A groundbreaking specialised training workshop aimed at enhancing medical students’ ability to recognise serious and emergency cardiac conditions at an early stage was recently held at Arabian Gulf University.
It was organised by the university’s Medical Club in collaboration with the College of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Department of Internal Medicine.
It attracted strong participation from students enrolled in medicine and nursing programmes, as well as students from Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Bahrain and University of Bahrain.
The workshop was supervised by clinical physiology professor and physiology department head associate professor Dr Yahya Najeeb.
It focused on strengthening students’ ability to understand and interpret electrocardiograms (ECGs) through a simplified, practical approach that bridges theoretical knowledge with real-world clinical application.
Globally, early-stage cardiac symptoms are frequently missed or misdiagnosed because they are often subtle, non-specific and mimic less serious conditions, such as fatigue, muscle strain, or indigestion.
Heart disease can exist for years in a ‘silent phase’ before a major event occurs, with symptoms only arising once the heart can no longer compensate for the underlying damage.
In the UK, for example, early warning signs may have been missed in up to one in six people who died of a heart attack in English hospitals, the BBC reported.
Imperial College London researchers found 16 per cent of those who died had been admitted to hospital in the previous 28 days. Some had warning signs like chest pain.
Participants in the pioneering Bahrain workshop were guided in recognising common ECG patterns and identifying early signs of critical cardiac conditions, helping to build confidence, improve clinical competence and support sound medical decision-making.
“The workshop may be among the first-of-its kind to adopt a student-led model, peer teaching and interprofessional interactive education,” Dr Najeeb said.
“The variety of activities, including interactive lectures, hands-on clinical training and case-based discussions enriched the learning experience and increased student engagement throughout the day,” he added.
Training sessions were conducted using simulated participants (volunteers) within the Medical Simulation Centre, offering a safe and realistic environment to develop hands-on clinical skills.
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