| Fadlo R. Khuri | President of the University |
| Zaher Dawy | Provost |
| Raymond Sawaya | Vice President for Medical Affairs and the Raja N. Khuri Dean of Medicine |
| Joseph Otayek | Medical Center Director |
| Elie Akl | Associate Dean for Clinical Research |
| Samir Alam | Associate Vice President for Health Affairs |
| Kamal Badr | Executive Associate Dean for Medical Education |
| Assaad Eid | Associate Dean for Basic/Translational Research and Graduate Studies |
| Souha Kanj-Sharara | Associate Vice President for Global Affairs |
| Ramzi Sabra | Associate Dean for Educational Development |
| Pierre Sfeir | Associate Vice President for Clinical Affairs |
| Hassan Solh | Executive Associate Vice President for Business and Finance |
| Fuad Ziyadeh | Executive Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs |
| Salah Zeineldine | Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education |
| Ali Taher | Associate Vice President for Communication and Creativity Services |
| Zeina Kanafani | Assistant Dean for Student Affairs |
Faculty Administrative Support
| Mahmoud H. Harb | Medical Education Unit Coordinator |
| Rania Jaber | Graduate Medical Education Manager |
| Hala Kaidbey | Research and Education Grants Manager |
| Khalil Kreidieh | FM Academic and Special Projects Coordinator |
| Nabil Mansour | Director of Operations |
| Reem Saad | Accreditation and Faculty Development Manager |
| Miriam Saliba | Executive Officer |
Historical Background
Since 1867, the founding date of the Faculty of Medicine, both the Faculty of Medicine and the Medical Center have continuously been providing services in the realms of medical education, training and health care to their immediate constituencies in Lebanon and the Middle East region. To date, the Faculty of Medicine has graduated 4,225 physicians, and there is a large postgraduate training program of over 280 residents in most of the departments. The Faculty of Medicine programs have been approved by and registered in the Education Department of the State of New York on a continual basis since 1867. In 1957 the faculty became an institutional member of the Association of American Medical Colleges. It enjoyed this status until 1988, when the new rules of the association precluded membership of institutions outside the confines of the North American continent.
The AUB Medical Center has been accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) as of October 2007. Previously, the Medical Center was accredited by the US-based Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) from 1965 until 1983, when the civil war in Lebanon prevented review teams from continuing with their periodic site visits. The JCI is the international arm of the JCAHO. The National Board Examinations were administered to the faculty’s undergraduate students for credit between 1966 and 1982. The faculty was a regional center for the administration of the examinations of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates between 1959 and 1993. In addition, the faculty takes pride in having had very close links with prestigious American medical schools and centers including Columbia University from 1945 to 1955, Harvard School of Medicine from 1955 to 1965, and a formal affiliation with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine from 1965 to 1975, which was supported by the Commonwealth Fund.
The Faculty of Medicine and the Medical Center have revived and established a number of links and affiliations with the following:
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons for student elective exchange (since 2002)
- University of George Washington School of Medicine in Washington, DC (as of September 8, 2004)
- Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) (as of April 1, 2003) for an MD–PhD program that admits up to three medical students annually from AUB/FM
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (as of May 10, 2004) for collaboration in research, education and the provision of medical services training
- University of Paris 7 Denis Diderot for cooperative cancer research (as of December 8, 2004)
- University of Poitiers (France) for cooperative neurosciences research (as of February 3, 2006)
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (as of April 19, 2000)
- Laval University in Quebec, Canada
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (as of June 6, 2007)
- Palermo University (as of April 23, 2007) for cooperation in research and higher education
- University of Montpellier (France) (as of August 3, 2007)
- The Faculty of Medicine and the Medical Center (FM/AUBMC) are currently accredited by the following American-based accreditation bodies:
- The Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- The Joint Commission International (JCI) for hospital accreditation
- Accreditation of AUBMC by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health
- Accreditation of the School of Nursing by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Accreditation of the Nursing Services at AUBMC by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- The College of American Pathologists (CAP)
- In addition, the Faculty of Medicine, with its Medical Center, is a member of the following organizations:
- Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) – AUB Faculty of Medicine was successful in establishing the AUB GHHS chapter in 2020 rendering it the first in the Arab Region to be accepted in the Gold Humanism Honor Society network. Honor Medical Society (The Faculty of Medicine is the only member of the AOA outside North America since 1958)
- The American Medical College Application Service
- The American College of Physicians/American Society of Internal Medicine
- The Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine
The MD Program
The Faculty of Medicine offers a 4-year medical program leading to the MD degree, which follows the American model of medical education. Students can elect to pursue the regular track or the scholarship track; the latter allows them to pursue independent research during years 2, 3 and 4, for which they obtain a special certificate on graduation.
Mission
The mission of the Faculty of Medicine is to provide optimum, advanced, state-of-the-art, comprehensive, timely and cost-effective medical education for each student. The faculty aims to reach this objective by implementing innovative teaching techniques, and by recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty and students. The faculty also strives for improved student performance and career opportunities, as well as improved basic and clinical research, more effective patient management, and new and innovative medical approaches. The faculty focuses on enhancing the regional and global reputation of the AUB Medical Center (AUBMC) by encouraging the development of additional centers of excellence, and developing more effective uses of physical resources and funds.
Vision
The vision of the Faculty of Medicine is to continuously upgrade the quality of education provided to its medical students and postgraduate physicians in the various medical and surgical subspecialties. This vision is implemented by the strong commitment of the faculty to educate young men and women to become excellent physicians with humane and high ethical standards as well as technical expertise. The faculty also aims at providing a better environment for personal growth and recognition for all its students by inspiring them to become leaders in their fields. The Faculty of Medicine will always endeavor to provide opportunities for its students to develop individual initiative, creative ability and professional leadership through participation in extracurricular seminars, discussion groups, research projects and student organizations.
