Interview with Dr. Lina Yousif UK CCT Family Medicine Consultant and Medical Director of Nad Al Sheba Satellite Clinic of American Hospital

Dr Lina Yousif is a UK trained Consultant in Family Medicine and a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). Following her completion of consultant training she was a GP (Family Medicine Physician) in the British National Health System (NHS) for over 11 years. In August 2023, she relocated to Dubai, where she is now Medical Director of American Hospital’s Outpatient Polyclinic in Nad Al Sheba.

It was a pleasure to catch up with Dr. Lina in the middle of her busy schedule and find out about her experiences and achievements since relocating to Dubai.

Great to see you, Dr. Lina. Can you start by telling us about your training and why you chose to specialise in Family Medicine?

Sure, I grew up in Iraq, and graduated from the Medical School at the University of Mosul in Iraq in 2008. I then went to the UK for my postgraduate training in the North West Deanery, in and around the Manchester area. During my foundation training, I gained a wide range of experience in multiple specialties. I found that I liked everything so, when it came time to apply for speciality training, it was difficult to decide. I chose to work in rotations in different specialties for an extra year before I made the decision to specialise in Family Medicine, or General Practice as it is called in the UK. I completed my Speciality registrar training in Stockport NHS Foundation Trust in South Manchester. The reason I chose Family Medicine is that I really enjoy building long term relationships with patients and their families. During my foundation training, I liked to follow up with patients to see how they were getting on. In Family Medicine, patients come back to see you and rely on you to be their advocate and coordinate their care. I like to spend time with my patients and get to know them. I am then able to pick up on cues and tell if something is not right, or if they are feeling off. It also suits my holistic approach toward patient care, seeing the whole person, body and mind, rather than concentrating on a particular area or system of the body.

Can you tell us about American Hospital Nad Al Sheba Satellite Clinic and your role as Medical Director?

Nad Al Sheba Clinic is situated in Avenue Mall, Nad Al Sheba, just off one of the main highways into Downtown Dubai. This prestigious suburb of Dubai is best known for the world-class Meydan Racecourse is home to many Emirati families but is also popular with expatriates due to the many highly reputed international schools in the area. Nad Al Sheba clinic opened about two years ago to provide healthcare to the highest international standards for the area’s growing population. The clinic is open seven days a week and is very busy, usually seeing around 100 to 120 patients per day. We have an experienced team with consultants in around ten different specialties available, as well as a nurse clinic. In addition to Family Medicine and Paediatrics, we also have Orthopaedics, Physiotherapy, Endocrinology, Urology, Dermatology, Dentistry, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Psychology, as well as a visiting Urologist once a week. We see patients with appointments as well as walk-ins. We are well known in the area for trying our best to accommodate patients. As we are just off the main highway into Dubai some patients arrive with acute conditions such as trauma or chest pain, so we assess and stabilise them before transferring to the emergency department in the main hospital as required.

As Medical Director, I have a lot of management responsibilities in addition to my clinical practice, such as overseeing staff and developing clinical guidelines.

American Hospital offers a Strategic Leadership Program in partnership with Harvard Business School in the USA for all staff in various leadership roles within the organisation, which has been really beneficial.

Have you found any differences in your practice here, compared to the UK?

American Hospital Dubai has a well organised structure for patient care and there have been no differences from the way I did things in the UK, in terms of clinic practice or principles. Coming from the NHS, I did initially encounter some challenges while getting used to working in an insurance-based system, but I soon learnt how to communicate with the medical insurance companies. The main difference is patient demographics as, due to Dubai’s high expatriate population who tend to be of working age with their families, we see a lower proportion of elderly people with complex comorbidities. I see a wide range of conditions: most commonly seasonal problems such as acute infections, chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular conditions. Also children with developmental concerns, and psychological issues. I find that, although the clinic is busy, I can spend a bit longer with patients who need extra time. As I work in a polyclinic, I can easily discuss with my colleagues from different specialties, or ask them to see a patient straight away. Patients don’t have to wait for months for a referral, as happened in the UK. The resources we have enable us to offer faster diagnostic testing and treatment. I have less stress as I don’t go to bed worrying about patients who have unmet needs due to long waits to see a specialist.

Why did you decide to relocate to the UAE?

The decision was both for family and professional reasons. My children were born and raised in England, and my husband and I felt it would be good for them to experience life in this part of the world, and get to know Arabic culture and language. Dubai is a vibrant, multicultural city that offers a great quality of life. Our children study in a UK curriculum international school and are enjoying it. Living in Dubai, it is easier to visit family who live in Iraq, and we still make regular trips to the UK. Professionally, I was seeking a new challenge and felt it would be good to experience a different healthcare system after working in the NHS.