Pathway to become a doctor in Lebanon: French-based curriculum (FBC) medical school pathway

So you want to become a doctor. What are your options for studying medicine in Lebanon? Lebanese medical schools can be divided based on the curriculum they follow into French system-based curriculum (FBC) schools and American system-based curriculum (ABC) schools. Some might argue that this division is not totally precise, however it is the best way to create a road map that you’ll be relying on in your decision making. For details on the ABC and the difference between ABC and FBC check this link.

What distinguishes the FBC schools from the ABC schools is that FBC schools do not require the MCAT and your medical education is not divided into pre-medical and medical school years. Some of the FBC schools do however provide students with a B.S. degree (or license) around your 3rd year. Here, each university has its unique curriculum and structure which we’ll be discussing next. A comparative table is provided at the end. The FBC universities are University of Saint Joseph (USJ), The Lebanese University (LU), Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) and Beirut Arab University (BAU).

Figure 1 shows a summary of this process.

1- University of Saint Joseph (USJ):

This is a 7 year program that is divided into: - 3 years which are equivalent to BS years, - 2 years of considered as Master’s years, - 2 Doctorate years which are basically hospital work. At the end you’ll only have one certificate which is the Medical Doctorate certificate, so this division is for technicalities and to organize the program.

Applying to USJ

The first step is to submit a portfolio that includes information regarding your school grades (although they are not really taken into consideration for acceptance). Then you will have to apply for an entrance exam. There are 2 rounds of entrance exams. The main entrance exam happens around January of every year where the top 80 applicants are accepted into the program, and another in June/July where only 20 applicants are accepted. There are two dates for the entrance exams. The exam includes chemistry, physics, math, biology and general culture. For optimal preparation for this exam check this link.

Can you apply to USJ if you did your BS or license in another university? The short answer is yes. Keep in mind, however, that you will need to take the same entrance exam discussed previously. Then, depending on the courses you’ve taken during your BS, you will be accepted to start medical school. However, you will have to repeat 1 or 2 years. Even if you did not finish your BS, you can still apply to USJ, but you’ll probably have to repeat extra courses and thus extra years.

Overview of USJ’s curriculum

As we previously mentioned, the 7 years are divided into three parts, first 3 years, Master’s years, and doctorate years. The courses are taught in French. A general overview of the curriculum is presented next. For details regarding the curriculum go to this link.

First three years (1st, 2nd, 3rd years): First year of basic sciences (biology, physics etc.), 2nd and 3rd years you will be going into more detail regarding human embryology, physiology and anatomy in addition to other topics.

“Master’s years” (4th and 5th years): Divided into modules (each module lasts 2-3 weeks). Each module deals with an organ system, from basic anatomy and physiology to pathology and clinical application. After each module there is an exam. Considered the hardest years of medicine at USJ.

USJ offers a unique opportunity in case you want to have an actual master’s degree and get a masters certificate. In the 4th year you can do a parallel master degree in research studies and earn a certificate of master’s in research and you can even go for a PhD. Keep in mind that you will have to pay tuition fees in addition to your regular fees as you are considered a double major if you do so. What makes this masters pathway attractive is that the courses are organized in a way that is suitable and compatible with the medical school curriculum and classes/hospital schedules.

Doctorate years (6th and 7th years: Clinical years are done at Hotel Dieux hospital. It is mostly focused on clinical exposure with some courses being given at the hospital. You’ll be having 3 exams/year in addition to clinical evaluation. At the end of the 7th year you’ll have to submit a thesis defense. Note that in the 7th year students get paid salaries (L.L 750,000) although they are still paying tuition fees for their medical education.

Residency: For residency, your first option here is Hotel Dieu hospital which is affiliated with USJ. Keep in mind that you can apply for residency at other Lebanese hospitals and even abroad if you don’t want to stay in-house. For details regarding residency options go to this link.

2- Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK):

This is a 7 year program that is divided into

- 3 years which are equivalent to BS years,

- 4 years which are equivalent to Medical school.

In contrast to USJ, at the end of the 3rd year, you’ll get a license in Science in Health Fundamentals (equivalent to a BS degree). You will graduate with two certificates: a license and medical doctorate.

Applying to USEK

The first step is to submit a portfolio that includes information regarding your school grades (in contrast to USJ, they are taken into consideration for acceptance). Then you will have to apply for an entrance exam. Generally, around 40 applicants are accepted each year. The exam includes Chemistry, physics, math, biology and general culture. For optimal preparation for this exam check this link.

Can you apply to USEK if you did your BS or license in another university? The answer is yes. If you meet the general requirements you can start from 4th year without repeating any courses. For details check this link.

Overview of USEK’s curriculum

As previously mentioned, the 7 years are divided into two parts. Some courses are given in French and others in English (hybrid program). A general overview of the curriculum is presented next. For details regarding the curriculum go to this link.

First 3 years (1st, 2nd, 3rd years): Includes basic sciences (biology, physics etcetera) and details regarding human embryology, physiology and anatomy in addition to other topics. This is considered a BS program. You will earn a BS in health fundamentals. In order to be eligible to continue into medical school you will need an average above 80/100.

Second 4 years (4th, 5th, 6th and 7th ): These 4 years are divided into two parts: 2 pre-clinical years and 2 clinical years. The pre-clinical years are divided into modules. Each module deals with an organ system, from basic anatomy and physiology to pathology and clinical application. After each module there is an exam. The final 2 clinical years are done mainly at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Notre-Dame des Secours. The clinical years are mainly focused on clinical exposure with some courses being given at the hospital. You’ll be having regular exams in the 6th year in addition to clinical evaluation. At the end of the 7th year you’ll have to submit a thesis defense (no exams are done in the 7th year).

