Ajman, UAE, Romania: Thumbay Group and the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș (UMFST) have launched the Thumbay–UMFST International Residency Pathway Program, creating a structured route for eligible medical graduates to pursue postgraduate residency training across 49 medical specialties in Romania.

The programme is designed to provide medical graduates from the UAE and the wider region with access to European postgraduate medical training, supported by Thumbay Group throughout the application and relocation process.

Residency opportunities across 49 specialties

The programme covers a broad range of medical disciplines, including 28 clinical medical specialties, 13 surgical specialties and eight paraclinical specialties.

Clinical options include cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, emergency medicine and paediatrics, while surgical disciplines range from general surgery and orthopaedics to neurosurgery and cardiovascular surgery.

The paraclinical category includes areas such as radiology and medical imaging, laboratory medicine and public health.

According to the programme details, residency training will generally run for four to six years, depending on the chosen specialty, in accordance with the Romanian medical specialty nomenclature and European postgraduate training standards.

Training through university-affiliated hospitals

Residency education under the programme will be delivered through UMFST and its accredited university-affiliated teaching hospitals under the framework of the Romanian Ministry of Health and the Romanian higher education system.

Residents will train under experienced faculty members and clinical mentors in modern hospital environments, with an emphasis on evidence-based medicine and the development of practical clinical competencies.

The pathway is intended to provide graduates with European postgraduate specialist training while offering potential international career mobility, subject to the recognition and licensing requirements of the countries where they subsequently seek to practise.

Candidates can indicate preferred specialties

The programme follows a ranked-preference application model. Applicants can indicate two or three preferred specialties, in order of preference.

UMFST will make reasonable efforts to reflect the applicant’s ranking when offering an available residency position, subject to training capacity, specialty availability and applicable requirements of the Romanian authorities.

The programme is therefore designed to give candidates greater clarity about their preferred career direction while retaining flexibility based on available residency positions and regulatory requirements.

Thumbay Group to provide regional support

Thumbay Group will act as the regional gateway for aspiring physicians, providing support throughout the residency journey.

The support includes pre-residency orientation, admissions facilitation, visa and documentation assistance, Romanian language preparation where required, career counselling and ongoing student support.

The initiative aims to simplify the administrative and logistical challenges faced by medical graduates seeking postgraduate training in Europe.

Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder and President of Thumbay Group, said the programme provides medical graduates in the region with a structured route towards specialty training while giving them a choice across 49 specialties.

He highlighted the combination of European clinical standards, accredited teaching hospitals and Thumbay Group’s continued support as key features of the pathway.

UMFST strengthens international postgraduate collaboration

Prof. Dr. Leonard Azamfirei, Rector, UMFST, said the university has trained physicians across medical, surgical and paraclinical specialties through its accredited teaching hospitals and experienced faculty.

He described the partnership with Thumbay Group as an opportunity to open an established residency pathway to candidates from the Gulf region while strengthening the exchange of knowledge, expertise and best practices between the two regions.

The collaboration also reflects the institutions’ shared objective of expanding international opportunities in postgraduate medical education.

Direct residency pathway available under programme

A key feature of the pathway is the availability of direct entry into residency immediately after the MD, without completing a mandatory rotating internship, subject to the applicable eligibility and regulatory requirements.

Preference for admission will be given to MD graduates of Gulf Medical University and graduates of the Thumbay International Medicine Pathway Program who wish to pursue residency training.

The Thumbay International Medicine Pathway Program offers a six-year MD route, with students completing three years at Gulf Medical University in Ajman followed by three years at a partner medical university in Uzbekistan.

Key programme features

The Thumbay–UMFST International Residency Pathway Program offers:

  • Access to 49 accredited residency specialties, subject to eligibility and regulatory requirements.
  • 28 clinical, 13 surgical and eight paraclinical specialty options.
  • Training programmes lasting four to six years, depending on the specialty.
  • Residency education through university-affiliated teaching hospitals.
  • The opportunity to indicate two or three preferred specialties.
  • Academic, administrative and relocation support from Thumbay Group.
  • Romanian language preparation where required.
  • Potential international career mobility following European postgraduate training, subject to individual countries’ recognition requirements.
  • Direct entry into residency after the MD under the stated pathway and applicable regulations.

Expanding global opportunities for medical graduates

The launch of the Thumbay–UMFST International Residency Pathway Program marks another step in Thumbay Group’s efforts to expand international opportunities in medical education.

Through its partnership with UMFST, the Group aims to provide aspiring specialists from the Gulf region with a structured pathway into European postgraduate medical training while strengthening academic and professional links between the UAE and Romania.

Interested candidates can contact [email protected] for further information.