The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast

Episode 26: How to do your medical training in Germany with Dr. Jerome Srour

Are you interested in pursuing medical training and a potential medical career in Deutschland? Listen to our latest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast with Dr. Jerome Srour, Dermatology resident in at Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich, and Dr. Fahed Al-Ghanim, a pulmonary and critical care fellow at the University of Maryland. In the podcast, Dr. Srour discusses how he decided to pursue his residency in Germany when he was a medical student at the Lebanese American University. He then outlines the pathway he followed to achieve his goal, the visa process and options, and a potential post-residency career. We compare and contrast this with the residency and career options in the United States.

 

 

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/0GD3-WZAHC8

 

Also available on Apple and Spotify

 

Websites to follow: 

https://beirut.diplo.de/lb-de
Visas and requirements (website of germany embassy in Leb)

 

https://www.regierung.oberbayern.bayern.de/aufgaben/37198/244210/leistung/leistung_33391/index.html#:~:text=Die%20Regierung%20von%20Oberbayern%20erteilt,in%20Bayern%20ausge%C3%BCbt%20werden%20soll.

 

 

Episode 25: Women in Medicine in Lebanon: Challenges and Future Outlook with Drs. Eveline Hitti and Zakia Dimassi

Listen to our newest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast with Drs. Eveline Hitti, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, and Dr. Zakia Dimassi, Assistant Professor of Clinical Teaching, Simulation, and Pediatrics at Saint George University Hospital in Beirut. In this episode, we discuss with two leaders in their field the struggles that women face in their pursuit of their chosen career path and in reaching leadership positions. Overall, the path has been arduous in the past; however, more women are going into medical school, and more women are joining the academic and private workforce (although still avoiding certain surgical subspecialties) which with time will reverse some of the inequities. We hope you will enjoy this conversation, and please feel free to share your thoughts on the issues that were raised and maybe your struggles, and some potential solutions.

You can watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VTy0hBfcot4

You can also listen to it on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, and Google Play. 

#womeninmedicine #lebanon #healthcare #medstudent

Episode 24: The HEAL Clinic: Improving the lives of migrant workers and the LGBTQ community in Lebanon

Listen and watch our newest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast featuring the HEAL Clinic, an #AUBMC supported medical student and faculty driven clinic that focuses on treating and furthering the lives of migrant workers in Lebanon and the LGBTQ community.

Under the Kafala system in the country, migrant workers for the most part are under the sponsorship of their employers and it is at the discretion of the empolyer to provide them with health insurance and with basic rights. They are also living away from their families and kids for long periods of time trying to provide for them. This creates psychological and health stressors on these workers.

As for the LGBTQ community in Lebanon, there is a deficiency of laws protecting them in the country. The clinic is supported by Helem, the first not-for-profit LGBT advocacy group in the Arab world that focuses on improving the legal and social status of the LGBT community in Lebanon and lobbies for laws to protect the community. The clinic not only provides healthcare to these patients, but also seeks to provide social and psychological support, focusing on improving their quality of life and protecting their civil rights. #Migrantworkers #Kafalasystem # LGBTQcommunity #Lebanon The episode feature three medical students at AUB, Alice Recho, Marc Moukarzel, and Marwan Ghanem, and is co-hosted by Dr. MohmmadAli Jaradali.

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/9b6kcOZNHOg

Episode 23: Enterpreneurship in Medicine: Thinking Outside the Box with Dr. Rachid Akiki

Please listen and watch the latest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast with Dr. Rachid Akiki, a radiologist by training, who decided to pursue at alternative career in medicine outside patient care. We discuss the pathway to his career of choice, his propensity for calculated risk-taking, and the development of his latest company bookzdoctor. His career choice allows him the flexibility of having a job based in Boston while working from Miami. His advice in my opinion is do what you are passionate about, don't be afraid to take a calculated risk, and there is a good chance you will succeed if you work hard at it.

 

Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/mbY_WBPB6u4

 

Also available on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, and Google Play

CORRECTION: Dr. Akiki did a fellowship in nuclear medicine and imaging and did not do a radiology residency as I inadvertently mentioned 

 

Episode 22: Lebanon: Nursing in Times of COVID-19 and Economic Crisis with Dr. Myrna Abi Abdallah-Doumit

Please listen to our newest episode of the Lebanese Physicians' Podcast with Dr. Myrna Abi Abdallah-Doumit, Associate Professor of Nursing at the Lebanese American University and President of the Order of Nurses in Lebanon. Since October 2019, nurses in Lebanon have faced unprecedented crises (economic crisis, COVID-19 crisis, and the Beirut Blast). In this episode, we discuss the heroic measures nurses have been taking to help people in need through these difficult times despite the massive loss in the value of their salaries and their quality of life.

