Medicine Education, Practice, and Research in Lebanon

Medical education in Lebanon is influenced by the French and American systems. In this small country of 4.5 million people, seven universities deliver medical education to graduates, clearly above the needed workforce size. The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) accreditation imposed by the USA worldwide is expected to regulate the number of graduates and improve their competence. The imbalance in the specialty types translates into an oversupply in some fields of medicine. Consequently, a substantial brain drain occurs to European and North American countries, while the physicians who choose to stay in Lebanon practice in private and public healthcare settings of heterogeneous quality. The majority of teaching physicians practice medicine mostly, and very few dedicate time to academic work, which affects the quality of education and research. Nevertheless, some renowned physicians had outstanding achievements in several fields of practice and research, confirming Lebanon as a medical hub of the Middle Eastern region.