The Executives of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons paid a courtesy call on the President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E Joseph Nyumah Boakai. During said visit, the President of the College Professor Dr. John K. Mulbah, briefed President Boakai on the current status, achievements, challenges and the way forward of the College. The Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons is the flagship institution of the Government of Liberia where specialized Doctors are trained locally. President Boakai who served as the Chief Launcher of the College during his tenure as Vice President welcomed the Executives and promised to prioritize postgraduate medical training as according to him, the importance of a vibrant health sector could not be overemphasized!
LCPS TRAINED DOCTOR QUALIFIES AS UROLOGIST IN EXTERNAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
Two others Fellows of the West African College of Physicians
In 2018 the Government of Liberia, GoL, consistent with the Pro-Poor Agenda of His Excellency, President George Manneh Weah, provided special funding to train medical doctors abroad in subspecialties areas which were not yet offered in the Specialist Training Program of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons (LCPS). After a rigorous vetting process, 18 Liberian Medical Doctors were selected for external training in pathology, otolaryngology, urology, anesthesiology, orthopedic surgery, pediatric surgery, and psychiatry. Three General Surgery graduates from the LCPS postgraduate residency program were subsequently sent for external fellowship training, Dr. Ayun K. Cassell III and Dr Solomane A. Konneh, urology while Dr. Lawuobah Gbozee for orthopedics surgery.
Dr. Cassell, who recently returned to the country after qualifying as a Urologist at the Hospital General Idrissa Pouye in Dakar, Senegal, also became a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons during his training. He has the distinction of becoming the first LCPS graduate to obtain an onsite external fellowship by examination. Dr. Cassell’s qualification presently makes him the only in-country Liberian Urologist, since the death of Liberia’s veteran Urologist, Dr. Walter L. Brumskine In 2016.
Dr. Cassell
During his general surgery specialist training at LCPS, emphases were placed on surgical gastroenterology, endocrine surgery, colorectal surgery, basic urological surgery, trauma and orthopedics and other surgical pathologies. According to Dr Cassell, his training at LCPS provided a strong foundation which propelled him to excel in his subspecialty training in Urology. Dr Cassell obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Cuttington University in 2006. He later enrolled at the A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine, University of Liberia and graduated as a Doctor of Medicine in 2013. In 2016, he upgraded his credentials by acquiring an online Master’s degree in Public Health.
Dr. Konneh with the CEO of the AKTH in Nigeria
Liberia is assiduously working to strengthen its Fellowship base by equipping medical doctors with the requisite knowledge and skills which will enable them train other health professionals at varying levels when international faculties depart. In this connection, Liberia has massively won yet another accolade with the successful pass of three of LCPS’ trainees in the just ended West African College of Physicians (WACP) exams.
Dr. Ian Wachekwa, a member of the first cohort of LCPS residency training program and Dr. Philip Z. Ireland of the second cohort, both of the faculty of Internal medicine have made history in the medical arena of Liberia by becoming the Country’s first West African Fellows by Examination in internal medicine. Another victory for LCPS and the health sector in general is the successful pass of Dr. Yassah Barclay Koboi. Dr Barclay Koboi is now LCPS’ newest member by examination of the West African College of Physicians (WACP), Faculty of Internal Medicine.
Drs. Wachekwa and Ireland at RIA
We celebrate Dr. Wachekwa, Dr. Ireland and Dr. Kobol for their tenacity and perseverance to excel in these challenging exams. Our sincere thanks and appreciation go to the Faculty Chair of Internal Medicine, Prof. Sunday Chinenye and his team for their relentless efforts in training our scholars to comes out with flying colors.
CONGRATULATIONS again to our Doctors for their excellent performance, Liberia is absolutely proud of you!
