The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) in collaboration with the Association of Academic Health Centers International (AAHCI), successfully organized and hosted the inaugural AAHCI MENA regional conference titled ‘Transformation of Medical Education in the New Era: Humanism, Technology, and the Physician of Tomorrow’.
The conference, which took place between September 27 and 29, 2018 addressed the impending impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), technology, and big data informatics on medical education and patient care and discussed the role of humanism and narrative medicine in the formation of the future physicians in the coming era. It reflected the leading role of AUBMC in shaping medical education and practice on the regional and global levels, now and in the future. The conference also presented the attendees with the opportunity to interact and build relationships with institutional leaders from the Middle East, Europe and North America and provided a platform for collaborative networking and discussion towards the improvement of medical education and ultimately patient care in the 21st century.
It comes at a time when AUBMC’s 2020 Vision is coming into its fruition and foreshadows the emerging health sciences campus which will integrate and showcase other areas such as bioengineering, bioinformatics and biotechnology.
As the designated AAHCI Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Office, AUBMC could pave the way to fostering the discussion on key issues for MENA academic health centers and systems while contributing to the development of AAHCI programs and strengthening collaborations between current and prospective AAHC and AAHCI members, especially but not only in the MENA region. It will also lend towards AAHCI Regional Office collaborations between MENA, Europe and other offices around the world. This is a strong testimonial that AUBMC plays a pivotal role in supporting medical advancement by being responsive to the changing dynamics of healthcare, medical education and healthcare delivery with its adoption of various curricula changes, accreditations and new technologies in patient diagnostics and care.
The symposium included world renowned and top-notch speakers from around the world and drew on pioneers and collaborators from great American, British, European and regional medical schools and systems. All gathered to discuss the latest advancements in technology and humanism, the two pillars of progress in medicine. Some of the major topics covered were pre-medical requirements in medical humanities, teaching the principles and practice of narrative medicine, artificial intelligence, and the new medical curriculum, artificial intelligence, simulation, technology and clinical training, advancing care through decentralization, devices, robotics, and the future of surgery, regional challenges in medical education amongst many others.
The conference ended with a closed session where Dr. John William Eley, Executive Associate Dean at Emory University School of Medicine, emphasized the essential role of the patient-doctor relationship of this profession and the humanistic part of medicine that has to be maintained while keeping up with the fast pace that technological advancements are making.
It also shed the light on the regional challenges and stressed the collective collaboration for the advancement of education and incorporation of technology.
For additional information and to know more about ongoing news and activities, please visit AAHCI MENA Regional Office website.