Thumbay International Pathway completes decade, celebrates graduation of 90 doctors
Ajman: Gulf Medical University (GMU) and the Medical University of Lublin (MUL), Poland, held a convocation ceremony to honour students of the Thumbay International Pathway–Poland programme, a medical education route that begins with pre-clinical studies in Ajman and culminates in an MD degree from the Medical University of Lublin.
The convocation marked a significant milestone for the programme, which has now completed ten years. GMU has also enrolled the tenth cohort of students under the pathway.
The programme was launched in 2017 as an Associate Degree in Preclinical Sciences. In 2022, the Commission for Academic Accreditation renewed its accreditation with a substantive change, upgrading it to a Higher Diploma in Preclinical Sciences (HDPCS), a Level 6 qualification.
Under the programme structure, students undergo three years of pre-clinical studies at Gulf Medical University before transferring to Lublin, Poland, for three years of clinical training. The final MD degree is awarded by the Medical University of Lublin and is recognised across the European Union. The articulation agreement between the institutions ensures a seamless transfer process for students.
Since its launch in 2017, students from 62 nationalities have enrolled in the programme. The first batch graduated from Lublin in 2023, and the number of graduates has increased each year since then. A total of 90 doctors have so far completed their studies through the pathway, beginning their training in Ajman and earning their medical degrees in Poland.
Currently, students from more than 45 nationalities are enrolled across the three pre-clinical years at GMU.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Manda Venkataramana, Chancellor of Gulf Medical University, said the programme had provided students with a direct route from Ajman to a European medical degree.
“Every name we read out today began as an application from a student who simply wanted to become a doctor. What this pathway gives them is an honest, direct route from Ajman to a European medical degree. Seeing our tenth cohort arrive, with graduates now practising across the world, tells me we built the right thing,” he said.
Prof. Wojeck Zaluska, Rector of the Medical University of Lublin, said the partnership between the two institutions had become one of the most rewarding chapters in the university’s history.
“Lublin has trained physicians for eight decades, and our partnership with Gulf Medical University has become one of the most rewarding chapters in that story. The students who arrive from Ajman are well prepared and ready for clinical work from their first day with us. We are proud to call them ours, and prouder still to send them into the world as doctors,” he said.
The ceremony was held in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder President of the Thumbay Group, whose vision led to the establishment of the pathway programme.
The organisers said the programme has evolved into a trusted route to medical education for students from different parts of the world. The June 2 convocation celebrated the achievements of the graduates, their families and faculty members from both countries who contributed to the programme’s success.