Ministry of Education Clarifies Justifications for Adopting the Clinical Exam in Colloquium Exams

The General Directorate of Higher Education issued a statement regarding the justifications for adopting the clinical exam stipulated in the decree regulating colloquium exams beginning in 2026. The statement reads:

"The decree No. 1527 dated 15/6/1959 (Colloquium Exams Regulation) mandates a clinical exam for general medicine and a practical exam for dentistry and pharmacy for graduates from non-Lebanese universities. However, for decades, conducting this exam was not feasible due to the lack of infrastructure, as it could only be carried out within clinics, hospitals, medical centers, and pharmacies. Therefore, the General Directorate of Higher Education had to rely solely on a practical exam for dentistry conducted in laboratory facilities at the Lebanese University’s Faculty of Dentistry.

Instability in education and ambiguous data

Starting from the academic year 2019–2020.

The world plunged into remote education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this mode of learning became widespread globally during 2020 and 2021, continuing according to national policies until the end of the 2021–2022 academic year, i.e., until July–August 2022. In Ukraine specifically, as soon as the global pandemic restrictions were lifted in early 2022, war erupted and has continued to rage to this day. This led to internal displacement and external migration, resulting in prolonged remote education for a large number of students—whether those who moved between cities within Ukraine or those who left the country for other nations. This was also the case for Lebanese students there: some returned to Lebanon and completed their studies, others resumed travel to Ukraine or to countries such as Georgia, Poland, Belarus, and Russia, while many directly relocated from Ukraine to Georgia under the Mobility program.

These cases are numerous and varied, but the outcome is consistent: it has become impossible to verify the actual duration of education each student underwent. Moreover, reports received from countries where students studied—whether Ukraine or elsewhere—are often inaccurate and lack credibility. Additionally, the institutions responding to communications from the General Directorate of Higher Education do not provide complete answers to all questions raised, leaving ample room for doubt. The General Directorate previously documented clear discrepancies through passport stamps, revealing glaring inconsistencies between the number of days and months of attendance in the host country and the responses provided by the universities that granted the degrees.

Statistics from the General Directorate of Higher Education on candidates and successful applicants in the 2026 colloquium exam.

It should be noted that the number of candidates for the general medicine colloquium exam in the first session of 2026 reached 302, with 224 succeeding. Analyzing the percentages of candidates and successful applicants reveals the following:

- From Iran approximately 5% (86.7% succeeded)

- From Russia approximately 22% (57.6% succeeded)

- From Syria approximately 6% (83.3% succeeded)

- From Belarus approximately 25.5% (76.6% succeeded)

- From Georgia approximately 17.5% (80.7% succeeded)

- From Ukraine approximately 11.6% (68.6% succeeded)

If candidates arriving directly from Ukraine or neighboring countries where they continued their studies after starting in Ukraine are included, the proportion rises to nearly one-third. However, the General Directorate lacks sufficient evidence regarding the nature of the studies (in-person, blended, remote), not to mention real-world challenges concerning clinical skills acquired—many graduates reported having to secure their own training sites, that their universities did not assign supervisors, that they completed training components based on availability, and that some were required to arrange their own patient cases to fulfill required training hours. If candidates from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Georgia are counted together, the share reaches up to 80%. The General Directorate expresses surprise at how easily students gain admission and study in these countries compared to other advanced nations worldwide, and raises concerns about the agencies behind securing admissions and the services and facilitations they offer.

Given these circumstances, considering the large number of incoming graduates from a specific group of countries and the numerous questions raised about admission criteria, continuation requirements, success conditions, degree issuance, institutional capacity, supervision quality, and the seriousness of field training, and given the difficulty in communicating with universities in these countries to verify study modalities and data on Lebanese students who studied there—especially when compared to countries like EU member states, Canada, the UK, and the United States—the conclusion has emerged on the necessity of conducting clinical/practical exams across multiple disciplines, including general medicine. Accordingly, the General Directorate of Higher Education deems it essential to focus efforts on implementing this clinical exam.

Previous implementation of the clinical exam

The Council of Ministers adopted Decision No. 11 dated 29/11/2023, approving the clinical exam for graduates from Ukraine. The General Directorate of Higher Education successfully organized OSCE clinical exams for those covered by this decision at:

- Beirut Arab University, for pharmacy (held twice),

- the American University of Beirut, for general medicine (held five times),

Additionally, through collaboration with Beirut Arab University, a significant number of eligible graduates were sent to pursue a dental internship year.

