RCSI Medical School | Bahrain

History of the College

RCSI – Bahrain is a constituent university of RCSI Dublin which was first established over two centuries ago in 1784. The role of the university, like RCSI Dublin, is to deliver healthcare education to the highest international standards.

The RCSI Bahrain campus was established in 2004 with its first intake of medical students and graduated its first class in 2010. In the period since its establishment, RCSI Bahrain has become an integral part of both the RCSI global family and of the healthcare education system in Bahrain.

The University is listed in the International Medical Education Directory (IMED) of the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) and its degrees are recognized throughout the world including Europe and North America.

About The Medical School

Students at RCSI Bahrain enjoy a large state of the art complex which was completed in October 2008. It incorporates a six-story building with modern tutorial rooms, lecture theaters, teaching and research laboratories, clinical simulation laboratories (CSL) and a cafeteria. In 2012, a large library and learning resource center was opened. There is also a stand-alone sports hall. While most of the undergraduates are from Bahrain and the Gulf region, currently there are students representing over 20 countries and in excess of over 30 nationalities engaged in healthcare related training at RCSI – Bahrain. The majority of the academic staff is from Ireland. RCSI Bahrain offers both six-year and five-year medical degree programs. The curriculum is the same as that delivered in RCSI Dublin and students sit the same examinations at the same time as their counterparts in Dublin.

Entry Requirements

6 Year Program

Designed for applicants entering directly from High School who have taken biology, chemistry, and either physics or mathematics with a minimum cGPA or equivalent, of 3.60 calculated on Grades 10, 11 and 12. Candidates from the United States require SAT or ACT.
Students presenting International Baccalaureate Diploma with three subjects at HL and three subjects at SL. Subjects must include English and Mathematics (all Mathematics subjects are accepted) and at least one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics. A minimum score of 30 IB Diploma points is required (inclusive of bonus).

5 Year Program

Students who will have completed their degree program by August of year of entry (including pre-med subjects in Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Mathematics with a competitive cGPA) can apply for the 5-year program.
Students from High School presenting three AP examinations in Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Calculus (minimum score of 12 between all four exams with no score less than 3). Students must also complete their High School Diploma with competitive cGPA or equivalent calculated on Grades 10, 11 and 12.
Students presenting International Baccalaureate Diploma with three subjects at HL and three subjects at SL. Subjects must include English and Mathematics (all IB mathematics subjects are accepted). Two of the following must be presented at HL, Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics. If Mathematics is presented at HL, then another science subject from the group above must be presented at SL. A minimum score of 35 IB Diploma points is required (inclusive of bonus).

ALL students who apply to RCSI Bahrain must provide copies of their high school transcripts, regardless of highest level of education achieved.

Applicants who pass RCSI Bahrain’s initial evaluation will be invited to an in-person interview in Toronto in April/May.

NOTE: North American candidates are exempt from the English language testing requirements

All students must have completed a minimum of 12 years of schooling by the end of secondary school.

Six-Year Medical Degree

The preclinical years cover the first two and a half years. The first year curriculum is divided into initial stand-alone modules followed by a series of integrated modules in physical, biological and chemical processes. The second and third years comprise of an integrated course in the clinical application of basic science. This course encompasses the subjects of Anatomy (including Histology and Embryology), Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Behavioral Science, and focuses primarily, though not entirely, on the systems of the body (cardiovascular, respiratory, etc.) with introductory courses in some disciplines.

The clinical course commences in the fourth year with the students spending the majority of their time in one of the College’s teaching hospitals. Students complete a 33-month training period in the hospitals, during which the students study twenty medical and surgical specialty courses such as Pediatrics, Psychiatry and General Surgery.

Five-Year Medical Degree

The first and second years comprise of an integrated course in the clinical application of basic science. This course encompasses the subjects of Anatomy (including Histology and Embryology), Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Behavioral Science, and focuses primarily, though not entirely, on the systems of the body (cardiovascular, respiratory, etc.) with introductory courses in some disciplines. The clinical course commences in the fourth year with the students spending the majority of their time in one of the College’s teaching hospitals. Students complete a 33-month training period in the hospitals, during which the students study twenty medical and surgical specialty courses, such as Pediatrics, Psychiatry and General Surgery.

Degree Awarded

Upon successful completion of the medical degree course and examinations, graduates are awarded the degree MB BCh BAO from both the National University of Ireland (NUI) and RCSI Bahrain and in addition are made Licentiates of The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) and The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).

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