meets with Civil Service Bureau on promotion of nursing

RCSI Bahrain President, Professor Sameer Otoom, accompanied by Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Harrison-Mirfield and Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery, Professor Seamus Cowman, met with The president of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) His Excellency

Ahmed bin Zayed Al Zayed , last month to discuss the development of Bahrain’s nursing sector and plans to strengthen cooperation between the two parties.

During the meeting, Mr Al Zayed stressed the need for the health sector to give priority to Bahraini nurses to support national talents and skills.

The two parties also explored ways to provide the best medical possible care to citizens and promote Bahrain’s healthcare industry overall.

Mr Al Zayed praised RCSI Bahrain’s efforts to develop the nursing sector and provide for Bahraini citizens, while Professor Otoom thanked the CSB president for his cooperation in the promotion of the nursing sector and the improvement of the university’s outputs.

Dr Jassim

Mr Al Zayed

RCSI Bahrain in February launched the country’s first ever stroke awareness video during a special event held under the patronage of Ministry of Health Undersecretary, Dr Aysha Buaneq.

Initiated by the university’s Community Engagement and Psychology departments, the video was produced in collaboration with Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) and Gulf Broadcast.

Speaking to the assembled crowd, Head of Community Engagement, Julie Sprakel said the new video would play an important part in RCSI Bahrain’s aim of leading healthcare education to local communities.

The launch of the video – which supplements the Ministry of Health’s opening of a dedicated stroke unit at SMC later this year – follows on from the success of a similar public awareness film on CPR, produced by RCSI Bahrain in 2014 and picked up and screened by Gulf Air on its in-flight entertainment system.

The latest video was published on RCSI Bahrain’s social media pages and has since had over 3,000 views on YouTube. To support the campaign, check out and share the following link https://www.youtube.com/user/rcsibahrain.

RCSI Bahrain launches stroke awareness video under patronage of Dr Aysha Buaneq

RCSI Bahrain officials attend Qatar conferenceRCSI Bahrain President, Professor Sameer Otoom, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Professor Davinder Sandhu and Head of Quality Enhancement, Dr Kathryn Strachan visited Qatar University recently, to attend a forum on the accreditation of medical colleges in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO).

Delegates discussed the need for regional accreditation and the impact of the changes to the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) requirements that all doctors seeking certification should be from an appropriately-accredited medical school as of 2023.

Medical student receives ministerial recognitionFoundation Year (FY) medical student Rula Jamal Naqi received a special acknowledgement by the Minister of Education, His Excellency Dr Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi during the annual National Action Charter celebrations for her achievement in winning the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Student in 2015.

Launched by His Highness Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry in 1998, the Distinguished Performance awards aim to upgrade educational performance in all sectors and were extended to GCC counties in 2003.

Rula received the Distinguished Student award based on her academic distinction, leadership qualities, talents and hobbies, contributions, activities and contests.

Dr Aysha Buaneq with RCSI Bahrain officials and guests

A screen shot from the video

Rula receives the award from Dr Majid

EXCO members with fellow attendees

2014 medicine graduate, Dr Zaid Marhoon, has been named as ‘Intern of the Year 2016’ at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).

The award is granted based on assessment in the domains of academic performance; research; workshops; recommendations and patient care and Dr

Marhoon scored well for his outstanding academic performance and five publications during the internship year.

Dr Marhoon, who is currently working at Ibn Al Nafees Private Hospital and hopes to focus on Orthopaedic Surgery, attributed the award to his training at RCSI Bahrain.

RCSI Bahrain graduate named ‘intern of the year’

Head of Student Development and Wellbeing, Dr Wendy Maddison has been awarded a Doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Liverpool in the UK for her study on the impact of transnational medical and nursing education on Bahraini females.

The doctoral thesis focused on students’ experiences of transnational medical and nursing education, using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as a research methodology and postmodern feminism as a theoretical framework and took almost five years to complete.

Dr Maddison’s research findings indicate that transnational education is a transformative experience for RCSI Bahrain students and one that impacts on personal, professional, private, public and political domains and she is hoping to use these results to enhance her role within the university.

