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.
The Scholarly Concentration Track in the MD Program
The Faculty of Medicine offers medical students the option of pursuing the scholarly concentration track towards the MD. This track allows students to link to a faculty member and pursue a scholarly project during years 2, 3 and 4 of the medical program. The time devoted to this track will be equivalent to a 3-credit course in year 2 and 12 weeks of elective clerkships during the fourth year. Additionally, students may elect to work on it during their free time within those 3 years. Completion of the scholarly project with a public presentation and a product of scholarship are requirements for graduation. The project may be in any of the following domains so long as it has some relevance to medicine and health: the basic biological and biomedical sciences; the clinical sciences; public health, epidemiology, community medicine and global health; the arts, humanities and social sciences (includes bioethics); engineering, architecture and the physical sciences; business administration and management; agricultural and nutritional sciences.
The MD-MBA Dual Degree Program
Students enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine MD program can choose to pursue a dual MD-MBA degree. This requires them to take one year off between the 3rd and 4th year of the MD program to pursue studies at the Olayan School of Business. At the end of the year (which includes fall, spring, and summer terms), the students will return to the Faculty of Medicine to complete their fourth year of the MD program, while they continue working on their 3-credit project for the MBA degree. Thus, the dual degrees will be completed in 5 years instead of 6 years if they were pursued separately. Students enrolled in this program will be considered as following the scholarly concentration track of the MD program, thus 3 4-week elective rotations in their fourth year of the MD program will double as 9 credits of elective courses for the MBA degree.
Admission Requirements: For the dual MD-MBA degree, the GMAT requirement and the work experience normally required for admission to the MBA program will be waived, whereby the MCAT would replace the GMAT, and the MD students’ rotations during their MED III would be considered as equivalent to the required MBA work experience.
To be considered for admission, MD students must be in good standing academically (no failed courses or clerkships) and professionally (no disciplinary action on record). A committee from representatives of both faculties shall interview and screen applicants and come up with admission recommendations. Each committee member has the option to separately review the file and interview the applicants to ensure their fit within the program. The decision of the committee shall be communicated to the students by the middle of the third year in the MD program.
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: Students who matriculated before fall 2024 should follow instructions published in previous catalogue(s).
Students who matriculated as of fall 2024 should follow the requirements listed below:
As of 2024-2025, the minimal course requirements for admission to the MD program at AUBFM will be as listed below (the courses in parentheses are AUB courses that fulfill the requirements), irrespective of the track followed in high school or the Lebanese Baccalaureate.
Biology: 7 credits: one course in general biology with laboratory (BIOL 201, 4 credits) and one course in biochemistry (BIOL 220, 3 credits).
Chemistry: 8 credits: 3 credits in general chemistry (CHEM 201, 3 credits); 5 credits in organic chemistry with lab (CHEM 208, 3 credits; CHEM 209, 2 credits). Biology and chemistry majors will take CHEM 210, 211 and 212 to fulfill the requirements of organic chemistry.
Computer Science: 3 credits in introductory programming (CMPS 203, 3 credits).
English: 6 credits in academic English (ENGL 203 and 204).
Physics: 4 credits in a physics course for the life sciences with laboratory (PHYS 206 and 206L, 4 credits). Biology and chemistry majors may take other courses as dictated by their majors in lieu of PHYS 206 (e.g., biology majors will take PHYS 204, 204L, 205 and 205L and chemistry majors will take PHYS 211 and PHYS 211L).
Psychology: 3 credits in general psychology (PSYC 201, 3 credits).
Sociology: 3 credits in general sociology (SOAN 201, 3 credits).