Admission
The Faculty of Medicine was established to give properly qualified candidates, particularly from Lebanon and the Near East, the opportunity for sound education in both the art and science of medicine. All applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree and must have completed the premedical requirements as well as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Applicants in their senior year expecting to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in June are eligible to apply provided they have completed the premedical requirements and have taken the MCAT by the end of the first of their senior year. For applicants holding (or expecting) a bachelor’s degree, consideration for acceptance is limited to students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in each of the following: 1) all courses, 2) the required premedical core courses, and 3) major courses. For applicants from North American colleges, a minimum GPA of 3.3 is required. Applications from individuals holding (or expecting by June of the same year) a master’s or a doctoral degree are encouraged. These applicants will be considered based upon their academic performance and their research productivity; in these cases, some of the premedical requirements may be waived depending on the field of study.
Interviews are granted to a selected group of applicants based on their MCAT scores and their academic achievement. Granting an interview does not necessarily imply that the applicant will be accepted. Students are accepted to medical school on the basis of their academic qualifications, their MCAT score and the results of their interviews. In addition, due consideration is given to the applicants’ letters of recommendation from their teachers and mentors, their curriculum vitae, as well as their personal statements. Among the traits that the successful applicant will demonstrate are humanistic and ethical attitudes, good communication and interpersonal skills, emotional maturity, and personal integrity. Previous experience in research, community service and volunteer work are considered positive attributes.
The Faculty of Medicine at AUB does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, nationality, ethnic origin or religion.
The minimal premedical requirements are summarized below:
A bachelor’s degree in any field of study is required. Historically, the vast majority of applicants to the Faculty of Medicine have been holders of bachelor’s degrees in biology or chemistry. In an effort to diversify the pool of applicants, graduates from other majors are strongly encouraged to apply as long as they complete the premedical core courses required for admission to the Faculty of Medicine. Students can take some of the premedical courses as electives in their respective majors.
Premedical core course requirements
The minimal premedical requirements include biology with laboratory (7 credits), chemistry with laboratory (15 credits including 8 credits of organic chemistry), physics and basic electronics with laboratory (8 credits), English (6 credits at AUB or exemption), social sciences and/or humanities (6 credits). To facilitate applications by non-science majors and from diverse fields of study, some courses taken in the Lebanese Baccalaureate Program may count towards fulfillment of the premedical core course requirements as detailed in Table 1. Table 2 presents the recommended courses depending on the major of study at AUB.
Table 1: Premedical core course requirements and credit equivalents according to Lebanese Baccalaureate Program Subject
|
Premedical Requirements |
Required Premedical Credits |
Lebanese Baccalaureate Credit Equivalents According to Program |
Remaining Credits |
| | | Life Sciences | General Sciences | Economics and Sociology | Literature and Humanities | |
Biology
| 7
| 3
| -
| - | - | 4-7
|
| Chemistry | 15 | 4 | 4 | - | - | 11-15 |
| Physics | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3-5 |
| English | 6 | - | - | - | - | |
| CS/Humanities | 6 | - | - | - | - | |
|
Total |
42 |
12 |
9 |
3 |
3 | 30-39 |
Table 2: Recommended premedical core courses according to field of study at AUB
|
Premedical Requirements |
AUB Courses |
Biology Major |
Chemistry Major |
Physics Major |
Other Majors |
| English (6 cr.) | ENGL 203 (3 cr.)
ENGL 204 (3 cr.) | X | X | X | X |
| Humanities + Social Sciences (6 cr.) | Fulfilled by the general education requirements of the University, which include 6 credits in the humanities/6 credits in CVSP courses and 6 credits in the social sciences | X | X | X | X |
| Biology (7 cr.) | BIOL 101 (3 cr.) or equivalent | X | X | X | X |
| BIOL 201 (4 cr.) | X | X | X | X |
| Physics (8 cr.) | PHYS 101 (4 cr.) PHYS 101L (1 cr.) or equivalent | X
| X | X | X |
| PHYS 204 (3 cr.) + PHYS 204L (1 cr.) or PHYS 205 (3 cr.) + PHYS 205L (1 cr.) | X | | | X |
| PHYS 211 (3 cr.) + PHYS 211L (1 cr.) | | X | | |
| PHYS 210 (3 cr.) + PHYS 210L (1 cr.) | | | X | |
Chemistry
(15 cr.) | CHEM 101 (3 cr.) + CHEM 101L (1 cr.) or equivalent | X | X | X | X |
CHEM 201 (3 cr.)
| X | X | X | X |
| CHEM 211 (3 cr.) | X | X | X | X |
| CHEM 212 (3 cr.) | X | X | X | X |
| CHEM 210 (2 cr.) | X | | X | X |
MCAT. A competitive score in the MCAT, which may be taken twice only, is required. If taken twice, the higher score is considered. The MCAT score must be available at the time the application is submitted. The MCAT has sections on the biological sciences, physical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences. Students are encouraged to review the content of the MCAT and plan their studies accordingly, e.g., by taking appropriate courses in biology, chemistry and physics, psychology, sociology and anthropology and the humanities, in consultation with their advisors..
Applicants expecting to receive a bachelor’s degree after the deadline for application should be aware of the following:
- Applicants must be in their senior year.
- The cumulative GPA of 70 credits or more (at the time of application) should be equal to or higher than 3.0 for students from AUB or its equivalent for those from other universities. All required core courses must have been completed by the end of the fall term of the senior year with GPA of at least 3.0. The cumulative GPA in the major courses completed by the end of the fall term of the senior year must also be equal to or greater than 3.0.
- Admission to medical school is contingent upon completion of graduation requirements and obtaining the bachelor’s degree, which should be achieved by the end of the spring term of the student’s senior year.
