Medical Doctor (M.D.) Program
Medical Program Accreditation & Recognition of Degree
The Medical program at EUC has been fully recognized. Specifically, the Program of Study, “Doctor of Medicine (MD)” [6 years, 360 ECTS], was granted accreditation by C.Y.Q.A.A. on its 50th Summit on 17-18 February 2020, through the process of the World Federation of Medical Education. C.Y.Q.A.A. met the criteria for W.F.M.E. Recognition of Accreditation Program and was awarded Accreditation Status, conferring the understanding that the quality of medical education in its accredited schools is to an appropriate and rigorous standard.
Additionally, the Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/608 of 16 January 2019 amending Annex V to Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the evidence of formal qualifications and titles of training courses through the Internal Market Information (IMI) System. As such, European University Cyprus, School of Medicine, MD Graduates who are citizens of EU member states, following completion of the six-year course of studies shall be able to register in the Register of Medical Practitioners in EU member states. In addition, EUC, School of Medicine meets the requirements established by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), USA, allowing EUC medical school students and graduates to able to ECFMG for Certification and Examination in the USA>. To facilitate our students who are interested in applying for post-graduate and residency programs in the USA, the Department of Medicine has also established (as of April 26, 2018) an ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP), which gives us full access to the ECFMG services for international medical students. Through our ECFMG Web portal, we have access to the following services: Status Verification: verify the status of our students/graduates who apply to ECFMG for Unites States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The ECFMG Certification – assess whether our International Medical Graduates (IMGs) are ready to enter US graduate medical education programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). ACGME requires that all international medical graduates who enter ACGME-accredited programs to be certified by ECFMG. ECFMG Certification assures directors of accredited residency and fellowship programs, that international medical graduates have met the standards of eligibility. Credentials Verification: verify the authenticity of the medical education credentials of EUC students & graduates. [We can verify medical credentials provided by ECFMG; send credentials and their verifications to ECFMG; and/or provide information on graduates’ medical education requested by ECFMG.] The Certification Verification Service – provides the primary-source for confirmation of ECFMG certification status to residency programs, state medical boards, and other organizations, such as hospitals and HMOs.
- Performance Data: EUC can obtain information on the performance of our students/graduates on Step 1, Step 2 clinical Knowledge, and Step 2 Clinical Skills of USMLE.
- ENSWP Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS): EUC can now submit ECFMG supporting documents and tack receipt n behalf of our students/graduates who are participating in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
The ERAS Support Services – assist our graduates who use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) to apply for residency positions in the US graduate medical education programs. ERAS was developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Rating By QS Stars Top Universities Following the QS Stars University Ratings’ global assessment that concluded in June, 2021 European University Cyprus now ranks among the 72 top universities in the world that have been granted a 5-star assessment. Importantly, our School of Medicine also secured the top rating of 5 Stars (rated excellent) for its MD Medical Doctor Program!! Ranking is a rigours, peer-reviewed process that evaluates a program using a number of standardised criteria. Achieving international ranking though QS Stars signifies the School’s commitment to achieving and maintaining the highest level medical education program. Successful Establishment of EUC Medical Educational Program Globally Launched a New Branch and Campus of the School of Medicine in the Heart of Europe: EUC recently proudly announced the opening of the School of Medicine – Frankfurt Branch which started operations in the Fall 2022. The launch of the new campus was founded on the strong identity and reputation of the School. Augmented by EUC’s award winning state-of-the-art infrastructure and clinical simulation facilities, EUC’s new campus in Frankfurt will further foster modern healthcare education, clinical care, research and innovation that will impact both the region and Cyprus. EUC, Medical Doctor Curriculum The six-year curriculum at European University Cyprus is a spiral design, competency-based integrated curriculum. Integration reflects courses that not only bring together the various basic disciplines, but also clinical, factual, experiential sources of information. The overall aim is to foster the understanding and performance of professional activities in medicine in our students at an early stage of their education. As such, integration of the curriculum can be viewed as a continuum, with discipline-based teaching at one end and full integration of disciplines at the other. Enhancing the cognitive activities of the students is a critical element required to achieve the high level of horizontal integration envisioned in this revised curriculum. To this end, we have focused on using active teaching modalities that enhance cognitive activities in our students. By this, the aim is to create a conceptual coherence between the various disciplines and allow our learners to build an understanding of basic sciences to relevant clinical problems. The curriculum is fully integrated both horizontally (systems-based) and vertically (spiral-design) and is divided in three educational phases.
Phase I: Foundations of Medicine (years 1-2)
Phase II: Foundations of Clinical Practice (year 3)
Phase III: Clinical Medicine Core (years 4-6)
Foundations of Medicine is taught in two parts across wo years. The first part is taught in modules that cover traditional synergies related to understanding the Structure and Function of the human body from molecules to cells (e.g. cell biology, biochemistry, genetics), as well as medical information (epidemiology, biostatistics) in the first term and the basic structural components of the human body (anatomy, physiology, histology, embryology, biochemistry) in the second term. Students are given their first introduction to clinical practice in “Clinical Practicum”. The second part of the Foundations is taught in modules that cover traditional synergies related to understanding the structure and function of the human body (anatomy, physiology, histology, embryology, biochemistry) that is organized in primary body systems (cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal reproductive and nervous). Instruction of basic clinical skills are promoted via the course and practicum in «Introduction to Clinical Skills», as well as by the use of simulated scenarios. Foundations of Clinical Practice focuses on pathophysiology, formation of differential diagnoses, semiology, pathology and pharmacotherapy that is also organized in body systems over the course of the year. Basic clinical skills are further promoted via simulation. Students are also introduced to general surgery, immunology and microbiology.
