First Scientific Gathering of ETLAM: The Expertise of Its Alumni Around the World

School of Medical Lab Technicians

 

This day brought together the Rector of USJ, Prof. François Boëdec, SJ, the Director of the School of Medical Lab Technicians (ETLAM), Prof. Marianne Abi Fadel, the teaching and administrative staff of ETLAM and the Faculty of Pharmacy, professionals, and alumni and current students of ETLAM, with a common goal: to share knowledge, exchange experiences and strengthen the ties that unite the ETLAM community.

The opening session began with a speech given by the Director of ETLAM, who welcomed members of the USJ community, ETLAM alumni and students, as well as guests from the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields, in the recently renovated ETLAM laboratories. She emphasized the role of ETLAM, which this year celebrates its 80th anniversary and 30 years of service to Lebanon. It is the testimony of a mission, a vocation, and a constant commitment to science, health and service.

As for the Rector of USJ, he insisted on the role of laboratory technicians, real soldiers in the shadows facing health crises. He recalled that Pope Leo XIV calls for a sustainable health system accessible to all. “Unfortunately, this is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We see this on a global and national scale, where the inaccessibility of very expensive treatments creates a two-tier medicine. USJ ensures the equality and equity of access to healthcare and especially to education, these two pillars constituting the foundations of the rise of societies.”

The Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Prof. Hayat Azouri Tannous, looked back on the activities of the Faculty that bring together its alumni and new graduates with current students, in a beautiful exchange of testimonies and expertise.

The Head of the Lebanese Syndicate of Biologists (SDBL), Prof. Christian Haddad, addressed the young students of ETLAM by mentioning the main role of laboratory technicians in Lebanon, essential links in the chain of healthcare.

The presence of members of the Lebanese Syndicate of Biologists (SDBL), directors of HDF laboratories, Vice-Rectors, Deans and Directors of CSM, as well as members of the Rectorate, the Board of the Faculty of Pharmacy and that of ETLAM, in addition to the teaching and administrative staff, contributed to the success of this event.

Following the opening session and a musical interlude recreating the history of ETLAM through sound and images, participants attended a series of conferences led by ETLAM alumni on various topics:

1. The role of humanitarian aid in the fight against infectious diseases, by Dr. Josette Najjar Pellet, from the Mérieux Foundation 

2.  Quality control at the laboratory, by Mrs. Danielle Chaaya, from the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory-Lebanon, USJ 

3. The role of the hospital engineer in a genetics laboratory, by Dr. Tony Yammine, hospital engineer at the genetics laboratory at a teaching hospital in Reims 

4. The role of the pathological anatomy technician behind the scenes of diagnosis, by Mrs. Eva-Maria Farah, from the Department of Pathological Anatomy at the Hôtel-Dieu de France University Medical Center

5. From ETLAM to food technology and entrepreneurship, by Ms. Jessie Damian, from Q Pulse Consulting 

6. A career at the service of laboratory science education, by Mrs. Sabine El Asmar Saad, from ETLAM.

The ceremony ended with a cocktail offered by Bioteck Sal in the gardens of CSM.

Thank you to all the speakers and participants for contributing to the success of this first edition.

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Also read: Première Rencontre scientifique de l’ETLAM : l’expertise des alumni à travers le monde