Ask most people “where the future of medicine is being built?”, and they’ll say it’s the US, UK and maybe Singapore. The UAE doesn’t usually make it to that list. Prof. Dr. Manda Venkatramana thinks that’s about to change.
As Chancellor of Gulf Medical University and a practicing consultant surgeon with decades in the field, he’s spent his career on both sides of the operating table and the lecture hall. On the latest episode of MoneyPetrol, he laid out exactly how the UAE is rebuilding medical education, adopting AI, and betting big on becoming a real destination for advanced care — not just a regional player.
Doctors Aren’t Trained the Old Way Anymore, And That’s a Good Thing
For decades, medical education meant memorizing textbooks and hoping the clinical instincts would come later. Prof. Manda says that model is outdated, and honestly, always was a bit backwards.
Today’s doctors need to think on their feet, adapt fast, and know how to actually use technology in diagnosis, not just recite facts about it. That’s the entire philosophy behind how Gulf Medical University trains students: build doctors who can compete anywhere in the world, not just pass a local licensing exam.
Why Classroom Learning Alone Doesn’t Cut It
A point Prof. Manda kept coming back to: you can’t learn medicine from a whiteboard. Hospital-based, hands-on training from early in a student’s education is what separates someone good at exams from someone who can actually handle a real patient in a real world emergency. At Gulf Medical University, that’s not an add-on — it’s built into the core of how students learn.
Precision Medicine Is Making “One Size Fits All” Treatment Obsolete
This is where the conversation got genuinely interesting. Precision medicine, treatment based on your actual genetic makeup, not just your symptoms, is moving out of research papers and into real hospitals. Prof. Manda explained how genomics is starting to shape everyday treatment decisions, and why this shift is one of the biggest changes in medicine happening right now, full stop.
AI Isn’t Replacing Doctors, It’s Making Them Better
Everyone wants to know if AI is going to take doctors’ jobs. Prof. Manda’s answer: no, but it’s already changing how they work. AI is helping catch patterns doctors might miss, speeding up research, and cutting down on admin work so physicians can actually spend more time with patients. He was clear that AI is a tool for better clinical judgment, not a substitute for it, and medical schools now have to teach students how to work alongside it.
Research Isn’t a Side Project
Prof. Manda made an argument that’s easy to agree with once you hear it: a medical university that doesn’t produce real research isn’t actually competing globally, no matter how good its graduates are. Investment in research and innovation, he said, is what builds both credibility and better patient outcomes, and it’s a core part of Gulf Medical University’s strategy going forward.
The UAE Is Becoming a Leading Medical Tourism Destination
More people are traveling abroad for advanced treatment, and the UAE wants to be where they land. Prof. Manda connected this directly to the country’s investment in specialized care, top-tier facilities, and internationally trained doctors. It’s not just about attracting patients — it’s about proving the UAE can deliver outcomes on par with anywhere else in the world.
Advice to Future Doctors: Never Stop Learning
When asked what he’d tell someone just starting in medicine, Prof. Manda didn’t hesitate: lifelong learning isn’t optional anymore. Medicine moves too fast for any degree to be a finish line. Curiosity and adaptability, he said, will matter just as much as clinical skill over a career that’s going to keep changing for decades.
The Takeaway
AI, precision medicine, One Health, medical tourism- these aren’t separate trends. According to Prof. Manda, they’re all part of the same story: the UAE building a healthcare system designed for where medicine is headed, not where it’s been.
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