Applicants expecting to receive a master’s or doctoral degree after the deadline for application should be aware of the following:
- A minimum cumulative grade GPA of 3.3 or its equivalent is required.
- Admission to medical school is contingent upon completion of graduation requirements and obtaining the master’s or doctoral degree, which should be achieved by the end of the spring term.
Conditional acceptance to the faculty is issued by the middle of April and is finalized upon completion of the requirements for the bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree.
Graduation Requirements
To be eligible for the degree of Doctor of Medicine, a student must satisfactorily complete the curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine and must be recommended by the Academic Committee. The degree may be granted with distinction to students who achieve, in years 1 and 2, a cumulative average ≥ 88%, and, in years 3 and 4, a grade of “Excellent” in at least 50 percent of the credits and a grade of “Pass” in no more than 20 percent of the credits in years 3 and 4, and who have no failures in any course or clerkship.
The Faculty of Medicine offers post-graduate training positions in the various academic departments at AUBMC to AUB and non-AUB medical graduates. However, these positions are limited and are granted on a highly competitive basis.
Dean’s Honor List
To be placed on the dean’s honor list, a student must be full-time and must not be repeating the year. The dean’s honor list is those ranking in the top 15 percent of the class and is offered in years 3 and 4 of the medical program only.
Academic Rules and Regulations
See General University Academic Information on page 51.
Attendance
Regular attendance is required at lectures, laboratories, clerkships, examinations and other assigned duties. Credit is not given for work not performed. Students absent on account of illness or other valid reasons are requested to confer with course or clerkship coordinators or the Director of Student Affairs. The committees concerned will review prolonged or repeated absences and decide on the appropriate course of action.
Language Requirement
The language of instruction is English. However, students must have speaking knowledge of Arabic before entering the third year. This requirement may be waived by special vote of the Academic Committee.
Promotions and Deficiencies
In the first and second years, the performance of students is evaluated as either pass or fail based on absolute standards of grading, with no ranking. Numerical grades will be kept in the students’ records for reference, and may be used for providing a descriptive account of student performance and for recommendation letters by the Dean’s Office. Numerical grades may be used to decide on graduating students with distinction, granting of awards (e.g. Penrose Award, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society) and if requested by students for scholarship or financial aid granting bodies that require them. In the third and fourth years, absolute standards are used to determine the Pass-Fail margin. For those who pass, performance is evaluated as Excellent (E), Good (G), or Pass (P), based on normative grading. In this case, the distribution of grades in a class is as follows: the top 10-15 percent are granted an “E”, the following 35-40 percent a “G”, and the remaining 50 percent a “P”. The evaluation of the student in each subject is based on his/her total performance and not solely on the results of examinations.
The student’s performance is evaluated by appropriate class teaching committees, which make recommendations to the Academic Committee. The action of the Academic Committee is final. The class teaching committees and Academic Committee give due consideration to a general evaluation of fitness for a career in medicine. Only those students who, in the opinion of the committees, give promise of being a credit to themselves, the faculty and the medical profession are advanced.
To be promoted, a student must attain a grade of Pass or better in all courses or clerkships and must be recommended by the committees concerned. However, a student with a grade of Pass in all courses or clerkships may, at the discretion of the committees, be promoted on probation, be asked to do remedial work and pass the re-examinations in designated courses or clerkships or repeat the year.
In the first or second year, a student who fails less than 25 percent of the credits may be asked either to satisfactorily complete remedial work and/or pass re-examinations in the courses concerned in order to be promoted, repeat the year, or leave the program. A student who fails more than one re-examination will be asked either to repeat the year or leave the program. A student who fails only one re-examination may, at the discretion of the committees concerned, be allowed to take another and final re-examination for the same course. A student who fails this second re-examination will be asked either to repeat the year or leave the program.
A student in the first or second year who fails 25 percent or more of the credits may be asked either to repeat the year or leave the program.
At the discretion of the committees concerned, a student who is to repeat the first or second year may be allowed to repeat some of the courses, not all of them.
In order to pass a clerkship in the third or fourth year, a student must demonstrate competence in both clinical performance and knowledge of the discipline. Failure of either component is considered a failure of the clerkship.
In the third or fourth year, a student who fails less than 50 percent of clerkship and course hours may be asked to satisfactorily complete remedial work and/or pass re-examinations, repeat a clerkship, repeat the year or leave the program (refer to the section entitled Specific Guidelines for Clinical Clerkships for further information). A student who fails more than one re-examination, remedial work or repeated clerkship or course may be asked to either repeat the year or leave the program. A student who fails only one re-examination, remedial work or repeated clerkship may, at the discretion of the committees concerned, be allowed to have another attempt at passing them. A student who fails this second attempt will be asked either to repeat the year or leave the program.
A student in the third or fourth year who fails 50 percent or more of clerkship and course hours may be asked to either repeat the year or leave the program.
At the discretion of the committees concerned, a student who is to repeat the third or fourth year may be asked to repeat some of the clerkships/courses, not all of them, and to complete clerkships shorter than the original ones.
A student in the medical program may not fail more than one academic year. A student who fails a second academic year will be asked to leave the program. A student who repeats a year and fails any course or clerkship may be asked to leave the program.
A student who is placed on probation cannot graduate unless probation has been removed.
Specific guidelines for clinical clerkships:
Decisions regarding failed clerkships or parts of clerkships are normally made at the end of the year, when the overall performance of the student is reviewed. Below are guidelines that describe potential courses of action, but the final decision is made by the Academic Committee based on an overall assessment of the student’s performance and fitness for promotion or graduation. The following guidelines apply to students who fail less than 50% of clerkship hours in a year.
- In order to pass the clinical clerkships in years 3 and 4, students must demonstrate acquisition of adequate clinical performance and skills, as shown by performance evaluations, OSCE scores and other assessment measures defined by the specific clerkship,
AND an appropriate fund of knowledge as demonstrated primarily by a passing grade on the final written examination (usually an NBME examination). Failure of either component is considered a failure of the clerkship.
