July 7, 2026, Dubai Medical University (DMU) has positioned itself at the forefront of integrative healthcare education, successfully concluding its Summer 2026 Herbal and Integrative Medicine Internship, a fully funded, one-of-a-kind program that drew talented students and alumni from across the UAE.

This year, DMU expanded the program’s reach beyond its own student body, welcoming students and alumni from DMU alongside six universities, including Ajman University, University of Sharjah, Gulf Medical University, University of Birmingham, RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, and United Arab Emirates University.

Delivered across two dynamic waves of 25 each, the internship brought together students and young professionals from medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and biomedical sciences. Guided by Dr. Naglaa Saad, Head of the Department of Integrative Medicine and Internship Course Leader, the program combined scientific rigor, hands-on exposure, interprofessional collaboration, and entrepreneurial skill-building.

Over a period of two weeks, participants learned directly from a distinguished faculty and practitioners, including Dr. Li Huafei (Traditional Chinese Medicine), Dr. Gerry Nastasia (Chiropractic), Dr. Shivani Sharma (Homeopathy), Dr. Yasmen Yasser (Pharmaceutical Sciences), Dr. Mariam Al Theraawi (Hijama Practitioner) and Mr. Justin Ford (Product Commercialisation Expert).

The internship’s centrepiece was its innovation project. Working in interprofessional teams, students identified unmet needs in healthcare and designed herbal health product prototypes. The program concluded in a vibrant Innovation Showcase, where teams presented to healthcare professionals and DMU leadership, with projects assessed on scientific merit, originality, branding, and market feasibility.