Through its network across the United States and beyond, SAMS Education Committee spearheads collaborative educational programs to support medical professionals inside Syria and elsewhere by providing opportunities to expand their knowledge and experiences. The committee also provides medical students of Syrian descent with scholarship opportunities to pursue their education and residency programs in the United States, a career journey interrupted due to the conflict. Learn more about our current scholarship opportunities here. 

The committee is comprised of 21 SAMS members who dedicate a considerable amount of their time to create specific educational programs to support their peers, whether in Syria or in the United States. The committee meets on a monthly basis and leads major educational projects throughout the year. 

SAMS Education Committee conducted its first online course for 28 healthcare providers inside Syria in 2019. All 28 providers successfully passed the final test. The online course included an introduction to evidence-based medicine, study design, literature search, appraising randomized trials, systematic reviews, diagnostic and observational studies, and analyzing results. 

EDUCATION AND ONLINE COURSES COMMITTEE

  • Dr. Muhammad Alsayid (Chair)
  • Dr. Mamoun Abdo
  • Dr. Bassel Atassi
  • Dr. Fares Alahdab
  • Dr. Tareq Alyousef
  • Dr. Mamoun Abdo
  • Dr. M. Nour Alhosaini
  • Dr. Jihad Alharash
  • Dr. Abdulrahman Masrani
  • Dr. Ahmad Almoujahed
  • Dr. Bader Aldeen Alhafez
  • Dr. Chaid Alraies
  • Dr. Abdullah Alrifai
  • Dr. Wisam Kiwan

US Residency & Scholarship Committee

  • Dr. Mohammed Rachid (Chair)
  • Dr. Bassel Atassi
  • Dr. Muhammad Alsayid

Syrian Scientific Research Club (SSRC)

In 2019, the SAMS Education Committee launched a Virtual Education Series at the Syrian Student Scientific Research Club. This project is part of several diverse educational activities led by the committee to raise the level of scientific research and critical thinking skills of our colleagues at medical institutes. learn more here.

John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Scholarship 

This program will provide a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for two individuals who have been displaced as a result of the conflict in Syria. Learn more here.

MATCH Hosting Program

This program connects SAMS members with Syrian medical graduates during Match seasons (Residency and Fellowships) to help reduce match expenses. This program connects over 60 volunteers with graduates in 45 cities around the United States.

Mentorship Program

This program allows Syrian American physicians to act as mentors to Syrian residency applicants. Mentors give guidance on residency processes and procedures in the US as the new graduates undergo training of their own.

Observership Program

This program seeks to assimilate International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to American medical practices in order to prepare them for residency. The follows American Medical Association Graduates (AMA-IMG) guidelines. Learn more here. 

Online Education Projects

SAMS conducts multiple online lecture series. The workshops target Syrian medical students and Syrian physicians working in Syria. Lectures aim to help Syrian medical students and physicians inside Syria without access to continuous medical education. Learn more here.

Scholarship Program

SAMS Scholarship Program supports Syrian medical residency applicants through the provision of interest-free loans. This program has provided more than 144 scholarships over the last ten years. Applications are now open. Apply here!

More than 25 Syrian residents volunteered to combine the previous experiences of the Syrian applicants in the Match to help the future Syrian applicants.

Workshops

SAMS conducts 10-13 workshops throughout the year. These workshops are designed to help Syrian graduates get into training programs in the US. Many of these workshops are conducted in different cities across the US. To learn more here. 

If you have any questions about how to get involved, please email us at education_committee@sams-usa.net.