- If a student fails both the clinical performance and the final written examination of a clerkship, he/she will be required to repeat it in its entirety: the clinical components and a repeat final written examination.
- If a student fails only the final examination of a clerkship, he/she will be required to repeat it. If the student fails a second time, he/she will be required to repeat the clerkship in its entirety: both the clinical components and the final written examination.
- If a student fails only the clinical performance component, he/she will be asked to repeat the clinical components of the rotation (totally or partly as determined by the department concerned). If the student fails the clinical component a second time, he/she will be required to repeat it in its entirety: both the clinical components and a repeat final written examination.
Courses
Numbers Preceding Course Titles
Courses required for the Doctor of Medicine degree are numbered 200 to 299 as follows:
- 200 to 239 indicate courses given in first and second year medicine.
- 240 to 259 indicate courses given in third year medicine.
- 260 to 279 indicate courses given in fourth year medicine.
- 280 to 299 are reserved for clinical clerkships during the year of internship.
For the first and second years, odd numbers refer to first term courses and even numbers to second term courses. Year courses are indicated by a hyphen between the two numbers.
Graduate courses leading to the Master and Doctor of Philosophy degrees are numbered 300 to 399.
Regular medical courses approved for graduate work (MS and PhD programs) have two numbers.
Numbers preceded by the letters ID (Interdepartmental) or FM (Faculty of Medicine) indicate integrated courses taught by two or more departments together.
Numbers Following Course Titles
The first number following the title of a course indicates the total number of lectures, conferences, and discussion hours given, except where otherwise stated.
The second number indicates the total laboratory or clinical practice hours, except where otherwise stated.
The third number indicates the number of term credit hours. Credit hours are used in conjunction with first and second year courses only.
Course Descriptions
All the following courses, except those listed as electives, are required of students working toward the degree of Doctor of Medicine. The electives designated may be chosen with the consent of the instructor. Detailed course descriptions are available under individual departments.
Curricula
First Year
|
No. of Weeks |
Lecture and Clinical Recitation |
Laboratory or Clerkship Hrs. |
Total Hrs. |
Credits |
| IDTH 201 | Cellular and Molecular Basis of Medicine
| 15
| 90
| 40
| 118
| 7
|
| IDTH 202 | Clinical Anatomy | 15 | 38 | 110 | 148 | 6 |
| IDTH 203 | The Immune System in Health and Disease | 8 | 37 | 28 | 75 | 3 |
| IDTH 204 | Basic Pathological Mechanisms | 8 | 29 | 14 | 43 | 2 |
| IDTH 205 | Microbiology and Infectious Diseases | 9 | 56 | 44 | 100 | 5 |
| IDTH 210 | Fundamentals of Medical Research | 9 | 30 | 20 | 50 | 3 |
| IDTH 211 | The Blood | 4 | 30 | 30 | 60 | 3 |
| IDTH 225 | The Liver and Gastrointestinal System | 4 | 40 | 40 | 80 | 4 |
| IDTH 229 | The Skin | 2 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 2 |
| IDTH 213 | Becoming a Doctor 1: Clinical Skills -I | 45 | 20 | 80 | 100 | 4 |
| IDTH 214 | Becoming a Doctor 2: Physicians Patients and Society - I | 16 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 2 |
| IDTH 215 | Becoming a Doctor 3: Global Health and Social Medicine | 21 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 2 |
| IDTH 216 | Becoming a Doctor 4: Learning Communities | 45 | 0 | 36 | 36 | 1 |
Second Year
|
No. of Weeks |
Lecture and Clinical Recitation |
Laboratory or Clerkship Hrs. |
Total Hrs. |
Credits |
IDTH 226
| The Cardiovascular System
| 4
| 40
| 40
| 80
| 4
|
IDTH 227
|
The Respiratory System
| 3
| 30
| 30
|
60
| 3
|
IDTH 228
|
The Kidneys and Urinary System
| 4
| 40
| 40
|
80
| 4
|
IDTH 212
|
Endocrinology and Reproduction
| 6
| 46
| 46
|
80
| 5
|
IDTH 230
|
Brain and Cognition
| 8
| 80
| 80
|
160
| 8
|
IDTH 230
|
Human Development and Psychopathology
| 4
| 40
| 40
|
80
| 4
|
IDTH 232
|
Research Design and Development
| 30
| 10
| 80
|
90
| 3
|
IDTH 233
|
Physicians Patients and Society-II
| 20
| 20
| 20
|
40
| 2
|
IDTH 234
|
Clinical Skills-II
| 30
| 20
| 50
|
70
| 3
|
IDTH 235
|
Learning Communities-II
| 30
| 0
| 30
|
30
| 1
|
IDTH 237
| Evidence Based Medicine
| -
| 14
| 6
|
20
| 1
|
Third Year
|
No. of Weeks |
Lecture and Clinical Recitation |
Laboratory or Clerkship Hrs. |
Total Hrs. |
Credits |
Clinical Conferences
| 46
| 240
| –
| 240
|
–
|
INMD 246
| Clinical Clerkship
|
12
|
120
|
500
| 620
| _
|
FMMD 242
| Physicians, Patients and Society III
|
2
|
16
|
24
|
40
|
–
|
ANES 247
| Clinical Clerkship
|
3
| 15
|
120
|
135
|
–
|
INMD 254
| Infection Control
|
–
|
6
|
34
|
40
|
–
|
PSYT 252
| Clinical Clerkship
|
4
|
25
|
180
|
205
|
–
|
OBGY 247
| Clinical Clerkship
|
8
|
47
|
360
|
407
|
–
|
PEDT 246
| Clinical Clerkship
|
8
|
35
|
360
|
395
|
–
|
SURG 246
| Clinical Clerkship
|
9
|
45
|
405
|
450
|
–
|
PHRM 333
| Clinical Pharmacology
|
1
|
16
|
–
|
16
|
–
|
Fourth Year
|
No. of Weeks |
Lecture and Clinical Recitation |
Laboratory or Clerkship Hrs. |
Total Hrs. |
Credits |
Clinical Conferences
| 46
|
–
| 240
| 240
|
–
|
INMD 262
| Clinical Clerkship
|
8
|
–
|
360
|
360
|
–
|
NEUR 262
| Clinical Clerkship
|
4
|
–
| 180
|
180
|
–
|
EMMD 262
| Clinical Clerkship
|
5
|
–
|
230
|
230
|
–
|
PEDT 267
| Clinical Clerkship
|
4
|
–
|
180
|
180
|
–
|
Elective in any department
|
16
|
–
|
720
| 720
|
–
|
IDTH 268
| Clerkship in Preventive Medicine and Public Health
|
3
| 15
|
120
|
135
|
–
|
FMMD 262
| Clinical Clerkship
|
4
| 30
|
150
|
180
|
–
|
IDTH 262
|
Capstone Course
|
1
| 10
|
40
|
45
|
–
|
Interdepartmental Courses – Medical Program
First and Second Years
Fourth Year