Resources available today to implement the clinical exam for all relevant specialties as stipulated in the 1959 decree

Today, the clinical/practical exam is no longer unfeasible, especially since the Lebanese University and all licensed higher education institutions in Lebanon offering general medicine and/or dentistry and/or pharmacy have now equipped dedicated clinics/stations for this purpose. There is no longer a need to rely on hospitals, medical centers, clinics, or similar facilities.

Considering the war triggered by the Israeli aggression on Lebanon on March 2, 2026, which persisted in affecting Beirut and its suburbs until the end of June of this year, it was difficult to communicate with the concerned universities and plan with certainty for the 2026 exam. This is one aspect of the context. On the technical side, implementation must wait until the results of the written exams are released. This is because the execution depends on the number of successful candidates and their distribution—data essential for determining the number of required stations, the number of examination committee members, the number of technical staff, and the number of participating universities. The General Directorate of Higher Education must finalize all these arrangements after the release of the written exam results, i.e., after July 7, 2026.

The General Directorate takes this opportunity to express gratitude to the involved universities for their valuable and active participation in organizing colloquium exams and their commitment to ensuring their success, with special thanks to the Lebanese University for consistently hosting these exams and promptly providing all necessary resources to ensure the success of this national endeavor.

Regarding the controversy over selecting three private universities for conducting the clinical exam in general medicine this year, this choice stems from decisions made by the coordination committees for each specialty, which include the Lebanese University. The Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences appointed a physician from the faculty to prepare for this exam. After communication and coordination with the faculties, and based on their readiness and existing commitments at the start of the 2026–2027 academic year, the three private universities—American University of Beirut, Saint Joseph University in Beirut, and Beirut Arab University—were designated as exam centers.

It is well known that the decree governing colloquium exams grants the Minister of Education and Higher Education the authority to determine the date and location of all colloquium exams—written, oral, and clinical/practical—and does not restrict these exams to the Lebanese University alone. The selected options were primarily based on considerations related to teaching start dates, the timing of the second session exams exclusive to the Lebanese University, the readiness of clinical exam stations and required personnel, entrance exam schedules, and several other factors.

The General Directorate of Higher Education emphasizes that the Lebanese University will remain the primary national venue for any national-level exam, as its graduates, according to established regulations, are exempt from colloquium exams. Its neutral position, combined with its scientific capabilities, makes it ideally suited for this role. However, this remains contingent upon availability, readiness, acceptance, and the presence of necessary conditions. Coordination with the President of the Lebanese University and relevant deans continues and remains strong; they have never ceased supporting the General Directorate of Higher Education in carrying out these exams, and their assistance is deeply appreciated.

Graduates' concerns and politicization of the issue

It is important to note that the General Directorate listened attentively to the concerns of graduates from universities outside Lebanon, which can be summarized in two main demands:

- Receiving a passing certificate from the colloquium exams, as it is a mandatory requirement for pursuing medical specialization; without it, they cannot secure the seat they worked hard to obtain,

- A large number of them traveled abroad and could not return in September due to fear of losing their medical specialization seat and the financial cost involved.

After careful consideration of these demands, the General Directorate found no evidence that a passing certificate from the colloquium exams is required to pursue medical specialization. Indeed, doctors from all over the world apply for colloquium exams after completing their medical specialization. If such a certificate were truly mandatory, these doctors would not have been able to continue their medical training in various branches of medicine. Furthermore, the General Directorate possesses evidence showing that students in medical specialization programs in the aforementioned countries and others have continued their studies before obtaining the required university equivalency certificates and before passing the colloquium exams.

It should also be noted that a large number of the affected candidates have not yet obtained the required university equivalency certificates. Since the equivalency certificate has not yet been issued, they cannot receive a passing certificate from the colloquium exams. How then can they meet the condition of holding this certificate while simultaneously pursuing medical specialization?

Nevertheless, the General Directorate has demonstrated full flexibility: it announced its readiness to issue passing certificates to eligible candidates and set more than one date for the clinical exam (three dates) so that those who left Lebanon after completing the written and oral colloquium exams would not be forced to return at the beginning of next September.

Yet, this flexibility was met with rejection and lack of response. Some cite the delayed announcement of the clinical exam (the reasons for this delay were previously explained in this statement). This indicates that certain students are unwilling to take the exam and use various excuses to avoid it. Regrettably, some parties have exploited this issue as a political tool, issuing statements and declarations supporting the cancellation of the clinical/practical exam, without regard for the professional standards of the relevant graduates and without contacting the responsible authority—the General Directorate of Higher Education—by phone or email to inquire about the matter and the true situation.