At IMSH 2014 HealthySim had the opportunity to interview Joanne Davies, Director of Simulation at Sidra Medical and Research Center which is located in Doha, Qatar. Sidra Medical and Research Center is an ultramodern, all-digital academic medical center which will set new standards in patient care for women and children in Qatar, the Gulf region and internationally. It encompasses three essential missions: World-Class Patient Care, Medical Education and Biomedical Research. Joanne and I talked about how Sidra will use medical simulation to orient new staff, equipment and systems before opening in 2015, living and working in Qatar and the exciting career opportunities just becoming available:
Over 5000 new hospital staff from around the world will be coming to Sidra and will all go through the Hospital’s healthcare simulation program, so that they can better learn how to work together in the new building. This will also provide administrators a great bird’s eye view of work flow and system bugs before opening the center to patients. Sidra’s Medical Simulation team is passionate about supporting the development of this innovative field, as demonstrated by their connection to the IPSS Malawi project. Joanne shared a great fondness for Qatar and the immense support of the country’s leadership for healthcare, education and economy. There is a lot of opportunity here for Simulation Champions, especially technicians, who are open to the idea of working abroad in the middle east.
Sidra is Hiring:
Sidra is seeking highly qualified and dedicated individuals worldwide who want to make a lasting contribution to health care and the scientific community. You can see the simulation specific positions they are hiring for in our medical simulation jobs section!
From doctors, nurses and researchers to information management experts, Sidra will be an elite community of innovators working together in an environment that is collaborative, inclusive and open. Working at Sidra will mean working alongside colleagues of the highest caliber in a paper-lite environment that has been designed to enable healthcare professionals to spend less time on administration and more time caring for patients, participating in research and developing new skills.
About Qatar:
Qatar is one of the most rapidly changing and exciting countries in the world. Located in the heart of the Arabian Gulf, the country is a melting pot of old and new. Here are some key statistics about the country as of April 2014:
- The population of Qatar is approximately 1.7 million people, the majority of which are expatriates. Approximately 300,000 of the population are Qatari nationals.
- Topping the Forbes list of the World’s richest countries, Qatar has the world’s highest per capita gross domestic product (GDP) as a result of its oil and natural gas revenues.
- Qatar has one of the highest standards of living and is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
- Qatar is one of the safest countries in the world and is ranked 19th out of 153 countries in the Global Peace Index. Incidents of violence are rare in Qatar and crime rates are generally low.
- While the official language is Arabic, English is widely spoken and understood. One can easily live in Qatar speaking only English.
- Autumn and spring in Qatar are warm with maximum temperatures between 25 – 35°C, and the summer (June to September) is hot with temperatures reaching 40°C and above. Winter is cooler (15 – 20°C) with occasional rainfall.
- Qatar has hosted several major international sporting events and will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
- Women in Qatar have full rights, including voting, driving and working rights.
Learn more by visiting Sidra.org or by emailing Joanne Davies.