Residency: For residency, your first option here is Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Notre-Dame des Secours which is affiliated with USEK. Based on your rank (calculated form your average), you’ll be able to select the specialties you want. Keep in mind that you can apply for residency at other Lebanese hospitals and even abroad if you don’t want to stay in-house. For details regarding residency options go to this link.

3- Beirut Arab University (BAU)

What makes BAU curriculum unique is that it can be considered a 6-year program with an optional extra year. The 6 years are divided into pre-clinal and clinical years.

Applying to BAU

The first step is to submit a portfolio that includes information regarding your school grade. You will then need to sit for an entrance exam dealing with topics such as biology, physics, chemistry, and general competencies. The top 100 students get in.

Can you apply to BAU if you did your BS or license in another university? The answer is yes. You will need to take the same entrance exam discussed previously. Then depending on the courses, you have taken in your BS, you will be accepted to start medical school. However, you will have to repeat 1 or 2 years. Even if you did not finish the BS you can still apply to BAU but probably you will have to repeat extra courses and thus extra years.

Overview of BAUs curriculum

As previously mentioned, BAU has a 6 year program with an optional extra year. The 6 years are divided into three pre-clinal years and three clinical years. The courses are taught in English and the studied content is somewhat similar to the ABC universities. A general overview of the curriculum is presented next. For details regarding the curriculum go to this link.

Three preclinical years (1st, 2nd, 3rd years): You will be studying at BAU Beirut campus. You’ll have courses in basic sciences (biology, chemistry, physics) as well as human embryology, physiology and anatomy in addition to other topics. At the end of your 3rd year you will have to take the ifom 1 exam (for more info about the ifom exam check this link).

Three clinical years (4th, 5th and 6th): All three clinical years are divided into modules. Each module deals with an organ system, from basic anatomy and physiology to pathology and clinical application. Each module has an exam. During these years you will be rotating in 3 hospitals: Harriri hospital, Makassed hospital, and Hammoud Hospital. At the end, you will sit for the ifom 2. Given you pass this exam, you’ll earn the MD certificate.

Optional extra 1 year: This is a 1 year of internship. It is optional if you are planning on doing your residency somewhere other than BAU. In case you want to do your residency in BAU you are obliged to do this year. If you want to go for residency elsewhere, you can skip this year. However, in order to be eligible to sit for the colloquium exam and become a member of the Lebanese Order of Physicians (LOP), you must complete an additional year after the 6th as clinical experience. Here you have two options, you can either do your internship at BAU and then sit for the colloquium exam or you can start residency at another university and sit for the colloquium after your first year of residency. In either case, sitting for the colloquium exam is important to become a member of the LOP and gain your medical license.

Residency: For residency, you will be rotating at Harriri hospital, Makassed hospital, and Hammoud Hospital. Based on your rank (calculated from your average), you’ll be able to select the specialties you want. Keep in mind that you can apply for residency at other Lebanese hospitals and even abroad if you don’t want to stay in-house. To note, one advantage that BAU provides which is not available in other FBCs is that you are required to do the ifom exams. This facilitates the option of applying for residency in Lebanese ABC universities. For details regarding residency options go to this link.

4- The Lebanese University (LU)

For LU, It’s a 7-year program that is divided into 1 year of biology (and other basic sciences such as physics, chemistry and math) followed by 6 years of medical school. Medical school years are divided into 4 pre-clinical and 2 clinical years.

Applying to LU

Any school graduate can apply to the first year after submitting the required documents (no specific grades are required). One can apply at most LU campuses (Fanar, Amchit, Tripoli). After your first year, you’ll need to sit for an entrance exam to get into medical school. Only students with a first-year average above 12/20 are eligible to take the exam. Of all the applicants, the top 120-130 are accepted and can continue med school. The courses are taught in English or French (based on personal preference). A general overview of the medical school’s curriculum is presented next. For details regarding the curriculum go to this link.

Can you apply to LU if you did your BS or license in another university? The answer is no, i.e. you will have to start from scratch. Since tuition is free and attendance is not required, students studying at other universities can enrol for the 1st LU year while they are studying at another university and sit for the LU medical school entrance exam at the end of their 1st year. If you do well on the exam, you can start LU medical school immediately, and if not, you can continue your studies at your other university.

Pre-clinical years (2nd year till 5th year): You will be studying at LU’s Hadass campus. You’ll have courses in basic sciences (biology, chemistry, physics) as well as human embryology, physiology and anatomy in addition to other topics. During your 5th year, you’ll be rotating in the hospital as an observer.

Clinical years (6th and 7th years): Clinical rotations are done at many hospitals including Giitawi, Harriri, Mount Lebanon, Aleb Yasou, Saint Charl, MDL, Saint George Hadass, Baabda, Zgharta, Ain w Zein, El Sahel, El Zahraa, CMC, Al Machrek, Abou Jaoude. You will have two exams at the end of each year. At the end of the 7th year, you’ll be sitting for an extra exam which is a residency qualification exam. Depending on all your exams average and the residency exam you’ll be assigned a rank which affects your ability to choose the residency specialty you can go for. To note, the clinical years are paid internships ( L.L 600,000k during 6th year and L.L 800,000 during 7th year).

Residency: For residency, you will be rotating at the previously mentioned hospitals. Based on your rank (calculated from your average and the residency exam), you’ll be able to select the specialties you want. Keep in mind that you can apply for residency at other Lebanese hospitals and even abroad if you don’t want to stay in-house. For details regarding residency options go to this link.