On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, the College of Pharmacy at Gulf Medical University welcomed a delegate from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) including Dr. Saad Sultan, Executive Director of Pharmacy Services; Dr. Mohammad Siddiqui, Director of Inpatient Pharmacy; and Dr. Khalid Abdel Dayem, Senior Manager of Pharmacy Informatics and Automation. The team carried out an insightful career advising session to pharmacy students and alumni that triggered insightful thoughts and brough about exciting hopes for the future careers in the profession.
The speakers highlighted the vital role of pharmacists in modern healthcare, emphasizing their position at the centre of patient care alongside other healthcare professionals. They elaborated on key principles such as safety, trust, and value-based care, which are essential in building strong foundation with patients and the community. They reinforced the critical contributions of pharmacists within healthcare teams and provided valuable career insights to students and alumni.
The discussion covered current and emerging roles for pharmacists, including Clinical, Hospital, Community Pharmacy, Academia, the Pharmaceutical Industry, and Public Health & Government sectors. They stressed on the importance of agility in assessing patient cases, monitoring medication responses, and making accurate and prompt clinical decisions to enhance patient outcomes.
The session concluded with an engaging Q&A, where participants explored the future of pharmacy and the expanding responsibilities of pharmacists in the evolving healthcare landscape.
The visit was complemented with a fruitful discussion between the two institutions to prepare for collaborative projects that aim at progressing the pharmacy profession and preparing the next generation of pharmacy leaders which runs parallel with the college’s mission of targeting “partnerships for excellence”
Prof. Muhammad Al-Shorbagy, Dean of the College of Pharmacy, commented “As pharmacists in training, students should approach their clinical rotations with a spirit of responsibility and critical thinking, using each experience as an opportunity to reflect on handling critical situations in their future careers. Rotations are not just academic exercises but stepping stones toward becoming future pharmacy leaders. We are proud of our remarkable collaborative relationship with CCAD and we are currently working diligently to extent the scope of this partnership”.