Structure of the Foundation Years of the Medical Program
Clinical Medicine Core & Pre-Internship Training comprises the last three years of study and is divided into two stages. In years 4 and 5 the students are exposed to all clinical sub-disciplines within the primary clinical pillars (internal medicine, surgery, neuroscience, child/maternal health, and public health) with lectures and 3-week clinical rotations (Junior Clerkship Rotations). In concurrence with the new AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) guidelines, which require simulation training in all residency programs, the School of Medicine adheres to a simulation-based portion within the theoretical hours of the clinical curriculum. This has been designed to ensure acquisition of core competencies, including key manual skills, cognitive skills, communication skills and integrated skills. The clinical training program has been carefully designed with parallel education blocks that are intercalated with the primary pillars defined by the School of Medicine to ensure that all students complete the same material at the end of the semester. The 6th year of the School of Medicine curriculum is devoted to clinical rotations (clerkships) in all disciplines. These Senior Clerkship Rotations take place alongside the Junior Clerkship Rotations. This type of parallel block rotations with teams that include Junior and Senior Clerkship Rotations assures more effective learning, competency acquisition and transition to internship preparation. The Senior Clerkship Rotations, or Pre- Internship Training has been carefully designed to ensure that students will be able to function as independent physicians during their residency training. As such, the Senior Clerkship Rotation will act as a critical transition point, when the observational apprentice becomes an active and accountable clinical practitioner. In year 6, the Pre-Internship Year, students attend Traineeship rotations across the 5 Clinical Core Disciplines (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Neuroscience/Mental Health, Family medicine/Primary Care, and Maternal/Child Health). Traineeships constitute the cornerstone of the pre-internship training: during traineeships, the primary activities evolve around doctor shadowing, competency acquisition and confirmation of all necessary theoretical knowledge that is required for transition to professionalism and responsibility after graduation. This is confirmed and assessed through the individual student logbooks and by the final assessments (written and oral) during the final year of studies. Themes such as medical ethics, legal aspects of medical practice, family medicine, public health, research methodology, etc. span all years and are threaded throughout the basic modules and clinical clerkships. Externship Program: International Health Sector for Student Education & Experience As an international academic entity, European University Cyprus School of Medicine encourages and promotes agreements with international hospitals and research institutions of the highest caliber for EUC student summer externships. The externship experience promotes the idea of employability and allows students to gain experience in environments and countries that they wish or expect to work in the future. The externship program is also an opportunity to create and strengthen relations between EUC faculty and international clinical/research centers. Student Summer Externships: EUC medical students have the opportunity to participate in summer externships in prestigious highly ranked institutions all over the world for additional clinical and research training. The student experiences at these sites greatly enrich the EUC student by providing them the opportunity to learn in a wide variety of environments. Sample externship placements Include:
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, MA, USA
- Alpert Medical School and Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, USA
- University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy
- University of Southampton, UK
- Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London, UK
- American University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran
- Oxford Medical School, UK
- Sidra Organization, Qatar
- University Clinical Halle, Germany
- Universitaire de l’Est Parisien, Sorbonne, France
- Hadassah, Israel
- Weizman Institute of Science, Hebrew University, Israel
- University of Graz, Austria
- Johns Hopkins University, USA
- Technion, Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel
- Zucher School of Medicine, Hofstra, Northwell, NY, USA
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
- University Hospital of Martinique, French Caribbean
- University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia
- Toura College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Imperial College NHS Trust
- International Institute of Cyrosurgery, Vienna, Austria
- Heart of England, Birmingham Hospital, UK
The Erasmus+ Staff Training Mobility, which funds EUC faculty mobility to centers abroad, provides opportunities for further collaboration in the field of research and medical education. Honorary Professors: Working with the Scientific Elite The hallmark of the School of Medicine has been its exceptional ability to embrace and include in its efforts, members of the scientific elite who have made a profound impact on science and society, namely the Nobel Laureates of today. Marked among the Honorary Faculty of the School are Professor Tomas Lindhal (Chemistry 2015,) Professor Robert Huber (Chemistry, 1988), Professor Ada Yonath (Chemistry, 2009), and Professor Jean-Marie Lehn (Chemistry, 2018). Professors Ada Yonath and Aaron Ciechanover (Chemistry 2004) have opened their laboratory doors to EUC medical Students for summer externship research training. It was a Nobel Prize winner, Professor Lehn, who kicked off the School’s “Medical Science Insight Lectures” as part of EUC’s effort to provide a rich transdisciplinary forum and masterclass for the scientific community to be inspired and engaged in the rapidly changing world of medical science. As the world gained normality and conventional graduation ceremonies resumed, the Class of 2022 was honored by having as their keynote speaker, Professor Sir Martin Evans, winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Sir Evans as a pioneer in the field of stem cell biology, offered not only gravitas to the ceremony, but provided EUC’s graduates an example of high standards to strive for. The 2023 Commencement Speaker is Nobel Laureate and Honorary Professor Aaron Ciechanover. View the M.D. Program https://euc.ac.cy/en/programs/bachelor-medicine/