King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences

About KSAU-HS

King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) (Arabic: جامعة الملك سعود بن عبد العزيز للعلوم الصحية) is the first public university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region specialized in health sciences.The university was formally established in 2005 as a result of the positive feedback from the postgraduate programs in various medical fields that had been offered by the National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA) since the mid-1980s.  The advanced medical facilities at the King Abdulaziz Medical Cities in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Ahsa proved to be critical foundations for the successful inception of the university.
KSAU-HS’s main campus is in Riyadh with two additional campuses in Jeddah and Al-Ahsa. The main campus in Riyadh hosts seven colleges: College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, College of Applied Medial Sciences, College of Nursing and the College of Science & Health Professions. Jeddah Campus hosts College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences and College of Sciences and Health Professions. Finally, Al-Ahsa Campus hosts College of Applied Medical Sciences, College of Nursing, and College of Sciences and Health Professions.
The umbrella of NGHA has given the KSAU-HS students access to King Abdulaziz Medical Cities in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Ahsa, which are considered to be the most advanced medical complexes in the region. Furthermore, it has enabled KSAU-HS to enhance its curricula and academic programs with clinical applications and training under the supervision of highly competent health professionals.

• College of Science and Health Professions

  COSHP aims at preparing high school graduates with the knowledge, tools and ethics necessary for pursuing a degree in the health science professions. This includes English language skills essential for studies and communication, knowledge of basic sciences necessary as the building stones for degrees in the medical and health professions, as well as a focus on empathy and patient care. This university also emphasizes developing students’ research skills in order to become active members in the advancement of future medical research. Our goal is to create national citizens working with international professional serving the local community.

• College of Medicine

  The College originally opened its doors to the first batch of thirty students on the 11th of September 2004 and since then the number of accepted students gradually increased each academic year.

  The College’s approach to teaching medicine begins with the end-product i.e. The Successful MD Graduate. Our main goal is to provide high quality educational services by attracting the best students and teachers.

  The College of Medicine has a Unique Core Curriculum which is Problem Based, patient and community oriented, student centered and web-based delivered. Our College accepts University Graduates and High School Students for our Undergraduate Program. We offer introductory courses tailored to prepare them for the core program. We also offer a Postgraduate Program for Master of Medical Education. Our medical program is expected to be comparable with the best programs at Regional, National and International levels and prepares our students to proceed smoothly and successfully into higher levels of health sciences education.

• College of Dentistry

  The College of Dentistry at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences has been established by virtue of a decree issued by the University Council in its first session of the academic year 2006/2007 held on 19/12/2006. It commits itself to the pursuit of excellence in dental education, scientific research, compassionate patient care, and community service – guided by Saudi ethics and values. The College affirms its task in the development and formation of competent and compassionate dentists who are committed to quality patient care delivery of global standards and in accordance with the needs and goals of the nation. Therefore, the college delivers an outstanding dental education program that employs cutting-edge techniques for teaching, learning and practice of dentistry.

• College of Pharmacy

  The current trends in Health Education and patient care have a major influence on pharmacy education, training, and professional practice. As a result, the practice of pharmacy is now evolving from the provision of drug and drug products to patients by dispensing pharmacists, to rendering patient focused pharmaceutical care by pharmacists who now have the skills to improve drug therapy and healthcare outcomes. Such elevated practice has proven to significantly impact the cost and the well being of patients in both the hospital and the ambulatory care settings. Rendering this level of service, however, requires the pharmacy students and trainees to acquire an advanced clinical level of knowledge and skills. The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs are being implemented in the Kingdom and much around the world meet such elevated demand in practice. This six year curriculum integrates basic, clinical, and research sciences along with advanced clinical training and practice all aimed at improving health outcomes for patients.

• College of Public Health and Health Informatics

  The college will become the leading institution in the region for creating and translating knowledge about population health and disease prevention through research and professional service and in developing the next generation of leaders in public health and health informatics.

  The mission of the CPHHI is to develop professionals, future leaders and scholars in the disciplines of public health and health informatics; to generate and translate scientific knowledge and research into best practices to improve public health outcomes; and to engage professionally in community service within the nation, the region and globally.

• College of Applied Medical Sciences

  The College of Applied Medical Sciences (COAMS) was established in early 2006 as one of several health colleges encompassed by King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS). The Saudi Government set a priority objective of improving the quality of life of the people in the Kingdom, and health care is a basic need of the individual. Consequently, the expectation for excellent health care services is a priority. Applied Medical Sciences professionals are pivotal members of health care team, and this is exemplified by the fact that about 60% of the total health care workforce is of this category in Australia (89-/Physician). Saudi manpower in these specialties, however, are limited and lags far behind these figures. This imposes a great responsibility on COAMS to graduate highly competent Applied Medical Sciences professionals to fill in this wide gap.

