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Given the current events in Lebanon, Lebanese physicians working there have been in the news extensively lately. Some have chosen to leave in search of a more stable life; some have chosen to stay, and some have chosen not to move back to Lebanon in the first place. We will interview Lebanese physicians working in Lebanon and beyond to get their opinions about the events taking place in Lebanon, the future of medicine in Lebanon, and the role Lebanese physicians play worldwide in their respective fields, and their connections to their home county. We will highlight success stories, stories that were not so successful, and everything in between. Medical students, physicians-in-training, and attending physicians at different points in their careers will be interviewed. We hope you will find this podcast beneficial and exciting!
Episodes

4 days ago
4 days ago
In this episode, we dive deep into the inspiring journey of Christopher Soujah, an LAU student who graduated pharmacy school and navigated his Pharm-D while battling Hodgkin's lymphoma. Join us as he shares his personal story of resilience, determination, and the unique challenges he faced in balancing rigoruous academic demands with the physical and emotional toll of cancer treatment.
Listeners will gain insight into the importance of support systems (Christopher was treated at LAUMC-RH) where he was surrounded by colleagues during his treatment), and effective coping strategies. Christopher is now cured and is moving to Houston, Texas to Methodist Hospital to continue his studies.
Christopher's story is one of survival, empathy, and a celebration of life and perseverance.
#cancersurvivors #pharmacyschool #battlingcancer #Hodgkinslymphoma #Resilience #Cancerjourney #copingstrategies #inspirationalstories #healthandwellness #communitysupport

Sunday Jan 26, 2025
Episode 110: The Future of Medicine: AI's Role in the Middle East
Sunday Jan 26, 2025
Sunday Jan 26, 2025
In this episode, we discuss with Dr. Youssef Bassim, Chief Operating Officer at the University of Balamand and the Head of Digital Health Division and AI Department at the Arab Health Federation, Aritficial Intelligence in the Middle East. We delve into the current landscape of AI in the different countries (Lebanon and the Gulf), we discuss its impact on patient care, cultural considerations, ethical concerns, and the role of government in modernizing regulations and implementing electronic medical record systems. We end it with what the future of healthcare in the region will look like.
#artificialintelligence #electronicmedicalrecords #healthcare #MENA #Lebanon
This episode can be found on all podcast apps.

Saturday Jan 18, 2025
Episode 109: The Silent Crisis: Burnout in the Medical Field
Saturday Jan 18, 2025
Saturday Jan 18, 2025
Listen to this latest episode of the podcast cohosted with MohammadAli Jardaly, with Dr. Alaa Rihan, a Family Medicine physician and a scholar, Leading Physician Wellbeing Program with the American Academy of Family Physicians. Burnout affects more than 50% of physicians in the US and is a growing problem that needs urgent attention. This episode delves into the challenges and pressures faced by healthcare professionals. Listeners will gain insights into the scope of the problem, its impact on patient care and physician well-being, and coping strategies, self-care practices, and the importance of mental health awareness in medicine. Join us as we explore a healthier work environment for those dedicated to caring for others. This episode can also be found on all podcast apps.
#physicianburnout #lifestylemedicine #physicianwellness #mentalhealth
This episode is available on all podcast apps and on Youtube at:
https://youtu.be/j8CrcgK16TM

Wednesday Jan 01, 2025
Episode 108: Beyond the Fee-for-Service: A Look at Lebanon's Pay-For-Perfomance Model
Wednesday Jan 01, 2025
Wednesday Jan 01, 2025
Pay-for-Perfomance in medicine gained in popularity after the advent of the Affordable Care Act in the US and it has had its positive and negative aspects. In this episode with Jade Khalife and co-hosted with MohammadAli Jardaly, we explore the concept of pay for performance in the Lebanese healthcare system. We delve into how this innovative model led to decreased hospital admissions for common diseases. Listeners will be able to navigate the complexities of healthcare financing and the role that incentives can play in value based care. Listeners will also be able to learn the cultural aspects that need to be taken into consideration in healthcare policy in different countries.
This episode can also be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gr9KXWC-Fzw
and on all podcast apps
#pay-for-perfomance #valuebasedcare #medicalcare #Lebanon

Saturday Dec 07, 2024
Episode 107: Immunogenetics Unlocked: The Gene Discovery Journey
Saturday Dec 07, 2024
Saturday Dec 07, 2024
In this episode with Dr. Cybel Mehawej of the Lebanese American University Human Genetics Department, and co-hosted with MohammadAli Jardaly, we explore the gene discovery process at the intersection of genetics and immunology. Dr. Mehawej, along with the team at the LAU Medical Center (Dr. Andre Megarbane, Dr. Eliane Choueiri) have discovered 2 genes related to immunodeficiency over the past year. We discuss the process of gene discovery and its eventual impact on monitoring and treatment of these rare diseases. Whether you are a scientist, student, or simply curious about how genetics impacts health and disease, this podcast offers a rich resource and a window into the field of immunogenetics.
#immunogenetics #genediscovery #rarediseases
This episode can also be found on YouTube and on all podcast apps
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/d1TsHFthS_s