Humanities: 6 credits. Any two courses recognized by the university as fulfilling the “humanities” requirements may be taken, excluding some courses listed under point 2 below. At AUB, students are encouraged to consider minoring in the medical humanities. The following possibilities are recommended - but not mandatory - to fulfill the humanities requirements:
- Any 2 CVSP/CHLA courses
- One CVSP/CHLA course and one English or Arabic literature humanities course, excluding those listed below:
- ENGL 227: Introduction to Language
- ENGL 228: Phonetics
- ENGL 229: History of the English Language
- ENGL 233: Introduction to Translation
- ENGL 211/212: Survey of Arabic Grammar
- ENGL 213/214: Introductory Biblical Hebrew
- ENGL 215: Introductory Syriac
- ENGL 224: Arabic Stylistics and Metrics
- ENGL 227: Arabic Linguistics
- ENGL 228: Arabic Linguistics
- One CVSP/CHLA and one philosophy course from the following:
- PHIL 210 Introduction to Ethics
- PHIL 214 Modern Philosophy
- PHIL 216 Political Philosophy
- PHIL 221 Philosophy of Mind
- PHIL 222 Philosophy of Science
- PHIL 224 Philosophy of Religion
- PHIL 225 History of Moral Philosophy
- PHIL 230 Philosophy of Plato
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, chemical and physical sciences, social, psychological and behavioral sciences, and critical analysis and reasoning skills. Students are encouraged to review the content of the MCAT and plan their studies accordingly.
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, students 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 percent, 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, students must be full-time and must not be repeating the year. The dean’s honor list includes 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 section.
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 students in each subject is based on their total performance and not solely on the results of examinations.
The students’ 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 credit to themselves, the faculty and the medical profession are advanced.
To be promoted, students must attain a grade of Pass or better in all courses or clerkships and must be recommended by the committees concerned. However, students 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, students who fail 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. Students who fail more than one re-examination will be asked either to repeat the year or leave the program. Students who fail 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. Students who fail this second re-examination will be asked either to repeat the year or leave the program.
Students in the first or second year who fail 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, students who are 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, students 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, students who fail 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). Students who fail more than one re-examination, remedial work or repeated clerkship or course may be asked to either repeat the year or leave the program. Students who fail 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. Students who fail this second attempt will be asked either to repeat the year or leave the program.
Students in the third or fourth year who fail 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, students who are 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.
Students in the medical program may not fail more than one academic year. Students who fail a second academic year will be asked to leave the program. Students who repeat a year and fail any course or clerkship may be asked to leave the program.
Students who are 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 students 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 students’ performance and fitness for promotion or graduation. The following guidelines apply to students who fail less than 50 percent 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 students fail both the clinical performance and the final written examination of a clerkship, they will be required to repeat it in its entirety: the clinical components and the final written examination.
- If students fail only the final examination of a clerkship, they will be required to repeat it. If the students fail a second time, they will be required to repeat the clerkship in its entirety: both the clinical components and the final written examination.
- If students fail only the clinical performance component, they will be asked to repeat the clinical components of the rotation (totally or partly as determined by the department concerned). If the students fail the clinical component a second time, they will be required to repeat it in its entirety: both the clinical components and the 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 towards 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
|
|
Total |
924 |
44 |
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 231
|
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
| Introduction to Evidence based Medicine | -
| 14
| 6
| 20
| 1
|
|
Total |
790 |
38 |
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 Internal Medicine | 12 | 120 | 500 | 620 | _
|
| FMMD 242 | Physicians, Patients and Society III | 2 | 16 | 24 | 40 | – |
| INMD 254 | Infection Control | – | 6 | 34 | 40 | – |
| PSYT 252 | Clinical Clerkship Psychiatry | 4 | 25 | 180 | 205 | – |
OBGY 247
| Clinical Clerkship Obstetrics and Gynecology | 8
| 47
| 360
| 407
| –
|
PEDT 246
| Clinical Clerkship Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
| 8 | 35 | 360 | 395 | –
|
| SURG 246 | Clinical Clerkship Surgery | 8 | 45 | 360 | 405 | – |
| FMMD 246 | Clinical Clerkship Family Medicine | 4 | 30 | 160 | 180
| - |
| PHRM 333 | Clinical Pharmacology | 1 | 16 | – | 16 | – |
| |
Total |
2568 |
|
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 Internal Medicine | 8
| – | 360 | 360 | – |
| NEUR 262 | Clinical Clerkship Neurology | 4 | – | 180 | 180 | – |
| EMMD 262 | Clinical Clerkship Emergency Medicine | 5 | – | 230 | 230 | – |
PEDT 267
| Clinical Clerkship Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine | 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 Family Medicine | 4 | 30 | 150 | 180 | – |
| IDTH 262 | Capstone Course | 1 | 10 | 40 | 45 | – |
|
Total |
2270 |
|
Interdepartmental Courses – Medical Program