Responsibilities and Priorities of the Scientific Unit
The Scientific Unit at Al-Kindy College of Medicine was established in 2012, as scientific responsibilities were previously handled by a Scientific Committee. The unit is administratively linked to the Assistant Dean for Scientific Affairs and consists of a permanent staff, including the head of the unit, members assigned from other departments, and a secretary. The unit meets weekly, or more often as needed, and submits monthly reports on its activities. Some decisions are made independently by the unit, while others require approval from the Assistant Dean for Scientific Affairs, the Dean, or the College Council.
Goals:
The unit aims to build a medical college that utilizes innovative teaching and learning methods, focusing on the student as the cornerstone of the educational process, while also developing a faculty capable of conducting high-quality, evidence-based research to achieve the desired scientific objectives.
Objectives:
- Supervising and Assisting in High-Quality Research by:
– Identifying priorities related to public health issues and community needs.
– Helping faculty members develop research methodology skills.
– Providing guidance to distinguish between academic and applied research.
– Maximizing research potential by efficiently utilizing available resources and identifying beneficiaries.
- Establishing Ethical Standards to ensure compliance with ethical research practices and prevent plagiarism in research writing.
- Reviewing and Updating the Annual Academic Plan (study hours) to ensure that departments are implementing curricula, based on which periodic feedback is provided to the relevant departments.
- Coordinating with Departmental Scientific Committees and providing scientific support for their activities.
- Assisting in Organizing Conferences, Seminars, and Workshops in coordination with various college departments.
- Documenting Faculty Academic Performance through a systematic method of calculating continuing medical education (CME) units.
- Facilitating Academic Promotions for faculty by ensuring that submitted research for promotion is approved and registered with the Scientific Unit before being evaluated by the Promotions Committee.
Future Directions:
- Creating a Dedicated Page for the Scientific Unit on the college’s website.