Graduate Studies in Biomedical Sciences
The graduate program in Biomedical Sciences is designed to provide a multidisciplinary educational and training environment that will prepare students for independent research and teaching careers. It is centered in the Faculty of Medicine, where investigative collaborations among basic and clinical scientists are fostered. The program emphasizes concepts and state-of-the-art techniques of molecular and cellular medicine, and integrates students into the extensive and rapidly expanding translational research programs. Students may choose a discipline of study from the several research areas/programs offered by the Faculty of Medicine.
For general requirements about graduate study at AUB, refer to the Admissions section on page 34 of this catalogue.
MS Disciplines
Biochemistry
| Refer to page 583
|
| Human Morphology | Refer to page 577 |
| Microbiology and Immunology | Refer to page 593 |
| Pharmacology and Therapeutics | Refer to page 618 |
|
Physiology | Refer to page 209 |
| Neurosciences (Interfaculty) | Refer to page 675 |
| Biomedical Engineering (Interfaculty) | Refer to page 576 |
| Scholar HeAlth Research Program (SHARP) (Clinical) | Refer to page 500 |
| Orthodontics (Clinical) | Refer to page 603 |
Admission to MS Programs
| Admission as a regular student | Refer to page 34
|
| Admission on probation | Refer to page 45 |
Course and Thesis Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 21 credits of graduate course work with a minimum GPA of 3.3. Graduate students who intend to apply to the medical program should complete 21 credits of graduate courses, 10 credits of which are not integral to the structured medical curriculum. Medical students and medical graduates who wish to join the MD–MS program are required to complete a minimum of 10 credits of graduate courses not integral to the structured medical curriculum and earn a minimum GPA of 3.3. Those with a degree in dental or veterinary medicine are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits of graduate course work. In addition, all students must pass a comprehensive examination and complete a thesis project equivalent to 9 credits. The thesis must be presented and defended to the satisfaction of the examining committee.
Students following the non-thesis master’s program are required to take a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours, 3 credits of which may be a project and should follow a course of study approved by the department/program and the concerned faculty Graduate Studies Committee.
PhD Program
Mission
The mission of the Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences (DBMS) is to provide excellent educational and research opportunities for students to develop into independent researchers and educators who will enrich the research and teaching output from Lebanon, the Middle East and beyond. The program will provide the students with the theoretical foundations and the special skills and attitudes that will allow them to develop their critical thinking and creative potential, conduct high caliber research in the biomedical sciences, contribute to the advancement of science, uphold the principles of intellectual honesty and become leaders in their chosen fields of study.
Program Objectives
Students are expected to:
- design and pursue pertinent research in biomedical science questions by devising and implementing a research plan to test a novel hypothesis,
- generate and analyze data critically, and utilize such analysis in devising, revising and/or refining a research plan,
- communicate findings, in both oral and written formats, through presentations at scientific meetings, publications in peer-reviewed journals and tutoring of junior students,
- demonstrate knowledge and integration of the fundamental principles of the various biomedical sciences,
- demonstrate theoretical and practical expertise in a specific field of research in the biomedical sciences,
- appreciate the complexity and volume of emerging new scientific information and its technical components, and be able to cope with it and manage one’s learning efficiently and effectively,
- and appreciate the importance of openness, teamwork and integrity in the advancement of knowledge through research.
PhD Disciplines
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Biology of Cancer
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Neurosciences Program
- Nutrition (Interfaculty)
- Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Physiology
Academic Governance
Oversight of the DBMS Program occurs at three levels: at the PhD Program Committee level with faculty representation from the department and program of study and the coordinator of the PhD Program, at the Faculty of Medicine Dean’s Office represented by the Faculty of Medicine Graduate Studies Committee and at the university level through the Board of Graduate Studies.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the program will be on a competitive basis. Students eligible for admission to the DBMS must have a sound academic record (GPA: 3.7) or its equivalent in the major field of study), a demonstrated, genuine interest in biomedical research and, preferably, research experience.
Minimum requirements for admission into the program are the following:
- Students with a BS degree or its equivalent in mathematics, biology, physics or chemistry in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as well as advanced courses in other medical science disciplines, and preferably with research experience, are eligible to apply (accelerated track PhD). Applicants with other degrees such as master’s (MS), Medical Doctor (MD), Pharmacist (Pharm D or equivalent), Veterinarian Doctor (VMD), Dental Doctor (DMD, DDS), will also be considered for admission into the program (regular track PhD).
- Students should provide three letters of recommendation.