Dr Wendy Maddison receives UK PhD

Dr Azra Mahmud awarded the Fellowship of the British Hypertension SocietySenior Lecturer in Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Dr Azra Mahmud has been awarded a Fellowship of the British Hypertension Society, in recognition of her long-standing work on the condition.

In receiving the award, Dr Mahmud became the first Irish female academic ever to do so.

Already a certified American Hypertension Specialist and a Fellow of the European Society of Hypertension, Dr Mahmud is also a member of the International and American Societies of Hypertension, The Artery Society, British Pharmacological Society and serves on the Blood Pressure Council of the Irish Heart Foundation.

Eman Fateel to present at UK conferenceNursing Lecturer Eman Fateel has been invited to present at the 6th World Nursing and Healthcare Conference in London in August.

Ms Fateel will present the findings of her research project, entitled: ‘Learning approaches and experiences of student nurses following the introduction of eBooks into an undergraduate nursing programme in Bahrain.’

The study was carried out in collaboration with the Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery, Professor Seamus Cowman, and focused on the impact and reaction to the introduction of eBooks as an alternative to textbooks for RCSI Bahrain’s undergraduate nursing programme.

The conference is part of the Omics International Conference Series and takes place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Heathrow Airport from August 15th to 17th. Ms Fateel will be joined by Learning Systems and Technologies Coordinator, Sami Abid.

Dr Marhoon

Ms Fateel with Prof Cowman

Dr Maddison Dr Mahmud receives the award

Senior Lecturer in Family Medicine, Dr Ghufran Jassim and Professional Development Unit (PDU) Coordinator, Sumaya Hashim were among 120 delegates to attend the QS in Conversation seminar on Advancing Female Leadership through Higher Education in Milan, Italy in early February.

The conference, which was co-hosted by Jeddah’s Effat University, attracted a diverse range of participants, from university leaders to representatives of diplomatic corps and international business from over 60 institutions and organisations from all around the world.

During the seminar, attendees exchanged experiences of promoting empowerment of women in an effort to define a conceptual framework for female leadership in higher education and proposed educational programmes and policies to make women’s participation in society more effective.

Among those in attendance was HRH Princess Loulwa Al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who is Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees and General Supervisor at Effat University.

Dr Jassim and Ms Hashim were able to attend the event with thanks to a bursary awarded by the PDU earlier this year in line with Bahrain’s National Strategy on Advancement of Women.

Bursary recipients attend Milan conference

The saying ‘Everyone is Irish on St Patrick’s Day’ certainly rang true at RCSI Bahrain last month as students and staff turned out in force for the university’s annual St Patrick’s Day festivities.

While students took part in a treasure hunt around the campus in search of the famous pot of gold, a special staff

coffee morning took place in the university’s main atrium, where an impressive array of Irish foods and treats was on offer.

The feast of St Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, is celebrated by millions of people around the world each year on March 17th.

RCSI Bahrain celebrates St Patrick’s Day

Dr Jassim and Ms Hashim pictured with Princes Loulwa, second left

Students return after biggest ever International Community Engagement programmeThe annual International Community Engagement programme came to an end in March, as the last of 16 senior nursing and medical students returned from Vietnam.

Among the highlights of this year’s programme was a trip to Lesotho in Southern Africa by final year medical students, Mohamed Alreefi and Noora Althawadi, final year nursing students, Aysha Snan and Maryam Jasim and Senior Lecturer in Family Medicine, Dr David Misselbrook.

Having missed out last year, the ICE programme made a welcome return to the mountainous enclave state – which is surrounded by South Africa – that saw the team join a larger group of almost 100 builders, teachers, parents and secondary school student volunteers from Action Ireland Trust (AIT).

The RCSI Bahrain contingent worked principally in partnership with St Joseph’s Hospital in Roma, a small town some 35 kilometers from the capital, Maseru, where five doctors and a larger team of nurses aim to provide all inpatient and outpatient care to a rural population of around 200,000 people.

As part of their two-week visit, the team conducted an outreach primary care clinic at a remote school in Hlalele, where they saw approximately 150 patients, while the students also led an Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support

(ACLS) session at the Roma College of Nursing, using inflatable resuscitation dummies supplied by RCSI Bahrain.

