Introduction

The aim of the General Foundation Program is to prepare our students for the rigorous program in medicine and pharmacy. The General Foundation Program prepares students with the necessary skills in English, Mathematics, Information Technology, and Study Skills to handle the study programs offered at Oman Medical College.

 

Length of program

The Foundation Program lasts for a period of one academic year consisting of two 16 week semesters and one 8 week semester. During the course of the program, students take zero credit courses in English, IT and Math by the end of which all the learning outcomes are met.

 

English The ability to read English with ease is critical for students entering the Medicine/Pharmacy programs as the major texts used in their college training plus the scientific and medical literature are in English. Our students must also have facility in speaking and writing English as their future professional careers will involve communication skills both spoken and written.  In addition to basic English courses to provide foundation in reading, listening, speaking and grammar, two courses; English ENGL020 - English for Specific Purpose and

ENGL030 - Concepts in Biology & Medicine prepare students for programs offered by OMC. These courses focus on the specific language needs of medicine/pharmacy programs and encourage students to develop their proficiency in reading scientific texts and to increase their scientific vocabulary.

 

Mathematics The Foundation Program in ‘Mathematics’ has  been developed to ensure that students are equipped with the mathematical understanding and skills necessary to meet the cognitive and practical

requirements of higher education. In particular,  students pursuing courses in Medicine and Pharmacy need to undergo this course in order to develop number and symbol sense, demonstrate the proper procedures of algebraic manipulations and acquire the skills necessary to construct and analyze various graphs of given data sets.

 

Information Technology As today’s world runs on computers, it is important for students to have basic knowledge of IT. Information Technology course prepares students to use technology and become self-directed learners. The basic skills taught in IT will provide students with the ability to process and present information in a professional way.

 

Study Skills It is critical that our students develop good study skills in order to master the material required to obtain a degree in Medicine and Pharmacy. Skills including time management, effective note taking, revising one’s work and preparing for exams are embedded in English, Math and IT courses.

 

CURRICULUM - GENERAL FOUNDATION PROGRAM