Biography

Dr. Samia M. H. Farghaly is Professor and Head of the Primary Health Care Division at the College of Medicine and Specialist Senior Registrar at the Dubai Health Authority from 2004-2016 . With over five decades of distinguished service—spanning Bahrain (1978–2004) and the United Arab Emirates (2004–present)—she is recognized as a pioneer of Family Medicine education in the Gulf region and a leading advocate of the biopsychosocial model of care.
Her journey began in 1983 when she became the first Family Physician to qualify from Bahrain’s postgraduate Family Medicine Program, developed with the American University of Beirut. This landmark achievement preceded the establishment of the Arab Board of Family Medicine (1987) and was recognized as equivalent to consultant-level training. In 1992, she completed a Master’s in Psychiatry at Dublin University, strengthening her integration of psychological care within clinical practice.
During her 25-year tenure in Bahrain, Dr. Farghaly served as Consultant Family Physician and Maternal & Child Health Supervisor, leading antenatal, immunization, and family-planning services. She was also Faculty Tutor in the Postgraduate Family Medicine Residency Program and Undergraduate Instructor at the Arabian Gulf University, teaching clinical skills, communication, and patient-centered care. As an Examiner for the Arab Board, she contributed to OSCE design and assessment, training generations of family physicians across the region.
In Dubai, she practices family medicine in DHA 2 days/week and teaching family medicine residency program in Dubai for 3rd and 4th year resident preparing them for Arab board and participate in Arab board exam  she helped establish the MRCGP [International] Examination, became Accredited Examiner (2005), and led the MCQ Module (2006–2012). At Dubai Medical College, she founded the Primary Health Care Division (2007), developed its curriculum, and created the Simulation Center.
Internationally, she remains an Accredited Examiner and Standard-Setting Panel Member for the MRCGP, advancing academic and clinical excellence globally.

Teaching & Service

Courses Taught:
• Primary Health Care final year medical students (Undergraduate), Family Medicine (Undergraduate), final year teaching >70% content conducting EOR Exam MCC ,OSCE,OSPE 
• (Preclinical Years 1–3), Communication and Clinical Skills for all system modules including End-of-Rotation (EOR) OSCE and OSPE assessments. MBBS program
• 1ST YEAR psychology DMC and DPC from 2017-2022 A
Curriculum Development: Member, MD Curriculum Committee (2022–2023) – developed and submitted three modules
• (Psychiatry – Year 4,
• Psychology & Sociology – Year 1
• Family Medicine & Geriatrics – Year 4).
Examinations & Assessment:  conduct EOR exam for PHC division. Participates in final exit MBBS/MD examinations (MCQs, OSCEs, OSPEs, and clinical exams). Examiner in Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) for student selection. Participating in OSCE exam for MD students
• • Simulation Leadership: Founder of the DMCG Simulation Center, leading its creation from scratch: equipment selection and procurement, documentation, policy and procedure development, staff interviewing, and facility preparation through to its official launch in 2023. Ad conducting simulation sessions for final year medical students
• • Postgraduate Contributions: Teaching and thesis supervision in the Master of Addiction Program (DMCG–Erada Center).
Student Support: Served as student counselor (2016–2022) and ongoing faculty mentor. Institutional Service:
• Established simulation center
• Participate in students’ selection to college assessment MMI
• Research Day judge, QA & Accreditation reviewer.
Professional Memberships & Recognitions
• • Member of MCQ Module, MRCGP (International) – Dubai
• • Accredited Examiner, RCGP (UK) – since 2006 (reaccredited annually through 2025)
• • Participant in Standard Setting and Angoff Panels (MRCGP I) twice yearly
• Awarded Lifetime Membership, Royal College of General Practitioners (UK)

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Education

• MRCGP – Royal College of General Practitioners, UK (2007)
• Accredited Examiner (MRCGP International) RCGP London – accredited since 2006, reaccredited annually through 2025 )2006–2025)
• Master of Psychiatry – Dublin University, Ireland (1992)
• Master of Family Medicine – American University of Beirut, Lebanon (1983)
• M.B.B.Ch. (Medicine & Surgery) – Alexandria University, Egypt (1968)

Research Interests

• Family Medicine and Primary Health Care Education
• Simulation-based and gamified learning in medical education
• Women’s health and chronic disease prevention
• Community health awareness and behavioral change
• Psychosocial and mental-health aspects of primary care

Research Publications

• Farghaly S.M.H., Mahdy N. (2023). Depression and Its Associated Factors among Diabetes Mellitus Patients Attending Primary Health Care Centers in UAE. J Health Med Sci, 5(2). (Scopus)
• Alsaadi F.A., Muzeera F., Shabrina F., Jafri N.F., Jafri R.F., AlOlama F., Farghaly S. (2024). Relationship Between Screen Usage and Speech Delay in Children Aged 1–4 Years in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Cureus, 16(11). (WoS)
• Alani Q., Yassir M., Mansoor R., Flayyih R., Yaqoob N.A.S., Rafeeq H., Farghaly S. (2024). Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards Osteoporosis among Adults in the UAE in 2023. Cureus, 16(3). (WoS)
• Salih S.S., Alsalihi R.M., Mahboub N.E., Jasim N.Y., Almutawa R.A., Salih S., Farghaly S. (2024). Public Knowledge and Awareness of Knee Osteoarthritis in the UAE. Cureus, 16(1). (WoS)
• Bourguiba A., AbuHijleh S., Nached Y., Waleed D., Farghaly S., AlOlama F. (2022). Assessing Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices toward COVID-19 Vaccination for Children in the UAE. Cureus, 14(12). (WoS)
• Lutfi L., AlMansour A., AlMarzouqi A.R., Hassan S.H., Salman Z., Hamad H., Farghaly S. (2021). Knowledge, Attitude and Practice toward COVID-19 among UAE Residents. Dubai Med J, 4(3): 182–189. (Scopus)
• Mehmood M.K., Parkar A.Z., Mustafa N.T., Mustafa S.S., Makin M.A., Alawadi F., Farghaly S. (2019). Diabetic Foot Self-Care: Awareness and Practice among Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Primary Healthcare Centers, Dubai Health Authority. Int J Community Med Public Health, 6: 1–7. (Scopus)