In addition, the group attended a local home for disabled children, had dinner with the Archbishop of Lesotho and attended an Irish-Lesotho-Bahraini cultural event in the company of their Majesties the King and Queen of Lesotho, the Prime Minister and other cabinet members.

Speaking upon the group’s return to Bahrain, Dr Misselbrook described the trip as ‘an amazing and eye-opening experience’. “We realised how fortunate we are to learn and to practice in healthcare professions within a wealthy and well-developed nation such as Bahrain,” he added.

The Lesotho trip was one of four to take place as part of what was the biggest ICE programme to date in terms of the numbers of locations visited and students to take part.

In late January, SCT students Hari Hullur, Khalifa Aldoseri, Saumitra Tiwary and Myat Han travelled to Chennai in India, where they linked up with Global Health City.

The RCSI Bahrain team at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Lesotho

Mohamed Alreefi pictured with local children after football game

The RCSI Bahrain contingent with AIT volunteers

The RCSI Bahrain team at Global Health City in Chennai

Students with Global Health City staff

After meeting the hospital director and receiving their week’s schedule, the team attended the Master Class in Liver Disease (MCLD) 2016 conference and then got to witness live liver transplant surgeries and follow up with the patients post-operation.

They worked with the infectious diseases team and saw cases of turberculosis and other exotic diseases and spent time with the neurosurgery team for their rounds and clinics.

The students also had the opportunity to visit the ancient architectural site on the ocean in a town called Mahabalipuram and took in plenty of other cultural sites and experiences along the way.

A second trip to India in February saw N4 students Ghadeer Ashoor, Narjes Ashkanani and Ahmed Almass team up with SC2’s Bibi Laulloo and nursing lecturer, Ali Ebrahim in New Delhi at Vikas Hospital in New Delhi.

Among the learning outcomes of this trip, the group set out to identify differences and similarities between India and Bahrain in terms of epidemiological and cultural aspects; the most common reasons for hospital visits and the various tests and diagnostic procedures offered to patients.

The team selected one particular patient case and followed it from the time of admission to the treatment plan, conducting patient care and services as instructed and directed and documenting the experience along the way.

They particularly enjoyed the experience of working in a field outside their comfort zone and interacting with a new culture.

The final trip brought Fatema Sultan, N4 classmates Amna Almuhandes and Zainab Heraiz and SC2 student Ali Ayaz together with Professor of Surgery, Professor Martin Corbally and team leader, Dr Hind Zaidan from King

Hamad University Hospital (KHUH), at Children’s Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The Bahrain contingent in Vietnam worked with the Operation Childlife team, which brought them face-to-face with a number of new and interesting cases they would never have seen the likes of to date.

While Professor Corbally and Dr Zaidan took full part in procedures alongside the Vietnamese surgical team, the students also got the opportunity to scrub up and witness some of the operations at first hand.

The group also spent time with in the neonate, ICU and cardiac departments but noted a serious lack of nursing staff across the board.

The International Community Engagement placements were launched in 2013 as a means of offering undergraduate students an opportunity to collaborate and work with healthcare institutions and professionals in different international settings around the world.

The programme is also seen as an opportunity for these future healthcare professionals to observe diseases and procedures that are not common within their own cultures, as well as a chance to grow both personally and professionally.

The competition for places on the programme is extremely high and students are selected on the basis of an extensive process which includes interviews, academic performance and a participation in the university’s Community Engagement activities.

The RCSI Bahrain team at Vikas Hospital in New Delhi

The RCSI Bahrain contingent visit the Taj Mahal

Amna and Zainab in theatre

The RCSI Bahrain team in Vietnam

150 IC1 students celebrated the transition to clinical training last month during the annual White Coat Ceremony.

Regarded as a seminal moment in the course of medical training and future careers, the ceremony is a symbolic event based around the presentation of the students’ white coats.

The event featured an address by RCSI Bahrain’s Head of School of Medicine, Professor Joe McMenamin, who highlighted the significance of wearing the white coat and

the responsibility associated with it. Guest speakers were Bahrain Medical Society General

Secretary, Dr Manaf Al Qahtani and RCSI Bahrain Senior Cycle student, Maryam Fareed Ashoor.

