18 July 2008

BYBLOS: A consortium of philanthropists, intelligentsia, and politicians turned over ceremonial shovels of dirt Tuesday evening to commemorate the groundbreaking ceremony of the Lebanese American University (LAU) Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chaghoury School of Medicine - Lebanon's seventh licensed medical school.

The formal, stately ceremony, held on LAU's serene Byblos campus, marked the official commencement of the construction phase. On hand to applaud this defining moment in LAU's history, was an impressive social stratum of 200 benefactors, distinguished board members and guests.

The projected completion date for the ambitious project is set for 2010 by ACE consultants. Principal philanthropists, Nigerian-born LAU board member and businessman, Ambassador Gilbert Chaghoury and his wife Rose-Marie, donated $13 million toward LAUMS.

Once completed, the 12,500-square-meter 21st-century structure will house both the new medical school and the Alice Ramez Chaghoury School of Nursing. The $18-million state-of-the-art complex will be the nation's most technologically advanced medical school - a world-class facility with video streaming, videoconferencing, digitized collections of microscope slides, multi-disciplinary laboratories, an electronic library, and 24/7 cyber cafe.

The new medical school will contain a simulation and skill assessment center for patient encounters, including a mock-up laboratory, full-scale-simulation surgical-procedure room, multi-purpose bays and control room.

"The underlying concept behind the design is to build the medical and nursing school around people rather than just technology. Fundamental human needs like comfort, and social ambiance will take prominence. The blueprint allows for ample natural light and large windows to maximize daytime illumination for a motivating atmosphere and inspirational view," said LAU's public relations director Christian Oussi.

Furthermore, LAU and Harvard Medical International (HMI), the medical-consulting arm of Harvard Medical School (HMS), have signed an innovative 10-year collaboration agreement that will significantly reinforce LAUMS' standing. LAU will also partner with Clemenceau Medical Center (CMS), an affiliate of Johns Hopkins International, and Rafik Hariri University Hospital for the clinical element of the program.

Since becoming LAU's president in 2004, professor Joseph G. Jabbra has been the driving force behind LAU's aggressive and unprecedented $100 million expansion campaign.

"The establishment of the Medical School is an integral part of our exceptional achievements; building upon past successes," said Jabbra. "The Medical School was also established to fill the void created by not having proper indigenous disease research in the region," he added.

Jabbra said that "LAU is the ideal setting for a medical school - simply because quality attracts. By offering a solid program and an American degree at a very reasonable price, we give students the opportunity to earn an excellent education without having to leave their country or region."

"We are rapidly moving toward full accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), and the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE). LAU's five-year Bachelor in Architecture program is accredited by the French government, and LAU's [Doctorate] in Pharmacy program is the only ACPE-accredited program outside the US" Jabbra added.

When asked if there really was a need for "another" medical school in Lebanon, LAU administrators said "40 percent of Lebanese physicians are graduates from medical schools in Eastern Europe or Arab countries, in which standards of training are, for the most part, below those in the US and Western Europe. LAUMS will represent a major qualitative boost to health care in Lebanon because LAU will infuse society with increasing numbers of graduates trained in the traditions of American medicine - American medicine leads the world in research and clinical care."

Johns Hopkins' adjunct professor Kamal Badr, who left his post as professor and chairman of the American University of Beirut Department of Internal Medicine in 2006, has been appointed Founding Dean of LAUMS. "LAUMS will target regional health needs like women's health, adolescent, pediatric, geriatric and genetic medicine, as well as neuroscience," said Badr. "The medical school will attract acclaimed Lebanese talent in biomedical science from around the world back to their homeland and the region."

LAU already enrolled its first group of pre-medical students in 2006, and will accept the first medical students in 2009.

The university was originally founded by Presbyterian missionaries in 1835 as a high school for girls. Over a period of 173 years, LAU has grown into a full-fledged university, offering degrees in the Arts, Sciences, Business, Engineering, Architecture, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. LAU has two campus locations in Beirut and Byblos and serves a multiracial student body of around 7,000 students of over 76 nationalities.

Copyright The Daily Star 2008.