- General Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which is less than 5 years old, is required (applicant can use unofficial scores in the application and send the official copy after the application submission deadline). Total score of minimum 304 (equivalent to 1100 converted old GRE score) in the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections of the GRE test is required.
- Applicants to the graduate program, other than AUB graduates and graduates of colleges or universities recognized and located in North America, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, must meet the Readiness for University Studies in English (RUSE). Refer to catalogue section on Readiness for University Studies in English on page
41.
- Provide a personal statement (500 words maximum).
- Students should be interviewed by the PhD Committee members.
- Students should be recommended for admission by the PhD Committee.
FM accepts applications for the PhD program during fall.
Financial Support
The PhD program offers, on a competitive basis, substantial support which fully covers tuition and includes a monthly stipend and housing. In return, students are expected to help in teaching and in proctoring exams.
Program Requirements
50 credit hours of course work beyond the bachelor’s program or 29 credit hours of course work beyond the master’s program are required. To fulfill course requirements, 16 required core courses (34 credits), in addition to elective courses, are offered. A maximum of 21 credit hours may be transferred from the master’s work if considered within the scope of the program. Students are expected to register for 24 credits of thesis.
Upon admission into the program, each student will be advised by the coordinator of the PhD program. After the first year, each student will have selected a thesis advisor who will design the set of elective courses to meet the student’s research interests and career goals. Each student’s course of study will be designed individually in light of the student’s interests and career goals. All the duties of the coordinator of the PhD program will be transferred to the student’s thesis advisor, who must be selected no later than the end of the first year for students entering into an MS program.
Core Courses
First Year
|
Credits |
| BIOC 321 |
Nucleic Acids and Basic Genetics
| 1 | Required |
| BIOC 322 |
Protein Biochemistry
| 1 | Required |
| BIOC 323 |
Cellular Metabolism and Regulation
| 2 | Required |
| PHYL 310 |
Cell Physiology and Biophysics
| 3 | Required |
| BIOC 325 |
Receptor and Signal Transduction
| 2 | Required |
| HUMR 305 |
Cell and Tissue Biology
| 3 | Required |
MBIM 320
| Microbiology and Immunology | 3 | Required |
| BIOM 491 | Laboratory Rotation | 1 | Required |
HUMR 314
| Seminar and Journal Club
| 1
| Required |
EDUC 401
|
Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (C-THE) | 0
| Required |
|
EDUC 402 |
Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (C-THE) II | 0
| Required |
|
HUMR 310A | Biomedical Research Techniques: Module A
| 1
| Required |
HUMR 310B
| Biomedical Research Techniques: Module B
| 1
| Required |
HUMR 310C
| Biomedical Research Techniques: Module C
| 1
| Required |
| PHRM 315 | Principles of Pharmacology | 2 | Required |
| BIOM 385 | Research Ethics | 1 | Required |
Second Year
|
Credits |
EPHD 310
| Biostatistics
| 3
| Required |
IDTH 301
| Introduction to Medical Science Literature Organ Physiology (Ph.D. candidates:can choose one of these as elective)
|
2
|
Required |
|
PHYL 302 |
Neuroanatomy
| 2 | Required |
|
|
|
IDTH 308A |
Neuroanatomy
| 3 | Elective |
|
IDTH 308B |
Neurophysiology | 3 | Elective |
|
PHYL 300 |
Pulmonary – Renal | 2 | Elective |
|
PHYL 304 |
GL – Endocrine – Reproductive | 3 | Elective |
For other elective courses, refer to MS disciplines.
BIOC Courses
| Refer to page 583
|
| HUMR Courses | Refer to page 577 |
| PHYL Courses | Refer to page 579 |
| IDTH Courses | Refer to page 581 |
| PHRM Courses | Refer to page 618 |
| MBIM Courses | Refer to page 593 |
Course Descriptions
PhD Thesis Requirements
Thesis Committee
The PhD Thesis Committee should consist of at least five members. Two members should be from outside AUB, and the chair of the PhD Thesis Committee should be a faculty member holding the rank of a full professor and different from the thesis advisor. Refer to PhD Thesis Committee under General University Academic Information, page 71.
Thesis Defense
After qualifying as a PhD candidate, the student will focus on the doctoral research with continued participation in seminars. The doctoral research, once completed, will be presented publicly and defended immediately after in front of the PhD Thesis Committee. Prior to the defense, all major revisions to the thesis must be completed. The decision of the committee will be by consensus. Refer to PhD Thesis Defense under General University Academic Information, page 73.
Publication Requirements
PhD students should have published or have in press one journal publication and one abstract in an international conference related to their thesis topics.
Candidacy and Residency Requirements
All students admitted to the PhD program must successfully complete the qualifying exam part I (written) and qualifying exam part II (oral defense of thesis proposal).
To satisfy the minimum residency requirements for the PhD degree, all students must register and be in residence for at least three years beyond the completion of the master’s degree. The requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must be completed within a period of 5 years after joining the PhD program. Extension beyond the 5-year period will require Graduate Council approval upon the recommendation of the faculty Graduate Studies Committee.
Graduation Requirements
To earn a PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences, a student must fulfill the following graduation requirements:
- attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7 at the PhD level
- pass qualifying exams part I and II
- pass the PhD thesis defense
- satisfy the minimum residency requirements
- have a publication in a leading international journal, based on the PhD research
- have at least one accepted abstract in an international conference, based on the PhD research
- satisfy all pertinent AUB regulations
In addition to the AUB general requirements for graduate study, the Faculty of Medicine graduate study requirements and regulations are as follows:
-
Application and Notification of Acceptance: For application submission deadlines and admissions decision notifications, refer to Application Procedures under Admissions section on page 41.
-
Acceptance:Acceptance offers are issued in duplicates including category offered, registration period and date of start of classes. These dates are mentioned in the university calendar issued annually by the Office of the Registrar.