The ceremony concluded with the students’ recital of the professional declaration, through which they vowed to maintain professional attitudes and behaviours in work and relationships with classmates, teachers, patients and the community.

Students celebrate White Coat Ceremony

The White Coat Ceremony provided the backdrop for a particularly special occasion for Intermediate Cycle student, Abdel Rahman Raed Mustafa Halawa, who became the first RCSI Bahrain representative to win a prize from RCSI in Dublin.

Abdel Rahman was awarded the Harold Browne Anatomy Medal, after participating in and winning the Anatomy Quiz, while studying in Dublin for the first semester of the year as part of the Mobility Exchange Programme.

A graduate of University College Dublin (UCD) in 1940, Dr Harold Browne is a former President of the Irish Medical Council, who spent more than 60 years teaching at RCSI before his death in January of last year.

Abdel Rahman received the award from RCSI Bahrain Professor of Anatomy, Professor Robin O Sullivan during the White Coat Ceremony.

RCSI Bahrain student receives Harold Browne Medal

Abdel Rahman receives the award from Professor O’Sullivan

A delegation of students from RCSI Bahrain travelled to Germany in January to attend the fifth Erfurt Model United Nations (EfMUN) Conference.

Medicine students Faris Ghannam, Huda Alzeera, Ghaydah Al-Shami, Malvika Bhatia and Maryam Alzeera were among 100 participants at the conference, which featured discussions on practical solutions and resolution papers.

One of the highlights of the event from the RCSI Bahrain contingent’s perspective, saw Maryam Alzeera (IC1) named ‘Outstanding Delegate’ and presented with a certificate.

RCSI Bahrain delegation attends MUN conference in Germany

N3 student, Maryam Abdulla will represent Bahrain at a special GCC skills competition in Saudi Arabia later this month, as part of an initiative by the Ministry of Education.

Maryam was selected from a group of five students taking part in a mini-competition, conducted by Nursing Lecturer Dr Maryam Al Aradi in March.

Assisting Dr Aradi on the day were fellow lecturers Catherine Abouzaid and Orla Merrigan, while Fadhel Sahlan from the Ministry of Education simulated the role of the patient.

RCSI Bahrain has been chosen to participate in the initiative – aimed at improving Bahraini human resources’ capacity – based on its high quality facilities and teaching staff.

Nursing student to represent Bahrain in Gulf competition

RCSI Bahrain supports HEC symposium on UK linksRCSI Bahrain officials attended a two-day symposium organised by the British Council and the Higher Education Council (HEC) at the Gulf Hotel last month to coincide with the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and the UK.

University President, Professor Sameer Otoom, joined counterparts from Ahlia University, BIBF, Applied Science University, Kingdom University, Arab Open University, Royal Women’s University and AMA International University as well as representatives of Salford University,

London South Bank University, Brunel University, Birmingham City University and Regents University, London, who traveled from the UK.

The aim of the symposium, which featured discussions and workshops on research, innovation and the creation of high-quality teaching and entrepreneurial universities, was to develop joint opportunities for new programmes and research collaborations, which will help the higher education sector and improve economy.

Footballers donate to prostate cancerRCSI Bahrain Football Club has donated a cheque for BD500 to the American Mission Hospital (AMH) for the production of prostate cancer awareness leaflets.

The money was raised during the successful Movember campaign, which saw students and staff grow the most ridiculous facial hair they could manage in the good name of charity.

AMH Community and Marketing Officer, Sadiq Mukhtar gratefully received the cheque from Movember participants and football club officials during a special visit to the campus.

The MUN delegation in Germany

A participant during the mini-competition

Football Club President Fadi Babus-Haq presents the cheque to Mr Mukhtar

400 masquerade for annual Winter Ball

Student societies host first Oncology SymposiumThe Medical Research and Medics in Leadership Societies joined forces in late January to host the university’s first Oncology Symposium, which aimed to highlight the importance of research in the field of oncology.