  COAMS has decided to meet this challenge by graduating professionals who will be exceptionally qualified to contribute to the health care services armed with the latest developments in their fields to provide quality health care services to the patients and the community. The college adopts instructional methods that are learner-centered and incorporates current evidence-based practices and problem based learning. It also utilizes advanced technology to deliver instruction to support the learning process. This is done in collaboration with King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) health care facilities and community partners/stakeholders in providing quality learning process in Applied Medical Sciences. The college has adopted (with modifications) the curricula of similar programs in Emergency Medical Services (Paramedics) of Flinders University, Australia (the first program in the Kingdom’s Universities), the Clinical Laboratory Sciences program and Radiological Sciences Program of Arkansas, the Respiratory Therapy program of South Alabama University, USA, the Occupational Therapy program and Clinical Nutrition Program of Oklahoma University, USA, the Anaesthesia Program of City College, USA and the Cardiovasuclar Technology Program .

• College of Nursing

  The College of Nursing-Riyadh, originally “College of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences” was founded by the Royal Decree No. 18226, dated 11-9-1424 H. corresponding to 26-11-2001 G, issued by His Royal Highness, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, at that time HRH Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard.
  In 2005, the College was incorporated into the newly established King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS). In May 2007, it was given its new designation “College of Nursing, Riyadh” by HE, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who was at that time the Chief Executive Officer of National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA), was also the President of the University and of the College of Nursing.
  The urgency for the establishment of the College arose in response to the massive shortage of Saudi nurses, amounting to 100,000 nurses. It offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. The objectives were clearly stated in the initial phase of the development of the College. The College awards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to two educational streams. One stream (Stream I) has, as its intake, secondary school graduates and follows what is known as the conventional program. The other stream (Stream II) admits holders of Bachelor of Science Degrees. These students follow what is known as the Graduate Entry Accelerated Program. This program is the first of its kind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is designed to expedite the process of graduation by recognizing these students’ previous learning and as a venue to help increase the supply of nurses in a shorter time.
  The College is located in KSAU-HS within the premises of King Abdulaziz Medical City - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

History of KSAU-HS

Year after year, our country has witnessed an increase in academic and scientific progress.  Recently, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, this progress has received a tremendous boost.  Investment in human resources has always been of the utmost concern to our wise leaders, since the time of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, the founder of the Kingdom. 
In recent years, the number of universities and colleges throughout the Kingdom has increased alongside the economic, demographic, social and environmental needs of the country.
A great product of this blessed progress has been the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS).  This university was established under the umbrella of the National Guard and the Ministry of Higher Education. It is one of the most modern universities in the region and the Arab world, specializing in health sciences and targeting the needs of the country and its citizens in the crucial field of health care.  Since man is the core of progress and development a country cannot be built without the hands of its citizens. 
Conditions in the National Guard Health Affairs were ripe for the establishment of a major academic institution specializing in health sciences.  The efforts of the management of King Abdulaziz Medical City bore fruit with the blossoming of this good seedling planted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz during his reign as Crown Prince when he announced the establishment of  the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in March 2005.  It was decided that the university would include Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Applied Medical Sciences, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health and Health Informatics, Sciences and Health Professions and Deanships of Postgraduate Studies, Admissions and Registration, Student Affairs, and Libraries and other academic centers. We are pleased that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques laid down the foundation stone of the KSAU-HS campuses in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Hasa on May 13th 2008. 

Once the university is completed and its academic structures are in place, it will become an educational institution capable of attracting competent and outstanding students from all over the Kingdom.  The university will attract the best and most qualified faculty, and will become a scientific and educational beacon locally and regionally.  It will be an international authority with its programs, specialties and areas of research.  Moreover, it will be a source of pride for the country and its citizens with God’s help and the care of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and his Crown Prince, His Royal Highness, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz.

These academic milestones are proceeding with the support and close follow-up of His Royal Highness, Prince Mitib bin Abdullah,minister of state, member of the Council of Ministers and commander of the National Guard.

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation or Recognition - Ministry of Education, Saudi Arabia

Services of KSAU-HS

SAUDI BIO-BANK

The Saudi bio-bank project is a large-scale study of the combined effects of genes, environment, and lifestyle on common diseases of adult life. The Saudi bio-bank plans to recruit a group of 200,000 subjects that form the population of the catchment area of NGHA housing and clinics.  
Records of the bio-bank participants’ lifestyles, gathered via questionnaires and interviews, together with a physical assessment and collection of blood and urine samples will form the initial Saudi bio-bank database. This information will be supplemented with information from NGHA HIS systems. 
It is hoped that the Saudi Bio-bank will provide a unique opportunity to develop a better understanding of the links between genetic and environmental factors and the pathophysiology of disease, and thus provide an opportunity for improving risk prediction and the effectiveness of treatments through the application of pharmacogenetics.

