Ibn Sina National College which opened at the beginning of the present academic year is the Kingdom's first private medical college, reported today Jeddah-based 'Arab News'. According to Dr. Rashad Kashgari, dean of the college, the number of high school graduates who want to go to medical school increases every year. "Unfortunately," he said, "even though their grades are very high, there are no available places for them. To respond to the demand, the private sector, under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education, has stepped in with the idea of Ibn Sina National College. Both Arab and non-Arab students will be accepted." To be eligible for admission to Ibn Sina National College, applicants in medicine or dentistry must have a Saudi high school diploma or its academic equivalent. The overall high school average must be at least 85 percent, with nothing lower than that in English or scientific subjects. In order to qualify for admission, application must be made within three years of the date of the diploma. Students must pass an entrance examination and will also have a personal interview. Pharmacology students must satisfy the same conditions although their percentage for acceptance is 80 percent. -more 1400 Local Time 1100 GMT
