Professor Sameer Otoom, President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) – Medical University of Bahrain welcomed a delegation from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) led by Dr Diarmuid O’Shea, RCPI President, to explore opportunities to strengthen clinical excellence and advance global health.

The collaboration with RCPI, built upon centuries of shared heritage between RCSI and RCPI, underscores our mutual commitment to advancing medical education, postgraduate training, and professional development in line with the highest standards international healthcare practice. Notably, several of our medical graduates are currently enrolled in RCPI’s speciality training programmes in medicine and other specialities in Ireland.

Through our affiliation with RCSI and the National University of Ireland (NUI), our medical graduates receive the historical Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (LRCP). 

For the first time, RCSI Medical University of Bahrain graduates will be included in the prestigious Reuben Harvey Award in 2026, recognising medical students who achieve the highest marks in their class for final year examinations in Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics. This opportunity represents an important milestone in expanding the recognition of our graduates’ achievements on an international level.

Commenting on this collaboration, Professor Sameer Otoom, President of RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, stated: “An enhanced collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland reaffirms our shared mission to educate and train doctors with the knowledge and skills to support the development of the healthcare sector in Bahrain. We look forward for our graduates to avail of more world-class training opportunities in line with their professional ambition.”

Dr Diarmuid O’Shea, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, commented: “Our relationship with RCSI has always been grounded in a shared commitment to excellence in medical education and patient care. Extending this collaboration to RCSI Medical University of Bahrain is a natural progression, allowing graduates to benefit from Ireland’s world-class postgraduate training environment while fostering the exchange of knowledge and expertise across borders.”

The delegation from RCPI included Ms Audrey Houlihan, RCPI Chief Executive Officer, Ms Sinéad Freeman, RCPI Senior Manager for Examinations and Global Training Partnerships, Dr Kadhim Sulaiman, RCPI Regional Advisor, and Ms Donna Wrightson, RCPI Membership Executive.

This collaboration represents a strategic step in creating new pathways for RCSI Medical University of Bahrain graduates to access RCPI’s accredited specialist programmes, as well as advance their international medical practice for the benefit of communities in Bahrain and beyond.