CORD BLOOD BANK

The Umbilical Cord Blood Bank (UCBB) at the KAIMRC is a non-profit public UCBB, which is going to be responsible for recruiting, processing, testing, cryopreservation, storage, thawing and infusion of cord blood units; to be used for patients in need of cord blood stem cell transplantation. The CBB activities will be carried out within a quality system complaint with international standards. The main objective of the UCBB is the collection and production of high quality cord blood units, from Saudi donors, donated to the community patients who unrelated to the donors. Units that not suitable for the clinical use will be utilized in the research stem-cell therapy laboratory.

RESEARCH TRAUMA PROJECT

The Trauma Department has developed one of the major research projects, A Trauma System, which is an organized, coordinated approach to facilitate and coordinate a multidisciplinary system response to injured patients. The development and implementation of the trauma system is a proven method to improve survival and reduce complications after traumatic injury. The initial phase of the project will cover King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh; later it will encompass the entire city of Riyadh
The mission is to understand the causes of trauma through the use of accurate statistics obtained in the Trauma Registry (TR), propose a preventive program, and provide initial data to support the development of a Trauma System, initially at Riyadh city and later throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

HLA REGISTRY

The probability of compatibility between siblings that are HLA-matched is high. The problem of tissue incompatibility has been greatly reduced through the use of HLA-matched siblings as donors. However, in our Saudi population, patients who are less than 5 years have only 40% chance of finding a donor, compared to 70% among those who are more than 20 years. Alternative sources of hematopoietic stem cells are needed for the remaining 30-60% of patients requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplant. With further refinement in testing technology, it became clear that unrelated individuals with a closely matched HLA type can be found for most patients. However, such individuals are relatively rare and hence their identification requires surveys of large numbers of people willing to be donors.
The mission of this registry is to extend and improve quality of life through stem cell therapies by maintaining the largest and most diverse registry of stem cell donors in Saudi Arabia.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

KAIMRC aims at attracting superlative students, and enhance their education, extend their knowledge, and enable their development of penetrating research analysis skills. Toward that end KAIMRC has been awarding scholarships to proficient Saudi specialists in their fields. Areas of available scholarship programs include: molecular biology, immunology, medical imaging, bioinformatics, pharmacology (lab-on-chip), biostatistics, and nursing research.

Consultations and Studies Center

King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences is the only university in Saudi Arabia specialized in the health field. It seeks to obtain a leading educational and research in its areas of specialties. In order to be comparable with similar scientific structures locally and globally, part of its mission will include providing services to the health and scientific community and to the community at large with its distinctive competencies and expertise.

The National Guard Health Affairs which is known for its excellence in providing health services will support this educational and research university.

The Consutations and Studies Center is one of the pillars from which the university provides its expertise to the community through offering specialized advisories and studies for various governmental and private sectors in the University’s fields of expertise, particularly those in the health and educational fields.

The Center’s role is not only limited to preparing studies and providing consultancy to clients in Saudi Arabia, but it also does so for other countries in the Gulf and the world.
Upon the approval for the Center’s establishment, it will include a number of units to conduct studies and consultations in various health and educational health areas. The Center will focus on the health aspects in general and on educational aspects in particular. It will also provide services that include in-depth and basic studies that serve the community in a coordinating manner.

Health Sciences Library

In 1983, the Health Sciences Library was established.  NGHA/KSAU-HS staff are well assisted by the resources and services provided by the library.  All library functions are automated, which results in an efficiently integrated system.  Its assets consist of a print reference collection, indexes, abstracts and audiovisual material. The present collection of 5812 health science books and 980 journal titles is constantly expanding. The community is able to take advantage of its computing areas, which offer electronic and Internet access, in addition to instructional services.  Also provided are interlibrary loans, self-service and library assisted photocopying, reference and circulation assistance and medical literature searches.

Associations

• Saudi Association for Health Informatics (SAHI)
• Saudi Association for Public Health
• Saudi Association for Transplantation
• Saudi Scientific Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (SSBMT)
• Saudi Society of Diagnostic Cytology
• Saudi Bioethics Society (SBS)

Why study at KSAU-HS?

KSAU-HS is: 

• A pioneering and unique academic project. 
• Applying the best methods of teaching and learning. 
• Following a delicate system that establishes special programs for students in line with the needs of the labor market in Saudi Arabia.
• Focusing on the quantitative and qualitative education in addressing the shortage of qualified national health.
• Developing a modern ambitious model of scientific research to raise the level of health services.
• Contributing to the continuing education programs for health workers to raise their professional competence.
• Utilizing available educational health potential in King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC). 
• Cooperating with regional and global academic institutions to promote and develop health education.