Among the other objectives were to target new oncological interventions in terms of screening; diagnosis;

treatment and prevention, while providing participants with hands-on experience of and surgical oncology and an understanding of the current status of oncology care in Bahrain.

The event featured a series of talks and interactive workshops covering a host of topics including oncologic emergencies; Paediatric Oncology Imaging; lab investigations and palliative care.

RCSI Bahrain medical, nursing, post-graduate and research students and staff attended the event, with all profits being donated to the Bahrain Cancer Society.

400 students and staff descended on the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain for this year’s Venetian Masquerade-themed Winter Ball at the end of January.

Traditionally one of the most popular events on the university’s social calendar, the annual Winter Ball offered a chance for students to take a break from their studies, dust off their glad rags and put them to good use. This year’s gala event featured a live band and DJ as well as prize draws and a photo-booth.

Participants at the event

Students’ talents on displayThe Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel poolside once again provided a beautiful backdrop for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Medical University of Bahrain’s (RCSI Bahrain) annual Talent Show in March.

Run by RCSI Bahrain’s Student Council, in conjunction with the Student Services Office, the Talent Show is the perfect showcase for student’s varied and often

previously-hidden talents. This year’s event featured a total of 18 performances,

including those by guitarists, keyboard and ukulele players, rappers, singers, speakers, an acapella group and a stand-up comedian.

The musical duet of Majda Shanta and Asad Chisti won the much-coveted first place after impressing the judging panel of RCSI Bahrain Head of Quality Enhancement, Dr Kathy Strachan, Associate Professor in Physiology, Professor Fiza Rashid Doubell, Associate Professor of Pathology, Professor Iqdam Tobia, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Stephen Harrison-Mirfield and his wife, Lucy.

SPGS&R office undergoes makeover

The School of Postgraduate Studies and Research (SPGS&R) office on the fourth floor has undergone a significant makeover in recent months, as it continues its quest to enable students to fulfil their potential and better serve their patients.

From foundations laid in 2012, the school witnessed significant growth in 2015, with the appointment of a new Head of School, Professor Davinder Sandhu, and the addition of a dedicated Research Officer, Abeer Abdelaal.

Further development of lecture room 417 late last year brought about an opportunity to take up a new home and the extended SPCS&R facility now features offices, creative space and a meeting room of its own, with the school colour purple running throughout.

The new-look office aims to provide a learning space where students and faculty can meet and share ideas, resulting in the development of mutual motivation, innovative and entrepreneurial skills, better research collaboration and clusters that work purposefully and know how to enjoy themselves.

Research is one of RCSI Bahrain’s three strategic pillars and, as such, the university is proud to devote significant resources to developing biomedical and health services research in Bahrain and the wider region, including funding student research projects.

The School encourages alumni and faculty to develop

their outstanding teaching and research by engaging and enrolling in postgraduate programmes right from postgraduate certificates, diplomas, taught masters, masters by research and PhDs.

A Urological Surgeon by trade, Professor Sandhu arrived in Bahrain in March 2015 from the UK, where he previously held positions as Professor of Medical Education at the University of Bristol and Postgraduate Dean of the Severn Deanery in the South West of England.

Currently occupying the Chair of the Postgraduate Committee of the Association of Medical Education Europe and the Bruce Medal for Education and Training, he has received several distinguished fellowships including those in surgery, medicine, primary care and dentistry.

Research Officer Abeer Abdelaal majored in English Language and Literature at Cairo University in Egypt before her passion for education brought her a general diploma in Education and Teaching Methodology and a period teaching preschool English.

Her professional career kickstarted in 2006, when she joined the British Council in Cairo as a Social and Cultural Partnerships Projects Assistant before moving to the American Embassy in Cairo as Cultural Affairs Assistant.

Ms Abdelaal moved to Bahrain in 2013 to head up the Office of Student Affairs at a private university before joining RCSI Bahrain last August.

The new-look SPGS&R office

Professor Sandhu and Ms Abdel Aal

A research study carried out by RCSI Bahrain alumnus, Dr Sameer Kassim on the perception of career preparation and guidance among recent medical graduates has been published on the BioMed Central website.

