Dubai Programme for Health Specialties
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About the Dubai Residency Training Programme
The Medical Education & Research Department provides medical education, training, and professional research and development opportunities to healthcare professionals in the UAE. The Medical Education Section established the Residency Training Programme in 2006 with the vision of bridging the gap between university medical qualifications and medical professional practices.
The programme provides a carefully designed learning platform where residents are trained and evaluated continuously to develop their skills. In addition, residents can progress consistently in their responsibilities and independent practice by their level of knowledge and personal well-being under the guidance of healthcare consultants with high qualifications and experience.
Timeline:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
|
19 January 2026 |
Announcement of Registration Opening |
|
26 January 2026 |
Registration Opens |
|
27 March 2026 |
Registration Closes |
|
10 April 2026 |
Final Date for Editing & Completing Applications |
|
21 April 2026 |
Notification of MMI Interview Dates |
|
03–04–05 May 2026 |
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) |
|
15 May 2026 |
Notification of Specialty Interview Dates |
|
25–29 May 2026 |
Specialty Interviews |
|
29 June 2026 |
Cross-Match System |
|
01–05 July 2026 |
Conditional Acceptance Offers |
|
06 July 2026 |
Final Acceptance Results |
|
21–25 September 2026 |
Orientation Week & General Training Course |
|
05 October 2026 |
Academic Year Commencement |
Available Specialties:
| Specialty | Duration | Accrediting Body |
|---|---|---|
|
Anaesthesiology |
4 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations |
|
Dermatology |
4 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations |
|
Emergency Medicine |
4 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations |
|
Family Medicine |
4 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations & ACGME-I |
|
General Surgery |
5 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations |
|
Internal Medicine |
4 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations & ACGME-I |
|
Obstetrics & Gynaecology |
5 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations |
|
Orthopedic Surgery |
5 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations |
|
Anatomical Pathology |
4 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations |
|
Paediatrics |
4 Years |
Arab Board of Health Specializations & ACGME-I |
Personal
Documents:
- Recent coloured passport-size photograph
- Valid passport copy
- Valid Emirates ID / Visa (if available)
- Family Book copy
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- National Service completion/exemption certificate (UAE male nationals)
- No Objection Certificate (NOC) from employer (if currently employed)
Academic Documents:
- Bachelor of Medicine degree or equivalent from a recogniszed medical school (WHO listed)
- A recogniszed Internship Programme of a minimum one-year duration provided that the interruption period between graduation and the Internship program does not exceed 24 months. This condition is a fundamental requirement for obtaining licensure and must be fulfilled to ensure eligibility for enrollment in the program.
-
Attestation of Medical Degrees and internship Certificates for those issued outside UAE is to be
undertaken from:
- UAE Embassy of the issuing country
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs in UAE.
- Certificate of Equivalence from Ministry of Education UAE (MOE).
- A notariszed English translation of documents originally in a language other than Arabic or English is required.
-
English language Proficiency Certificate for degree granted outside the UAE
- TOEFL= 550 or above
- IELTS Academic = 6 or above
- OET= 300 (C+ in all categories)
- *Applicants are exempt if they graduated from a UAE institution and provide a letter confirming English was the medium of instruction.
- Aspirants with a degree granted outside the UAE, Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) – General with Grade Average evaluation are required to evaluate the transcripts and have a standard GPA (http://www.ece.org) and for UAE degree to provide final GPA.
- Academic transcript showing GPA for UAE graduates
- Primary Source Verification (PSV) Report for all certificates
- EMREE Pass Certificate
- Experience Certificate (if applicable)
- Research, publications, conferences, volunteering, courses, awards, or extracurricular activities.
- Candidates should not have been out of clinical practice for more than 12 months at any point (Excluding the national service for locals).
Admission and Selection Criteria:
Academic: GPA
Language: English Certificate score
Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) and Specialty interviews
Achievements: Research activity, Presentation at a scientific event, Social/community volunteer activities, Skill development courses, Academic awards
Selection Process: consists of four main stages, and all completed applications will be reviewed and evaluated according to the following criteria:
Stage
1: Initial Screening – 50%
- Cumulative GPA: 35%
-
Medical Residency Entrance Exam (EMREE) score: 35%
- Calculated based on score, percentile rank, and number of attempts
-
Portfolio: 30%
- Maximum of 30 points distributed as follows:
- Research activity – 4 points
- Scientific publication – 6 points
- Presentation at a scientific event – 4 points
- Volunteer activities (social/community) – max 2 activities, 2 points each
- Skill development courses – max 2 courses, 2 points each
- Extracurricular activities – max 2 activities, 2 points each
- Academic awards – 4 points
Stage
2: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) – 30%
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited via email for MMIs.
- Non-selected candidates will receive a rejection email.
- This process results in an overall score for each applicant that reflects their non-cognitive skills, such as communication skills, professionalism, and moral judgment.
- The interview scenarios are designed to assess non-cognitive competencies that are essential in the field of medicine, such as:
- Communication skills
- Problem-solving
- Empathy
- Ethical/moral reasoning
- Decision-making
Stage
3: Specialty Interview – 20%
- Candidates will be nominated based on results from stages 1 and 2 and invited for specialty interviews.
- Non-selected candidates will receive a rejection email.
Stage
4: Ranking and Admission
- Final ranking will be based on 50% of initial screening, 30% of MMIs and 20% of specialty interviews.
- Candidates will be notified of acceptance via email after the final matching process (Cross Match).
- Final enrollment in the program is conditional upon successful completion of licensing procedures by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
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