Saturday Nov 23, 2024
Saturday Nov 23, 2024
In this episode, we discuss with Dr. Mohamad Khalife and Dr. Anna Farra (two infectious diseases physicians with Doctors without Borders) their recent published article in Open Forum Infect Dis: " Posttraumatic Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Osteomyelitis in Mosul and Gaza: A Retrospective Cohort Study, 2018 - 2022. "
This is a timely episode that relates to the latest conflicts in the region including Iraq, Gaza, and Lebanon. We discuss the role of NGOs and local hospitals in acute care and the subsequent major role of surgeons and quality microbiology labs in preventing multidrug resistant infections, preventing amputations, and treating bone infections and other wounds appropriately.
Tune in to listen to the great work that is being done by the staff of MSF and by Dr. Khalife and Farra in these area.
#doctorswithoutborders #osteomyelitis #warzones #conflict #microbiology
This episode can be found on all podcast apps and on YouTube at:
https://youtu.be/AvNI4P-_3gw

Sunday Nov 17, 2024
Sunday Nov 17, 2024
In this episode, MohammadAli Jardaly and I discuss with Dr. Karine Abou Khaled their latest paper titled: "Impact of the socioeconomic crisis in Lebanon on people with epilepsy" published in Epilepsia Open.
Dr. Abou Khaled is an epilepsy specialist at Hotel Dieu De France and had returned to Lebanon years ago after completing her residency at Drexel University and Columbia University in the US.
This paper highlights the impact of the economic crisis on access to epilepsy medications. This leads us to gain a deeper understanding of how socioeconomic factors shape health outcomes and access. The decreased access to epilepsy medications and the increased stress levels from the economic crisis and the current war is leading to increased seizure activity among the patients affected and a poor quality of life.
Tune in to learn about these issues and to learn essential mitigation strategies.
#epilepsy #economiccrisis #stressandhealth
This episode is available on all podcast apps and on YouTube at:
https://youtu.be/dIMEPkrjeD4

Sunday Nov 10, 2024
Episode 104: Healing Amidst Chaos: Medical Care in the Lebanese War
Sunday Nov 10, 2024
Sunday Nov 10, 2024
In this episode co-hosted with Dr. MohammadAli Jardali, we discuss with Dr. Hasan Ismail, a family medicine physician whose clinic was in the Southern suburbs of Beirut and a medical advisor for Medecins du Monde, the critical topic of medical care during the recent Lebanese war. We explore the challenges face by healthcare professionals and institutions during this conflict.
Given Dr. Ismail is intimately involved in the conflict having family who have been displaced due to the crisis, we approach the conflict from a different lens. We explore his experience providing free health care to the community of displaced persons, while himself being displaced with his family. We also delve into the needs of the displaced families having lost their houses, and medical supplies.
This episode shows the effects wars have on people who were leading normal lives and whose lives have been turned upside down overnight.
#lebanonwar #displacedpeople #conflictmedicine

Saturday Nov 02, 2024
Episode 103: Diabetes Dialogues: Insights with DiaLeb on World Diabetes Day
Saturday Nov 02, 2024
Saturday Nov 02, 2024
In this special episode, we sit down with Dr. Jackie Kassouf Maalouf, founder of DiaLeb to commemorate World Diabetes Day. DiaLeb is the National Diabetes Organization. It was founded in 2011 as a non-profit organization in Lebanon to promote diabetes care and prevention and help find a cure for this disease.
We explore the impact of diabetes on communities in Lebanon before and after the economic crisis and we discuss the importance of lifestyle modification as a preventative measure for type 2 diabetes. We also discuss the multiple projects that DiaLeb has been involved in promoting exercise and nutrition, and helping provide needed medications to people suffering from diabetes in Lebanon.
Tune in for this enlightening conversation which was recorded before the current war in Lebanon, but which provides hope for a bright future in Lebanon.
This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/4hFBDbH0gJk
and on all podcast apps.
#Diabetescare #Worlddiabetesday #diabetes #diabetesprevention #lifestyle

Monday Oct 28, 2024
Monday Oct 28, 2024
In a podcast episode co-hosted with MohammadAli Jardali, we discuss mental health in times of conflict with Dr. Maya Bizri, currently psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH and previously Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the American University of Beirut Medical Center.
In this episode, we delve into the complex landscape of mental health in Lebanon, especially in these times of deep crises. We discuss access to mental health in this time of war and availability of physicians, psychologists, and insurance coverage.
We examine the role of community support systems, grassroots initiatives, and NGOs in fostering mental well being in the short term during this war, and in the long term dealing with the multiple traumatic episodes people have faced.
This episode can be found on all podcast apps.
#polytrauma #mentalhealth #conflictpsychiatry #PTSD #Lebanon #Lebanonwar