Egypt’s Health Chief Tours UC Irvine

Fourteen Egyptian doctors being trained at UC Irvine got a visit this week from their country’s minister of health and population.

“He was extremely pleased with the comments made by his own physicians about the positive experience they are having,” Larry Gold, the university’s vice president for international relations, said of minister Ismail Sallam.

The physicians are the first of about 90 expected to spend 12 to 16 weeks at the university over the next one to two years, observing how UCI doctors practice and teach medicine. Gold’s remarks came Monday after Sallam boarded an airplane back to Cairo following his day on campus.

“He is looking forward to a long-term relationship with the university and said that he was going to discuss with his special assistant other opportunities for collaboration between the ministry and UCI,” Gold said.

The Egyptian physicians are at the university at Sallam’s request to improve the practice and teaching of medicine in their own country. Eventually, Gold said, some UCI faculty members will go to Egypt to help assure that what the doctors have learned is reinforced and practiced.

“It is part of our recognition that global medicine is upon us,” Gold said. “It is [a demonstration of] our ability to share in education, research and clinical practice.”

Sallam also toured a laser center, was briefed on new medical techniques and met with faculty and administrators.

UCI is considering similar programs with other nations, Gold said.