Under the honorable presence of the president of the American University of Beirut (AUB), Dr. Fadlo Khuri, the Department of Dermatology at AUBMC held an honoring ceremony on the occasion of Dr. Johnny Malak’s retirement and the launching of the Fuad S. Farah Professorship/Lectureship Award on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at the Al Fouzan and Galadari Dermatology Conference Hall in Pierre Abou Khater Building.
In attendance were Deputy EVP/Dean and Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Ziyad Ghazzal representing EVP Mohamed H. Sayegh, Chairman of the Department of Dermatology, Dr. Abdul -Ghani Kibbi, Section Chief, Division of Dermatology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, Dr. Ramsay S. Farah, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Dr. Johnny Malak, in addition to AUB and AUBMC notables and dignitaries.
On behalf of the Department of Dermatology, Dr. Kibbi welcomed the attendees to the special ceremony, “A Tribute to Two Giants in Dermatology”. He said, “Indeed, it is a great occasion to honor Drs. Johnny Malak and Fuad Farah for their lifetime achievements in academic dermatology and to shed light on their countless contributions to our specialty. Both have been inspirational to students, residents, and fellow dermatologists and have advanced our specialty and shaped our society as founding members in the early and mid-sixties.”
Dr. Khuri said, “Dr. Malak has been an extraordinary physician for very long and has given enormous service to patients, colleagues, and others. Dr. Farah has shown himself to be world-class as a researcher, clinician, and an educator. Both expect the good from people and both expect high standards from people and both did everything possible so that people met these high standards and in this, they embody AUB’s values.”
Dr. Ghazzal conveyed his pleasure in representing EVP/ Dean Sayegh in this ceremony which honors Dr. Malak’s many years of continuous devotion to the service and well-being of patients and launches the Farah Professorship/Lectureship Award that will make a difference in the academic lives of many. He added, “For 150 years, we have been committed to medical education, research, and patient care through many extraordinary accomplishments that have underscored the strength of our programs, the boldness and reach of AUB research, and the dedicated services we offer to the people of Lebanon and the Middle East. And as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the AUB Faculty of Medicine, we believe that we could only have reached where we are today because of people like Dr. Johnny Malak and Dr. Faud Farah.”
Dr. Ramsay Farah said, “This Professorship honors my father, Dr. Fuad Salim Farah, for a career that epitomizes all that a physician should aspire to be. We are here at AUB because this journey of knowledge and love began here at an institution that we love and to which we owe a debt of gratitude.”
Dr. Malak, in his return, expressed his gratitude to Drs. Khuri, Sayegh, and Kibbi for their tribute and praised Dr. Farah for being one of the founders and pillars of modern dermatology in Lebanon. He said, “The progress of the Department of Dermatology at AUB over the years has been outstanding. I take pride in having been the first member of the clinical faculty in dermatology and in being to date its longest serving member.”
Since its establishment, the Department of Dermatology at AUBMC has excelled at diagnosing and offering a full range of dermatologic care for both common and rare problems affecting the skin, hair, and nails. Its responsibility and commitment to medical education and postgraduate training as well as rendering invaluable professional medical care and offering essential medical services to the community and the medical profession has established it as one of the most recognized centers in the region and abroad.