Student success, health and wellbeing, is a University priority. The Student Development and Wellbeing Department provides many support services and extra-curricular opportunities that focus on your academic, personal, and professional development.
The Centre for Student Success (CSS) is a friendly drop-in learning space and offers you many programmes, activities and sessions that will promote your engagement with the university and enhance your academic, personal and professional development. Some of these programmes include: the Buddy Programme, PathWay Programme, Personal Tutor Programme, Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Programme, and Peer Led Sessions (PLS).
The CSS also provides you with help in your new learning environment through a range of resources and learning sessions designed to enhance your study strategies.
Students in later years can enrol in the International Citizenship Award (ICA), and the Student Engagement and Partnership (StEP) programme opportunities. Support is also provided to students wishing to represent the university both nationally and internationally, for example at conferences to present research, through the Student Conference and Travel Award.
LEARNING COMMUNITIES – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE YEAR 1 ONLY
Year 1 medical students will be placed into one of four Learning Communities – Earth, Fire, Air, and Water.
Leaning Communities are intentionally designed groups, created to facilitate engaged learning, accelerate leadership skills, and enhance networking opportunities for students through extra-curricular initiatives.
There will be some shared learning activities in your communities such as case-based-learning, anatomy practicals, and clinical skills. You may also be grouped based on your Learning Community for inter-professional activities and workshops.
PERSONAL TUTOR PROGRAMME – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FOUNDATION YEAR (6 YEAR PROGRAMME) AND YEAR 1 (5 YEAR PROGRAMME) ONLY
All new Foundation Year and Year 1 students will be assigned a Personal Tutor, who is an academic member of staff. Your Personal Tutor will encourage your academic endeavours, and provide you with advice, guidance and signposting to additional services that can assist you on your academic journey to success. The Programme is structured around mandatory meetings in both semester 1 and semester 2.
The RCSI Bahrain Buddy Programme
Buddies are trained by the Centre for Student Success (Student Development and Wellbeing Department) and will guide you as you start your journey at RCSI Bahrain and adapt to your new learning environment. Buddies are friendly and experienced students with first-hand knowledge of what life is like at RCSI Bahrain. Their role is to act as a friendly guide, to ‘meet & greet’ new students before Orientation, give useful tips & information about being an RCSI student, and signpost students to important policies and procedures for optimal student experience.
PathWay Programme
The PathWay Programme forms an important component of new student orientation. PathWay sessions provide new students with important information during the first semester and are designed to assist students in bridging gaps to support a successful transition into third level learning at RCSI Bahrain. The programme consists of 4 mandatory online sessions, as well as supplemental face-to-face sessions reinforcing the themes covered.
All new students will receive an introduction to the academic skills required for tertiary level learning and understand the importance of becoming a self-directed learner.
Through your engagement with the PathWay sessions, you will be able to navigate your new learning environment, become familiar with university facilities and services, and know where to go for help. You will also be introduced to the importance of self-care, resilience, personal insight, coping strategies, and embed professionalism in your everyday interactions and behaviours.
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Programme
PAL is a student-led programme that supports academic and personal and professional development. Volunteer students are trained as PAL Tutors to facilitate the learning of other students. PAL sessions are comfortable, cooperative and collaborative academic learning sessions, for FY & Year 1 students. Sessions are timetabled, announced to all students concerned and focused around an hour of discussion, demonstration and interaction. PAL works on both what students learn and how they learn, as well as giving all students the opportunity to improve academic performance.
Student Engagement and Partnership Programme (StEP)
The RCSI Bahrain definition of StEP is:
“Through active student engagement, RCSI is nurturing, promoting and implementing a culture of partnership and inclusivity where the expertise and perspectives of students and staff are equally valued. By working together, we are driving positive change across the RCSI community for the benefit of human health.”
Participation in the StEP programme is an enriching and empowering experience for both students and staff. It recognizes and equally values the many and varied perspectives and expertise of our diverse national and international RCSI Bahrain community of students and staff. Through partnership, students and staff will work collaboratively to effect real change across RCSI Bahrain. Ultimately, this will lead to an enhancement in the overall student experience. Many opportunities for student participation in StEP projects are announced during the academic year.
STUDENT HEALTH & WELLBEING SERVICES
Your health, safety and wellbeing is our priority.
The Student Health and Wellbeing Unit provides a range of health and wellbeing services for all students, including confidential counselling services. All students may access sessions with one of our external counsellors, as well as on campus counselling services provided by the professional healthcare team in the Student Health and Wellbeing unit. All students have complimentary access to the Headspace App. A range of self-help resources and information is also available to you on the VLE.
The Student Health and Wellbeing team :
- Provides you with a compassionate, confidential, inclusive and student-centred service that promotes your health and wellbeing during your programme of study at RCSI Bahrain.
- Offers you friendly advice and confidential support on health-related matters as well as lifestyle guidance.
- Coordinates Infectious Disease Screening and Immunization of all new students at local Ministry of Health approved facilities.
- Supports your fitness to study.
- Manages our Exceptional Circumstances process which supports your academic success.
- Supports students with disabilities according to our Reasonable Accommodation policy.
- Offers confidential in-house counselling and referral to our external counselling services. Our external counselling service includes clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, life coaches and dieticians all of whom offer a professional and confidential service.
- Organises several health and wellbeing initiatives and activities throughout the academic year to promote optimal physical health and positive mental health.
COVID-19 Vaccination
All students must be vaccinated against Covid-19. Updated Covid-19 information is available on the VLE. Mask wearing is still currently mandatory in our clinical teaching sites.
Health Insurance for International Students
All international students must have medical insurance cover. The university provides a group medical insurance scheme at a very competitive rate. You will be invited to join this scheme or provide us with a copy of your existing insurance cover. This is to ensure that international students receive the best medical attention whilst in Bahrain.
If you have any questions or require support, please email student-health@rcsi.com