20 August 2008
BEIRUT: The Lebanese section of the International Federation of Medical Students' Association (IFMSA) is holding its annual international student exchange program until the end of August.
About 30 students from Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East stay in Beirut for one month and visit the American University of Beirut's Medical Center (AUBMC) to get an insight into the way their Lebanese colleagues work.
According to the official IFMSA Web site, the aim of the annual exchange is "to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues and to develop culturally sensitive students of medicine."
The participants follow the regular students and doctors of AUBMC in their every day routine. This allows "you [to] learn about different methods and you can compare your knowledge with others," organizer of the exchange, Laurice Bounemer told The Daily Star.
Because most of the international students do not speak Arabic, and conversations with patients of AUBMC are usually held in the language of medicine; the most popular department is surgery. During surgical interventions, silence is valued and exchange students are able to fully focus on the procedure.
The work in the hospital is accompanied by manifold social events. Various trips to important historical and cultural sites in Lebanon and visits to museums round out the program's participants.
A special agreement with the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism allows participants to get free entrance to all touristic attractions in the country.
"That is what makes the stay in Beirut so special. It's not only about the studies but also about culture and people," said Bounemor, who has taken part in exchange programs to Hungary and Portugal.
"The people I met during my stays in Hungary and Portugal belong to the best friends I have. The friendships you form are really tight," she added.
Maria Coma chose to come to Lebanon to "see something different." "I could also have gone to another European country, but I wanted to experience something really new," said the 20-year-old medical student from Spain.
The IFMSA was founded in 1951 as a non-political organization to promote the interests of medical students. Today it consists of 98 member countries across five continents.
The national branch, called the Lebanese Medical Students' International Committee ( LeMSIC), was founded in the 1960s. The activities of the group were interrupted during the 1975-1990 Lebanese Civil War, but were reactivated in 1997. As of now, it counts 300 active members that work in the various committees. Since 1997 more than 600 students were sent abroad through the LeMSIC exchange program, while as many international students were welcomed in Beirut.
The participants of this year's exchange program are mainly from the Balkans and southern Europe.
Copyright The Daily Star 2008.
