The College of Applied Medical Sciences (COAMS) was established in early 2006 as one of several health colleges encompassed by King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS). The Saudi Government set a priority objective of improving the quality of life of the people in the Kingdom, and health care is a basic need of the individual. Consequently, the expectation for excellent health care services is a priority. Applied Medical Sciences professionals are pivotal members of health care team. Saudi manpower in these specialties, however, are limited and lags far behind these figures. This imposes a great responsibility on COAMS to graduate highly competent Applied Medical Sciences professionals to fill in this wide gap.
COAMS has decided to meet this challenge by graduating professionals who will be exceptionally qualified to contribute to the health care services armed with the latest developments in their fields to provide quality health care services to the patients and the community. The college adopts instructional methods that are learner-centered and incorporates current evidence-based practices and problem based learning. It also utilizes advanced technology to deliver instruction to support the learning process. This is done in collaboration with King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) health care facilities and community partners/stakeholders in providing quality learning process in Applied Medical Sciences. The college has adopted (with modifications) the curricula of similar programs in Emergency Medical Services (Paramedics) of Flinders University, Australia (the first program in the Kingdom’s Universities), the Clinical Laboratory Sciences program and Radiological Sciences Program of Arkansas, the Respiratory Therapy program of South Alabama University, USA, the Occupational Therapy program and Clinical Nutrition Program of Oklahoma University, USA, the Anaesthesia Program of City College, USA and the Cardiovasuclar Technology Program .
The college made it a point to invite prominent professors of the cited disciplines from these universities to brief the staff and student about the most recent advances in these specialty areas.