We discuss the psychological and financial impact of these crises on the nurses, the exodus of 1600 experiences nurses from the country, and the tremendous work the Order of Nurses in Lebanon is doing to try to stem the tide of emigration. We end with a message of hope during these difficult times, hope that the leadership in the country will do the necessary reforms to improve the economic situation and reverse the brain drain, and hope in the Lebanese youth who are working day and night to improve the livelihood of the people of the country despite the crisis. You can watch a video that highlights the heroic efforts nurses took on August 4, 2021 after the Beirut blast to save the lives of patients despite destruction of their hospitals. https://youtu.be/gu5cscj8LTs

You can watch a youtube video of the episode with a powerpoint presentation by Dr. Doumit on: https://youtu.be/zO5nqygD5Ts

You can also listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, and Google Play. 

Episode 21: Matching into Your Residency of Choice: How to Build a Strong CV

Listen to our newest episode of the Lebanese Physicians Podcast with Drs. Lea Moujaes and Alaa Ousta. Both Drs. Moujaes and Ousta matched into their residencies of choice in a competitive specialty, emergency medicine. We discuss how they built their CVs from a clinical and research perspective, how they were able to secure research positions, and how they established connections to achieve their goals. Hardwork, perseverance, and connections are key. We hope the content in this video and podcast will shed light on a path forward to secure your residency of choice.

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/xQcw7qp3B7s

 

Episode 20: Promoting Blood Donations in Lebanon : The Role of Donner Sang Compter with Yorgui Teyrouz

Please listen to our newest episode of the podcast with Yorgui Teyrouz and MohammadAli Jardali discussing the blood donation process in Lebanon. Historically, donating blood in Lebanon has been an individualized and de-centralized process with the families of patients scrambling to find blood units for their loved ones. Yorgui is a pharmacist who has managed to establish the NGO Donner Sang Compter (to give without asking for anything in return) promoting voluntary blood donations in all areas of Lebanon. His NGO has had great success with more than one thousand blood blood drives across the country, more than 70000 blood units donated, and 23000 donors registered. His organization has managed to take the role similar to a central blood bank in any other country or US state with limited resources and in the absence of any Lebanese government assistance. In the podcast, we also delve into how the blood drives can enhance the sense of community in the population and promote co-existence among the various Lebanese communities. Donner Sang Compter should be an example to follow. You can help by being a blood donor in Lebanon, you can help from outside by contacting the organization, you can donate on their website. The website is: https://dsclebanon.org You can listen to the video version on: Youtube: https://youtu.be/RV5hOgh7pHY

You can also listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google play: The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast

Episode 19: Tahaddi Lebanon: Providing Medical Care to People in Dire Need with Dr. Dany Daham

Please listen to our latest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast with Dr. Dany Daham, medical director of Tahaddi's community clinic and Dr. MohammadAli Jardali, chief resident in family medicine at the American University Medical Center. In this episode, we highlight the work that Tahaddi Association does in Hay Al Gharbeh, an impoverished area in the southern suburbs of Beirut that houses people from the Dom community, and refugees from the various conflicts in the Middle East. Tahaddi not only provides critically needed medical care, but also provides education and pathways to join the workforce for people in these communities. 

Please donate to the association: 

https://gogetfunding.com/support-tahaddi-lebanon/

Website:

https://tahaddilebanon.org

The funds are particularly needed now in these times of severe economic uncertainty in Lebanon. 

 

Episode 18: Doctors on the frontlines: The October 17th revolution with Drs. Alain Sabri and Zakia Dimassi

This is our newest episode of the Lebanese Physicians Podcast with Drs. Zakia Dimassi and Alain Sabri. We discuss the role doctors played in the October 17th revolution and how they established the doctors' tent in Martyr's Square. We also touch on the atmosphere of hope during that period and then discuss the emigration of doctors from the country due to the political impasse. Hoping for a better future and a turn around.

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/D8v8cYTCXho

Episode 17: Electives and Observerships in the United States with Drs. Nisrene Kawa and Samer Nasser

Tune in to the most recent episode of the Lebanese Physicians' Podcast. We discuss with Drs. Nisrene Kawa and Samer Nasser of Boston, MA the different ways to secure electives and observerships and how best to maximize your time during these limited periods. Dr. Kawa shares her experience securing electives, establishing connections, and obtaining letters of recommendation. Dr. Nasser shares his tips and tricks to get the most out of your time. We hope you enjoy it.