Dubai, UAE, 10 May 2015 – Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation dedicated to transforming lives through medical education and research, today hosted the highly-anticipated second edition of Destination Medicine, astudent conference aimed at inspiring Emirati studentsto pursue careers in medicine.

Sponsored by Total, and in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, the event was held at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Centre, in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), and attended by 330 Emirati students aged 11-13 from 21 schools across the UAE. Catering for the event was provided by Abela & Co.

The children participated in a number of workshops and medical experience activities across a range of specialties including first aid, sports medicine, nursing, and medical robotics, provided by experts including SANID (the National Emergency Response Volunteer Programme in Abu Dhabi), Dubai Ambulance, Amana Healthcare, Tamkeen and the Ministry of Health.

The children also had the opportunity to interact first-hand with medical students from UAE University to learn more about the challenges and rewards of studying medicine, and heard about healthcare in the army from the UAE Army Medic Station.

Al Jalila Foundation awarded two Emirati students who have enrolled in medical studies since attending the inaugural Destination Medicine event in 2014: Nouf Alia Al Marzouqi is pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the University of Sharjah, and Amna Nasser is studying Biomedical Engineering at Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research.

Her Excellency Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg, Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Member of the Board of Trustees of Al Jalila Foundation, said: “Destination Medicine enables children to experience first-hand the rewards of working in medicine. Our visionary leadership continues to pave the way for young Emiratis to study medicine at world-leading organisations and benefit from state-of-the-art infrastructure. We hope that today has provided the inspiration needed for them to become doctors, save lives and give back to their community.”

Dr Abdulkareem Al Olama, Chief Executive Officer of Al Jalila Foundation stated: “The wellbeing of UAE residents depends on the quality of the healthcare sector, in particular the calibre of people that work in it. Al Jalila Foundation aims to develop a generation of home-grown medical professionals and Destination Medicine is the perfect platform to bring together aspiring young minds to connect with leaders in healthcare. We have been impressed by the students’ enthusiasm – their appetite for knowledge is inspiring and will have a positive impact on the future of healthcare in the UAE.”

Al Jalila Foundation has started receiving applications for its post-graduate medical scholarships programme for the 2015/2016 academic year. The application deadline is 31 July 2015, and scholarships will be announced in September 2015. For more information visit www.aljalilafoundation.ae or e-mail scholarships@aljalilafoundation.ae.