Dubai – American Medical Technologists (AMT), a long‐standing certification agency for laboratory professionals and partner of Medogy, recently accepted Al‐Ghad International College for Applied Medical Sciences for its School Resource Program (SRP), which is an indication that the programs of Al‐Ghad International College for Applied Medical Sciences qualify students and graduates to sit for one or more AMT certification exams.
This affiliation is likely to promote close collaboration between the two groups in an effort to better serve Al‐Ghad International College for Applied Medical Sciences student body, specifically those enrolled in the college’s Medical Laboratory Sciences program. It is also consistent with the efforts undertaken by Al‐Ghad International College for Applied Medical Sciences towards internationalizing its education by forging partnerships with various global associations, institutions and universities and may pave the way for similar higher education institutions in the MENA region to follow suit.
According to Dr Aisha Alhusein, Vice dean Al‐Ghad females in Riyadh, “American Medical Technologists was chosen because AMT certification examinations are developed, administered, and analyzed using industry standards and state‐of‐the‐art methodologies. Each exam is developed by a committee of subject‐matter experts and AMT is accredited by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA) for all its competency‐based examinations.” “I am pleased to welcome Al‐Ghad International College for Applied Medical Sciences to the community of more than 750 other academic training programs who have teamed with AMT to promote the concept of allied health certification to their students and graduates,” said Christopher A. Damon, JD, Executive Director of AMT. “In addition to understanding the importance of a professional credential, the decision by the leadership of this institution to partner with AMT demonstrates a commitment to certification through an organization governed and guided by the profession itself. Indeed, AMT is constituted by, for, and of fellow allied health professionals and medical technologists.”
Al‐Ghad International College for Applied Medical Sciences is a group of private colleges headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, founded in 2009 by his excellency Sheikh Ibrahim bin Musa Al‐zwaid, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the colleges. Al‐Ghad College is one of the first colleges in the kingdom to provide education in applied health professions. The Colleges were created to meet the shortage of skilled health sciences workers in Saudi Arabia and offer undergraduate programs with a career‐oriented focus in Emergency Medicine, Nursing, Radiological Sciences, Medical Laboratory Sciences, and Health Administration. The programs are constantly reviewed to ensure that students are equipped with the most advanced skills available.
Partnering with AMT to offer professional certification will benefit the students of Al‐Ghad College. “Studies have consistently shown that individuals who are certified in their field receive higher salaries and enjoy better promotion opportunities, relative to their non‐certified counterparts,” said Issam Marzouqa, Founding Partner and CEO at Medogy. Further, AMT’s comprehensive exam for medical technologist (MT), which Al‐Ghad graduates are now likely eligible to take, is approved in all but one licensure state in the US, making it a wise choice for graduates planning to work there. Individuals obtaining this certification who want to work in the US will also need to obtain evaluation of their transcripts by a foreign evaluation service because many licensure states will not accept international certification exams that don’t include questions relevant to the US market. The certification will also assist graduates while applying for work in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the MENA region.