A group of Medicine Pathway students received first-hand experience of doctors’ daily work duties at King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh.  King Fahd Medical City is the largest facility of its kind in the Middle East and consists of four hospitals.  The special activity – arranged by UPP faculty members Laine Derr, Joel Urquhart, and Randy Campbell – was designed to give students a clear idea of what their future will be like.

The day-long activity, which took place on December 29, was hosted by Dr. Yousef Muhammad and Dr. Adel Mahmoud, and was arranged by Dr. Yasser Awaad.  Each doctor hosted a group of about four students.  The students followed the doctor throughout the day, observing his duties.  The doctors work in neurology and neurosurgery for both children and adults.

The UPP students observed the doctors talking with their patients, examining lab work such as blood tests, and checking on the operation of various medical departments and medical equipment.  A few medical presentations were also given to some of the students.  The UPP faculty members who arranged the field trip also accompanied the doctors throughout the day.  They incorporated the learning experience into their classroom assignments for those students who participated, such as writing reports and conducting research.

Osama Ezzeldin Abdelhadi, one of the students, said, “I found it a very nice day which helped us get some experience and get to know more about doctors’ life and how they work from the beginning of the day.” 

Another student, Tawfik  Abou Assale, had this interesting observation from his experience:  “One thing that hit my nerves and amused me was how calm and relaxed the doctor was, even though he was preparing to dissect a living man's head. But I learned that this calm state that the doctor was in is what made him a successful surgeon, being able to concentrate on his work.”