- Candidates must sign a copy of the above letter indicating acceptance and return it to the Office of Admissions at the due date. If acceptance letters are not signed and sent back by the set deadline, positions will be re-assigned to candidates on the waiting list.
-
Periods of Study: The graduate program, once initiated, proceeds without interruption through the first term, the second term and the summer session.
-
Transfer Students: See Transfer of Credits into a PhD Degree Program under General University Academic Information section on page 58.
-
Categories of Graduate Students: The categories applicable at the university in general are also applicable in the Faculty of Medicine with the following modifications: Students are given a regular graduate student status when they have a cumulative undergraduate GPA in the major field of study of at least 3.3 or its equivalent, and they are given a graduate on special status when they have a cumulative undergraduate GPA in the major field of study or an overall average of 3.0 or higher but lower than 3.3 or equivalent. Graduates on probation status are transferred to regular status upon achieving an overall GPA of at least 3.3 in 9 credits of graduate courses within two terms.
-
Visiting Graduate Students:is a status applicable to students who pay a fee to attend a period of observership in an ongoing research project.
-
Exchange students: is a status applicable to students who participate in the graduate program in accordance with formal agreements between the Faculty of Medicine and other institutions.
In all instances, candidates must submit applications which are reviewed and acted upon by the Graduate Studies Committee.
Leave of Absence
See Leave of Absence under General University Academic Information section on page 53.
Interdepartmental Courses – Graduate Program
Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program
| Coordinator: | Dawy, Zaher
(Electrical & Computer Engineering, MSFEA) |
| Co-coordinator: | Jaffa, Ayad
(Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, FM) |
| Coordinating Committee Members: | Amatoury, Jason (Biomedical Engineering, MSFEA) Daou, Arij (Biomedical Engineering, MSFEA) Darwiche, Nadine
(Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, FM) Khoueiry, Pierre
(Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, FM) Khraiche, Massoud
(Biomedical Engineering, MSFEA) Kobeissy, Firas (Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, FM) Mhanna, Rami (Biomedical Engineering, MSFEA) Oweis, Ghanem (Mechanical Engineering, MSFEA) |
Background
The Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program (BMEP) is a joint MSFEA and FM interdisciplinary program that offers two degrees: Master of Science (MS) in Biomedical Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biomedical Engineering. The BMEP is housed in the MSFEA and administered by both MSFEA and FM via a joint program coordinating committee (JPCC).
The mission of the BMEP is to provide excellent education and promote innovative research enabling students to apply knowledge and approaches from the biomedical and clinical sciences in conjunction with design and quantitative principles, methods and tools from the engineering disciplines to address human health related challenges of high relevance to Lebanon, the Middle East and beyond. The program prepares its students to be leaders in their chosen areas of specialization committed to lifelong learning, critical thinking and intellectual integrity.
The curricula of the MS and PhD degrees are composed of core and elective courses balanced between biomedical sciences and engineering and between fundamental and applied knowledge.
The curricula include the following three research focus areas:
-
Biomedical Systems:This focus area includes research directions such as devices, instrumentation, biomechanics, biomaterials, drug delivery systems and tissue engineering.
-
Biomedical Cybernetics: This focus area includes research directions such as biomedical and health informatics, computational biology, biomedical signal/image processing and biomedical systems engineering.
-
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Engineering:This focus area includes research directions such as fluid mechanics, modeling, simulation, imaging, devices, and implants related to both human cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.
A student may select his/her courses to satisfy the requirements of one of the three focus areas.
The MS and PhD degrees are open to students holding degrees from relevant fields of study including basic sciences, biomedical sciences, computer science, engineering, health sciences, and mathematics. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program, eight remedial undergraduate courses in sciences, math and engineering have been identified to cover the needed prerequisite knowledge; the remedial courses required by each admitted students are customized on a case-by-case basis depending on the student’s undergraduate degree. Remedial undergraduate courses do not count as credit towards the MS or PhD degree completion. Grades on these remedial courses will appear on the transcript as Pass/Fail with a passing grade of (C+).
|
Required core courses (18 cr.) | Credits |
BIOC 321
| Nucleic Acids and Basic Genetics
| 1 |
| BIOC 322 | Protein Biochemistry | 1 |
| BMEN 600 | Biomedical Engineering Applications | 3 |
|
BMEN 601 | Computational Modeling of Physiological Systems | 3 |
| BMEN 672 | Hospital Lab Rotation | 0 |
| BMEN 673L | Biomedical Engineering Lab | 1 |
| EPHD 310 | Basic Biostatistics | 3 |
HUMR 310
(A, B, or C) | Biomedical Research Techniques | 1 |
| HUMR 314 | Research Seminar | 1 |
Restricted elective graduate courses: 6 credits restricted elective courses customized per focus area and required by both thesis and non-thesis options.
|
Restricted elective courses (6 cr.) |
Credits |
Systems |
Cybernetics |
Cardiovascular |
BIOC 325
| Receptors and Signal Transduction | 2 | | X | |
| BIOC 326A | Bioinformatics Tools and Applications in Genomics | 1 | |
X
| |
| BMEN 603 | Tissue Engineering | 3 | X | | X |
| BMEN 604 | Engineering of Drug Delivery Systems | 3 | X | | X |
| BMEN 605 | Biomedical Imaging
| 3 | | X | X |
| BMEN 606 | Nanobiosensors | 3 | X | X | |
| BMEN 607 | Biomechanics | 3 | X | | |
| BMEN 608 | Biomaterials and Medical Devices | 3 | X | | X |
BMEN 609
or
EECE 605 | Computational Neuroscience
or
Neuromuscular Engineering | 3 | X | X | |
| BMEN 610 | Micro and Nano Neural Interfaces | 3 | X | | |
| BMEN 611 | Computational Modeling in Biomechanics | 3 | X | X | X |
EECE 601 or
EECE 602 | Biomedical Engineering I
or
Biomedical Engineering II
| 3 | X | X | X |
| EECE 603 | Biomedical Signal and Image Processing | 3 | | X | X |
EECE 633 or
EECE 663 or
EECE 667 or
EECE 693 | Data Mining
or
System Identification
or
Pattern Recognition
or
Neural Networks | 3 | | X
| |
| HUMR 305 | Cell and Tissue Biology
| 3 | X | | |
| PHYL 302 | Cardiovascular Physiology
| 2
| | | R |
Free elective graduate courses for the non-thesis option: 6 credits additional elective courses. These courses should be taken from engineering and should be approved by the student’s advisor and the coordinator of the joint program coordinating committee.
