English or Arabic in Healthcare Education: Perspectives of Healthcare Alumni, Students, and Instructors

BACKGROUND: Using English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in non-English speaking countries to teach healthcare subjects has been questioned in various international healthcare educational contexts, despite the numerous benefits it offers to students and institutions. PURPOSE: The present study collected data to examine the impact of the EMI policy and analyze the experiences of students and instructors in a healthcare course in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The study used three instruments: alumni records (n = 3,044), instructors’ questionnaires (n = 134), and students’ questionnaires (n = 358). The participants were from different majors in five colleges at a Saudi University: College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, and Applied Medical Sciences. RESULTS: The results of alumni data from healthcare colleges of the last five years revealed that the cumulative grade point average (GPA) can be predicted by the first semester grades of the students in the intensive English proficiency program. The results of the questionnaires indicate that the healthcare students’ perspectives and healthcare instructors’ views demonstrate that using EMI to teach healthcare subjects presents certain obstacles that have a negative impact on students’ academic achievement, especially if the students lack fluency in English. CONCLUSION: Policymakers should focus on improving the English proficiency of students and provide ongoing English language learning opportunities for the complete duration of the healthcare programs.