The project, which was initiated while Dr Kassim was an undergraduate student at RCSI Bahrain in 2009 and continued until after his graduation in 2012, sought to examine preparedness for hospital practice amongst new medical graduates exiting the undergraduate system at the RCSI campuses in both Dublin and Bahrain.

It was co-authored by RCSI Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Professor Hannah McGee, RCSI Professor of General Practice and former Head of

School of Postgraduate Studies and Research at RCSI Bahrain, Professor David Whitford and RCSI Health Research Board PhD Scholar, Yvonne McGowan.

The information for the study was generated using an online questionnaire targeting all 2010 and 2011 medicine graduates from RCSI and RCSI Bahrain.

This is the first research study of its kind to inform in both quantitative and qualitative manners on the preparedness of first year interns trained in different countries under the auspices of a transnational programme.

Dr Kassim is currently a Senior Resident at the University of Manitoba’s Department of Medical and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.

The full study can be viewed at the following link; https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-016-0584-6

RCSI Bahrain alumnus publishes research study on preparedness of graduates

The Arabian Gulf University (AGU) – RCSI Bahrain Steering Committee has issued a call to academic staff for grant applications for the 2016/17 academic year.

Project submissions are to be made jointly by principal investigators from the two participating institutions under the topic of ‘Neuroprotective Effects of Gum Arabic in the Ageing Brain of Diabetics’ or ‘The Impact of Life Style and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors on Arterial Stiffness in a Young Healthy Population of Arab Descent.’

Applications should be addressed to RCSI Bahrain Research Officer, Abeer Abdel Aal, at

aabdelaal@rcsi-mub.com before the closing date of April 14th.

The BD20,000 research budget, which was fully-utilised for the current academic year, is jointly-funded by RCSI Bahrain and AGU. 2015/16 grant holders were Dr Ebrahim Rajab, Dr Michael Keogh, Dr Khalifa Elmusharaf and Prof Amer Kamal Al-Ansari (AGU) and Dr Azra Mahmud and Prof Randah Hamadeh (AGU).

For further information on the research opportunity, please visit the School of Postgraduate Studies and Research office.

AGU – RCSI Bahrain research grant oportunities opened

First RCSI Bahrain nursing student delivers presentation in DublinThird year nursing student Maryam Abdulla last month became the first undergraduate nursing student from RCSI Bahrain to present at the Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Research and Education Conference at RCSI in Dublin.

After presenting the results at her study, entitled ‘Awareness of Prostate cancer amongst men living in Bahrain,’ at the RCSI Bahrain’s Annual Research Day back in November, the abstract was selected for oral presentation at what was the 35th edition of the Dublin conference.

Reflecting on her trip, Maryam described it as ‘life-changing experience.’

“I got to meet nurses from all over the world,” she said. “We shared our experiences and discussed about mutual problems that are encountered internationally. I got to learn new strategies and gain new skills that would help me develop my nursing care. It certainly did develop my competency and overall professionalism.”

Maryam’s research study was undertaken alongside Senior Nursing Lecturer, Dr Hussain Nasaif, as part of last year’s Summer Research Programme.Maryam pictured presenting in Dublin

Dr Kassim

The second annual Health Week took place at RCSI Bahrain in late February and proved a huge success, with great participation levels across a range of events and more than BD800 raised for the Bahrain Red Crescent Society.

The week’s events kicked off the official launch and the promotion of RCSI Bahrain’s ‘Fruit of the Month’ campaign, followed by on-campus body fat analysis tests by the people at Fitness First.

There were also special glow-in-the-dark yoga and retro

80s Zumba classes as well as healthy juice and healthy breakfast demos but the real highlights were the charity dodgeball tournament, won by the all-conquering ‘Ball of Duty’ team, and the inaugural ‘Colour Me RCSI’ fun-run, which attracted some 150 students and staff.

Launched by the SRC team in 2015 with the aim of promoting healthy lifestyle among staff and students, RCSI Bahrain’s Health Week programme falls in line with the university’s overall objective of advancing human health in Bahrain.

