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From
the date of inception of the School of Medicine, now known as the Faculty
of Medicine in 1867, and until 1925, no basic science departments existed.
Instead, the medical sciences, which are traditionally the academic
disciplines under the auspices of specialized basic science departments,
such as anatomy –histology, biochemistry, physiology and pharmacology,
were taught as courses by professors from other schools in the University
or by practicing professors in various clinical disciplines, particularly
surgery and medicine. Those professors had gathered whatever scanty
information was available on any topic in the basic science disciplines
and presented it in the form of a course considered a pre-requisite for
what came later as clinical information and practice. Biochemistry was
taught for a long time by a chemist with essential focus on the chemistry
of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Anatomy and physiology were taught by
practicing physicians. Pharmacology was taught under the title of Materia
Medica by a dermatologist. The Faculty of Medicine and its Basic Science
departments “owe an eternal debt of gratitude to Dr. St. John Ward
(1880-1951), who was instrumental in creating the Basic Science
departments”, to use the words of Dr. Stanley Kerr an earlier eminent
professor in the Basic Science departments. Dr. Ward joined the School of
Medicine as professor of surgery and later served as Dean of the Faculty
of Medicine, which included four schools: Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry
and Nursing. He was also Director of the School of Medicine. He held these
posts from 1925 until 1937. Following a year of furlough in the U.S.A. in
1925 and upon his return as Dean, he started a process of modernization of
the School of Medicine, including the creation of the Basic Science
departments. In the 1925-26 University catalogue one reads: “The School
of Medicine patterned its course after the requirements of an acceptable
Medical School, Class A, according to the standards of the Council on
Medical Education of the American Medical Association. The entrance
requirements are similar to those of the best medical schools in
America.” In 1930 a new medical building was constructed by a grant from
the Rockefeller Foundation, given the name of Van Dyck Hall, to house the
newly organized departments of Anatomy-Embryology, Histology and
Neuroanatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology. The teaching in
pharmacology to medical students had historically included a course in
basic pharmacology to the second year students and another of applied
pharmacology or therapeutics at either the third or fourth year levels
until 1950 when the teaching was consolidated into a main course of basic
as well as applied pharmacology. It is interesting to note that as early
as 1926, an elective course in research in pharmacology was provided to
interested students, long before the discipline of pharmacology was
consolidated into an autonomous department.The faculty of the Department
has included prominent professors across its history, including Walter
Booth Adams (1924-29), Harold B.O. Holck (1929-34), Munir Kanaan
(1933-1987), Otto Krayer (1934-1937) who later became
Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology at Harvard Medical
School, James Oliver Pinkston (1937-1950) who became Dean of the Faculty
of Medicine and Director of the School of Medicine, George Fawaz ( 1950
until the present, Chairman 1950- 1984 ), Joseph Simaan (1960 until the
present, Chairman 1984 until the present, Associate Dean of the Faculty of
Medicine, 1978-1987 and 1994-2000), Nadim Cortas (1972-1985 and 1994 until
the present, Dean Faculty of Medicine and Vice President of Medical
Affairs) and Ramzi Sabra (1985-1987 and 1993 until the present, Assistant
Dean for Research 2000 until the present)
(George
Fawaz: Medicus, AUB publication, vol.15, 1983; AUB catalogues)
Joseph
A. Simaan M.D., Professor and Chairman
August
26, 2002
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INTRODUCTION