Deans: no participation, no graduation

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Students have a responsibility to engage in the whole curriculum, say deans. (Getty Images)

Local medical schools have stated that religion should not dictate curriculum, following reports from the British Medical Association that some trainee Muslim doctors are refusing to learn about sexually transmitted or alcohol-related diseases, citing conflicts with their religious beliefs.

The news has sparked a debate over the role of religion in medicine, with schools asking whether students should be allowed to omit parts of the medical curriculum and still graduate.

Dr Mohammad Yousuf Hassan Baniys, vice dean of the faculty of medicine and health sciences at the United Arab Emirates University, said he was aware of some students objecting to examining patients of the opposite sex, but that it was compulsory for graduation. "It is mandatory to pass the course. It is a universal medical policy that students needs to treat patients regardless of gender," he said.

The University operates a policy of gender segregation for students, in line with UAE advice. Trainee doctors, however, are co-educated for certain parts of the syllabus and expected to participate in all areas of the curriculum, Baniys said. "Medical ethics for students should be independent of religion," he added.

Dr Adnan Mazroa, dean of the faculty of medicine and allied sciences, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia, branded student objections ‘misguided'. "What will they do when they see a patient suffering from these things?" he said. "They can't treat them."

Muslim students refusing to treat patients on ethical grounds were reneging on their professional responsibilities, he added. "There is nothing in Islamic teaching to prevent a medical student from learning - whether it is sexually transmitted diseases, or alcohol. In fact, they would be considered negligent from an Islamic point of view if they obviate a part of learning that can help someone."

The curriculum in place at Weill Cornell Medical College, Qatar, is identical to that taught to students in its main New York campus, a spokesperson for the facility said in a statement. "Students at WCMC-Q are studying to become doctors. All doctors in training are expected to be exposed to a broad range of patients and medical topics so they are competent when they graduate."

Dr Fathia, chief academic officer at Dubai Medical College for Girls said that, despite the school's single sex policy, no concessions were made on religious grounds for students. "We cover sexually transmitted diseases and alcoholism in the curriculum," she told Medical Times. "It is not a matter of student choice."

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