FQMS

In the late 1980s the Palestinian medical community realised that the future provision of medical services in the Occupied Territories required there to be a medical school in the Territories which could train undergraduates and help provide a continuing medical education (CME) programme for qualified doctors.

At that time it was noted that the opportunities for Palestinians to receive their medical education outside, hitherto done in the Arab world and Eastern European countries, were dwindling and economically non viable.

In 1990 a general meeting of Interested senior medical practitioners was organised where a decision was taken to undergo a feasibility study plan for the establishment of a medical school In the Palestinian territories, utilizing the clinical facilities available at the time.

From a symbolic national point of view and the central location of Jerusalem, It was agreed that Al-Quds University should be the academic Institution to house the medical faculty.

The idea was enthusiastically accepted by the Chairman of Al-Quds board of Trustees, Mr Muhammed Nusseibeh, who entrusted Dr Nael Shihabi to expose his organizational plan about the establishment of the first Palestinian medical school. In 1992 a Professional Committee comprising the following:

Muhammad Nuseibeh (chairman), Dr Hani Abdeen, Dr Farouq Abdul-Rahim, Dr Mamdouh Aker, Dr Raja'I Dajani, Dr Rashid Jarallah, Dr Najwa Kamal, Dr Amin Khatib, Dr Ibrahim Lada', Dr Nahid Masri, Dr Saleem Ma'touq, Dr Rustom Nammari, Dr Yaser Obeid, Dr Tawfik Shakhashir, Dr Nael Shihabi, Dr Ahmad Zu'aiter took over the planning and development of this project.

Following this a Steering Committee was selected to Implement the planning Committeee's aim of opening the school In September 1994.

The Steering Committee was composed of Dr Nael Shihabi (cardiothoracic surgeon), Dr Rustom Nammari (orthopaedic surgeon), Dr Mamdouh Aker(urologist), Dr Hani Abdeen (Internist), Dr Rashid Jarallah (obstetrician), Dr Izzedine Husein (cardiologist), all prominent in the medical community in and around Jerusalem.

The Steering Committee sought the advice of medical educational experts from the UK and invited Professor Colin Green, Director of the Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research to attend an early planning meeting and advise on feasibility. Supported by the London based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians whose director at that time was Dr Rafiq Husseini, Professor Green made a number of visits in 1991 and 1992 and became an enthusiastic supporter of the proposed school.

To give the Medical school an international perspective, an International Academic advisory Board was formed under the chairmanship of Professor R M Harden of the Centre for Medical Education at the University of Dundee, comprising: Professor Colin Green, Professor Georges Hennen, Professor Brian Rowlands, Professor Simon Frostick, Professor A E B Giddings, Professor Ian Hart.

In September 1994 the School opened as planned with an initial intake of 36 students. A curriculum divided In three phases was followed-premedical, preclinical and clinical phases. The curriculum was developed in alignment with modern educational paradigms, with emphasis on self learning principles and community oriented training.

In order to give other interested Palestinian higher education Institutions, a role in the capacity building of local human resources for health, two other branches were accepted under the umbrella of Palestinian medical school.

Besides Al-Quds, AlNajah(Nablus) and Al-Azhar(Gaza) formed a trilateral memorandum of understanding where students will study for the first pre-medical phase In each site. Following this students will transfer to the main campus of Al-Quds-Abu-Dies, to finish the remaining two phases. This arrangement continued till 1999 after which Al-Najah opted to separate as an Independent Medical school. This was formally recognized by the Ministry of Higher education In 2006.

The School now has over 250 students with approximately equal numbers of men and women.

By 2007 the medical school has graduated 6 cohorts of doctors all trained on Palestinian soil and by Palestinian personnel. Around 300 graduates have graduated and a sizable number have proceeded to do their postgraduate studies In Europe and the USA. The quality of the graduates Is reflected In the high pass In formal exams done In the UK(PLAB) and America(USMLE). A substantial number have already been accepted In competitive residency programmes In the USA and some have done extremely well at the PhD level In the medical Sciences.

FQMS has supported 7 students to finish their PhDs In the various branches of medical sciences and these are now forming the backbone of the departments In the faculty of medicine.