2007 Graduating Class of Resident Doctors: Made of Tough Mettle

Graduating class

Seventy-one new resident doctors graduated from the AUB Medical Center after completing their training in one of 27 areas of specialty in medicine. Proud parents and friends gathered on June 1 for the graduation ceremony that took place in Issam Fares Hall.

"The graduating class this year is a distinguished one," said Dr. Thurayya Arayssi, assistant dean of the Faculty of Medicine. "These physicians whom we are honoring today completed most of their senior year during a time of war. Many of them left their families and took residence in the institution to serve those affected by the war. Their contribution extended beyond the hospital to those displaced in nearby and faraway shelters, where several of these young physicians spearheaded many relief effort programs."

Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Nadim Cortas, said that the successive crises facing the country have proven that Lebanon's wealth lies in its human capital, "which you represent." For instance, AUBMC is still treating in large numbers those who were hurt by the July 2006 war, he noted, saying: "And we are aware that such services will not stop as long as there are people like you."

For Provost Peter Heath, the graduation marked the end of the careers of the resident doctors as clinicians to physicians fully qualified to train others in this specialty. "I sincerely hope that you will join your colleagues in not only pursuing your careers but doing so in ways that advance both the scientific foundations of your profession and the social well-being of the society in which you work," Heath said.

The newly-elected president of the Order of Physicians, Dr. George Aftimos, prodded graduates to think of medicine as a vocation, not as a profession, and dedicate their lives to knowledge and to their patients, while abiding by ethical practices.

Dr. Wassim Wazzan, representing Health Minister Jawad Khalifeh, urged graduates to learn from the mistakes of the previous generation and make sure they will not fall prey to sectarianism and extremism so they can build a better future for the country.

Dr. Asaad Skoury, who graduated with a specialty in gastroenterology, delivered the class address. He reminded his colleagues AUB had instilled in them "the spirit of responsible freedom of mind" through the knowledge and skills it helped them develop to become truly free individuals.