July 8, 2020
EIGHT LCPS FELLOWS ELEVATED TO UL- FULL PROFESSORSHIP
Eight Fellows and Officials of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons (LCPS) have been elevated to the level of full professorship at the state-owned University of Liberia (UL).The newly elevated Professors are:
- Dr. Benjamin L. Harris, President, Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons/Faculty of Psychiatry, LCPS and UL
- Dr. John Mulbah, 1st Vice President, Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons/Faculty of Obstetrics and Gynecology, LCPS and UL
- Dr. Roseda E. Marshall, Founding President and Acting Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons/Faculty of Pediatrics, LCPS and UL
- Dr. Bernice T. Dahn, Vice President for Health Sciences, UL
- Dr. Z’Sherman Adams, Dean of the A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine, UL
- Dr. Eugene Dolopei, Chair, Department of Public Health, A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine, UL
- Dr. Billy C. Johnson, Faculty of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons and UL
- Dr. Peter S. Coleman, Faulty of Surgery , Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons and UL
L-R- Drs. Dolopei, Mulbah, Dahn, Harris, Marshall, Adams, Johnson and Coleman
In separate pieces of communication addressed to the Fellows, the President of the University of Liberia, Dr Julius J. Sawolo Nelson, Jr., indicated that these medical doctors were preferred based upon their academic qualification and many years of distinguished educational services which they have continued to render the University of Liberia as well as the larger population. Dr. Nelson said their elevation was also considered based on the need to enhance the development and profile of the University of Liberia. The President further congratulated the newly promoted Professors and urged them to collaborate with him as he endeavors to improve and strengthen the quality of education being provided at the University of Liberia. Meanwhile, the entire family of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons also extends congratulations to the newly promoted professors as it is also a boost to the College in its effort to train competent medical doctors who will demonstrate the highest standard of medical excellence across the fifteen counties of Liberia.
August 28, 2020
The Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons (LCPS) on August 28, 2020 graduated fourteen (14) medical doctors in five categories of specialization: pediatrics; internal medicine; family medicine; general surgery and obstetrics/gynecology under the Government of Liberia’s flagship postgraduate medical program that is training specialized medical doctors locally. Since its inauguration in 2013 in partnership with the World Bank and academic partners from Boston Children’s Hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital, University of Massachusetts, Yale University among several others, the College has to date, trained 59 medical doctors in different fields of specialties.
Speaking at the 4th Convocation ceremony, the President of the College, Prof. Benjamin L. Harris indicated that the Liberia College of Physicians & Surgeons has reached another major milestone in its “progression towards attaining what we [LCPS] aspired to achieve – a system of healthcare delivery that would be the envy of not only the West African subregion but the world at large.”
“About seven (7) years ago, we embarked on a mission to train medical specialists locally to fill the much-needed gaps in advanced healthcare delivery in Liberia. We commenced our program with four (4) initial faculties. Since 2017, we have added additional faculty each year. In 2017, we were privileged to add family medicine- thanks to Dr. Rick Scara and the ELWA hospital for championing this cause. We are having the first cohorts of graduates from that faculty this year- 2020,” Prof. Harris indicated. According to Prof. Harris, the following year, 2018, the LCPS commenced its ophthalmology program in partnership with the L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India with assistance from the Lions Club International. He furthered that the first cohorts of ophthalmology Specialists Doctors are expected to be a part of the 5th graduation convocation in 2021.
The LCPS President thanked the World Bank as the institution’s major donor and the World Health Organization that has always stood ready to assist the College whenever a need arose. Prof. Harris also appreciated the tremendous support of the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Health. He announced that the LCPS is beginning a fellowship program that will equip its graduates to take up faculty positions in an effort to reduce the need for hiring foreign Faculties. In earlier remarks, the 1st Vice President of the College, Prof. John K. Mulbah noted that the 4th convocation was historic because it happened in spite of the COVID-19 global pandemic. He added that other countries have been seeking Liberia’s experience on how they handled health crisis successfully. “The country needs you, health professionals,” he stated.
Dr. Sia Wata Camanor, the 2nd Vice President, said she is glad that seven Specialists came out of the 4th convocation from the faculty of physicians but sighed that there were only two females. “I want to celebrate these women. I am also happy that one of them, Dr. Lucretia Taine Gbe-Fully, scored the highest-grade point in the entire class,” she added
Making remarks during the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Dr. Jerry F. Brown stated that it was a privilege for the country’s referral hospital to host six out of the seven faculties of the residency training program. Dr. Brown admonished the specialists to go out and save as many lives as possible with their skills set.
For her part, Liberia’s Health Minister, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah said it is the hope of the Government of Liberia that the specialists will stay true to the vision of the College to take up assignment in hospitals across the country.
She furthered that in every county hospital, there should be at least one pediatrician, internist, surgeon and obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Jallah also indicated that the specialists have the knowledge required to handle any situation once they are provided with the requisite tools and equipment. She then pledged the Government of Liberia continuous support to the College’s program. The Secretariat of LCPS is currently headed by Dr. Jeanetta K. Johnson as Secretary General while Dr. Benetta C. Andrews serves as Assistant Secretary General.