Master thesis for the thesis option: 6 credits master’s thesis in biomedical engineering. The thesis requirements follow AUB’s General University Academic Information as documented in the Graduate Catalogue.
PhD in Biomedical Engineering
Admission Requirements
The application procedures and admission requirements to the PhD program follow AUB’s General University Academic Information as documented in the Graduate Catalogue. To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field of study from AUB or its equivalent, or from a recognized institution of higher learning.
Acceptance into the PhD program is determined by academic performance as well as an assessment of readiness, potential and ability to develop into independent researchers as judged by interviews by faculty members, a written statement, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and other means of assessment such as publications and industrial experience.
Accepted students are eligible to receive scholarships that fully cover their tuition fees and provide a monthly stipend.
Degree Requirements
General requirements for master’s degree holders: Based on AUB’s guidelines, a minimum of 48 credit hours beyond those required for the master’s degree, of which a minimum of 18 credit hours must be in graduate level course work and a minimum of 24 credit hours of thesis work, must be taken. Requirements also allow a maximum of 3 credit hours out of the 18 credits of coursework as tutorial course and include a 0-credit comprehensive examination preparation course and a 0-credit thesis proposal preparation course.
General requirements for bachelor’s degree holders: Based on AUB’s guidelines, a minimum of 78 credit hours beyond those required for the bachelor’s degree, of which a minimum of 36 credit hours must be in graduate level coursework and a minimum of 30 credit hours of thesis work, must be taken. Requirements also allow a maximum of 6 credit hours out of the 36 credits of coursework as tutorial courses and include a 0-credit comprehensive examination preparation course and a 0-credit thesis proposal preparation course.
To earn a PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering, the student must complete the following requirements:
- Satisfy the course and research credit requirements
- Satisfy the residence requirement and all other pertinent AUB regulations
- Have at least one international refereed journal article based on the PhD thesis
- Have at least one refereed conference paper based on the PhD thesis
- Have a cumulative GPA of (3.7) or above
- Pass the comprehensive and oral qualifying examinations
- Successfully defend the PhD thesis
The following are the graduate level course requirements for students admitted with a bachelor’s degree. The total number of credits is at least 36 credits divided among core, restricted elective and free elective courses. Students admitted with a master’s degree can waive as many courses as possible without going below the minimum required 18 credits of coursework.
Core graduate courses: 21 credits of core courses from biomedical sciences and engineering.
|
Required core courses (21 cr.) | Credits |
BIOC 321
| Nucleic Acids and Basic Genetics
| 1 |
| BIOC 322 | Protein Biochemistry | 1 |
| BIOM 385 | Research Ethics | 1 |
| BMEN 600 | Biomedical Engineering Applications | 3 |
| BMEN 601 | Computational Modeling of Physiological Systems | 3 |
| BMEN 671 | PhD Lab Rotation | 1 + 1
|
| BMEN 672 | Hospital Lab Rotation | 0 |
| BMEN 673L | Biomedical Engineering Lab | 1 |
| BMEN 675 | Approved Experience | 0 |
| EPHD 310 | Basic Biostatistics | 3 |
HUMR 310
(A, B, or C) | Biomedical Research Techniques | 1 |
| HUMR 314 | Research Seminar | 1 |
Restricted elective graduate courses: 9 credits restricted elective courses customized per focus area.
|
Restricted elective courses (6 cr.) |
Credits |
Systems |
Cybernetics |
Cardiovascular |
BIOC 325
| Receptors and Signal Transduction | 2 | | R | |
| BIOC 326A | Bioinformatics Tools and Applications in Genomics | 1 | | R | |
| BMEN 603 | Tissue Engineering | 3 | X | | X |
| BMEN 604 | Engineering of Drug Delivery Systems | 3 | X | | X |
| BMEN 605 | Biomedical Imaging
| 3 | | X
| X |
| BMEN 606 | Nanobiosensors | 3 | X | X | |
| BMEN 607 | Biomechanics | 3 | X | | |
| BMEN 608 | Biomaterials and Medical Devices | 3 | X | | X |
BMEN 609
or
EECE 605 | Computational Neuroscience
or
Neuromuscular Engineering | 3 | X | X | |
| BMEN 610 | Micro and Nano Neural Interfaces | 3 | X | | |
| BMEN 611 | Computational Modeling in Biomechanics | 3 | X | X | X |
EECE 601 or
EECE 602 | Biomedical Engineering I
or
Biomedical Engineering II
| 3 | X | X | X |
| EECE 603 | Biomedical Signal and Image Processing | 3 | | X | X |
EECE 633 or
EECE 663 or
EECE 667 or
EECE 693 | Data Mining
or
System Identification
or
Pattern Recognition
or
Neural Networks | 3 | | X | |
| HUMR 305 | Cell and Tissue Biology
| 3 | R | | |
| PHYL 300A | Pulmonary Physiology | 1 | | | R |
Free elective graduate courses: 6 credits additional elective courses. These courses should be taken based on the student’s specific area of research as approved by the student’s advisor.
Course Descriptions