Health Week a huge success

N4 student Fatema Fardeen Hassan helped Bahrain’s national ladies basketball team to a respectable fourth-place finish among the best of regional rivals at a recent tournament in Dubai.

Facing a strong Algerian outfit first up, Bahrain eventually edged a hard-fought battle by 62-59 before enjoying a comfortable romp over Bani Yaas.

Heavyweights Jordan and Egypt provided far sterner tests, while hosts UAE – with a former WNBA player as one of the designated guest players in their ranks – pipped Bahrain for third spot. Qatar, somewhat surprisingly, finished last.

The set-up of the tournament provided participating teams with a first opportunity to feature professional

players, which Fatema admitted was a fantastic experience.

The 20-year-old comes from a family steeped in basketball, with her aunt, Eman Althaqafi starring for Muharraq Club’s ladies team in the 1990s and going on to become the first female basketball referee in the GCC and her grandfather Jaffar Althaqafi being one of the founding members of Manama Club.

It is probably little wonder then, that Fatema started playing herself with the General Organisation for Youth and Sport (GOYS) around eight years ago. Since then, she has moved to join Al Najma Club, with whom she won the 2013 national championship.

Nursing student stars for national basketball team

Fatema, front row, second from right, with the national team in Dubai

Calories and Carbs by Alana McConalogue

Why you should ditch the weighing scales!

Weighing scales are not an ideal way to track your body composition – in fact all they seem to do is trigger anger, judgement and self-doubt in those who don’t see the numbers they want to see when they step on them. Sound familiar? You’re not the only one.

What the scales tell you:The scales can only give you your total weight. Not how much your organs alone weigh, your bones, muscles etc. Therefore, how are they the most accurate way of telling whether that weight you lost was from fat and not muscle? Or for those wanting to gain weight, how can the scales tell if the weight you gained was from muscle and not fat? If you are an avid weighing scales advocate I hope you realise that there are multiple reasons for the fluctuations you see in the numbers on the scales.

Water RetentionIf you have a relatively low sodium diet but you go and have a pizza at the weekend, you stand on the scales on Monday and almost cry because you’ve gained 2kg of fat. Relax, no you haven’t. That extra weight is due to water retention because of the pizza you ate, as you are used to a low sodium diet the majority of the time.

Carbohydrate IntakeYour muscles are made up of around 70-80% water, which is stored from muscle glycogen. Glycogen comes from the carbs we eat and therefore, if you drop your carbohydrate intake when you begin your ‘diet’ – as most people tend to do – this will give you the false impression that you have lost fat if you are using the scales as a measure. When, in actual fact your body (your muscles) are just holding less water than usual.

Fibre IntakeIf you eat more high-fibre foods than usual, you may find your weight on the scales has increased but don’t be alarmed, as this is more than likely due to more waste moving through your colon/digestive system. Just the same as your bowel movements can cause fluctuation in the scales – either more waste is excreted showing a lower number, or waste has yet to be excreted, showing a higher number.

Female Menstrual CycleYou may find that in the few days leading up to your cycle, your weight will be anything from around 1-10 lbs more than usual but again, don’t panic! When you get your period, progesterone levels fall, and your weight will more than likely return to normal.

Sleep and stress levelsBoth a lack of sleep and raised stress levels can lead to weight gain in individuals. Unlike the above reasons for your weight increasing on the scales, these two factors may cause an actual weight gain from fat. When you are stressed the body releases higher levels of cortisol which in turn promotes visceral fat which is the type of fat that surrounds your organs.

Likewise, If you are not getting enough sleep, this can affect the hormones in your body that regulate your appetite. Your leptin levels will decrease, which means you won’t get that feeling of fullness when you eat, whilst ghrelin levels increase, which makes you feel hungry more often. Together, these two hormones can lead to an increase in weight due to overeating.

So there you have it, several factors that affect your weight on the weighing scales. The majority of which mean that you should ignore the number on the scales and focus more on your appearance through progress pictures, measurements, how your clothes fit and how you feel overall. If you find that the weighing scales are dictating your mood for the day, leading you to overeat and beat yourself up about not hitting the numbers you wanted or even worse, giving up on your goals – it’s time to ditch the scales!