1. religion and spirituality
2. islam

An Overview of Modern
Medical Education in Iran
3rd International Endocrine Congress
Isfahan, May 20-22, 2015
Hossein Gharib, MD, MACP, MACE
Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Rochester, MN, USA
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• “Those who cannot remember the past are
condemned to repeat it.”
George Santayana, 1905
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“Saadia mardeh nekoo nam namirad hargez
Mordeh on ast keh namash beh nekooi nabarand”
the man with a good name never dies; dead is one whose name is not
remembered well
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Modern Medical Education in Iran
This presentation briefly reviews the evolution
and advances in medical education in Iran during
the past century and a half (1230-1380 shamsi,
or 1850-2000 miladi), highlighting significant
contributions by three dedicated and visionary
men: a patriotic prime minister, a capable French
administrator, and a gifted university medical
professor.
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Amir Kabir
• Also known by titles of
Mirza Taghi Khan, Amir
Nezam and Atabak
• Born in 1287 (1807); died
in 1332 (1852) at age 45
• Legendary & revered
prime minister (1848-1851)
to Nasser-al-din Shah
• His services include
reforms; law & order;
anti-corruption; taxation;
first newspaper (Vaquaye
Etefaquieh)
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Amir Kabir
• Arguably his greatest & lasting
contribution was Darolfonoon
• His patriotism & dedication created
jealousy & enemies in Royal Court;
the Shah dismissed Amir in
October 1851 and exiled him
to Kashan
• He was murdered
in 1852, only a
few days before
Darolfonoon
opened
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Darolfonoon
• Founded by Amir in 1231
(1851)
• A new secular, polytechnic
school (“House of technics”)
• Initially there were
7 branches, including
medicine, engineering,
literature, geology & military
• Early teachers were
Austrian, then French and
later Iranians
• By 1889 the school had
287 students; by 1908,
1100 students graduated
with a faculty of 16
Europeans & 26 Iranians
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Darolfonoon
• In 1308 Darolfonoon underwent
major remodelling & renovation
• In 1367 it was recognized as a
historic site
• In 1375 Darolfonoon closed and
is now used as a repository of
educational documents
• One of its famous teachers,
Dr. Tholouzan of France,
arrived in 1238 to teach &
practice; he lived in Tehran for
40 years & was buried in
Doolab in 1267 (1897)
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Notable Darolfonoon Alumni
• Ali Amini, former Prime Minister
• Ali-Akbar Dāvar, former Minister of
Justice
• Gholam-Hossein Darvish, aka
Darvish Khan, musician
• Hossein Gol-e-Golab, scholar and
musician
• Ali-Akbar Deh’khodā, author, linguist,
• Jalal Al-e Ahmad, author and social
social reformer
critic
• Bahram Bayzai, writer, scholar, film
• Kamal ol-Molk, painter
director, theatre director
• Dariush Ashoori, author, translator,
researcher
• Manouchehr Eqbal, former Prime
Minister
• Mohammad-Ali Foroughi Zoka-olMolk, former Prime Minister and
Ambassador
• Ehsan Naraghi, sociologist and writer
• Mohammad Moin, scholar of Persian
• Faramarz Payvar, compser and
literature and Iranology
Santour player
• Ebrahim Hakimi, former Cabinet
Minister and Prime Minister
• Fereydoon Moshiri, poet
• Sadeq Hedayat, writer
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Notable Darolfonoon Graduates Who
Became Medical Doctors
• Mehdi Azar, internist
• Mohamad Sadry, dermatologist
• Jamshid Alam, ENT
• Gholamreza Sheikh, cardiologist
• Ebrahim Chehrazi, psych
• Hussein Sohrab, microbiologist
• Fatollah Farzad, GI
• Ali Vakili, internist
• Mohamad Ali Maleki, derm
• Jahangir Vosoughi, surgeon
• Fatollah Mostofi, AFIP
• Manouchehr Eghbal, internist
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Madresseh Teb
1300-1319; 1920-1939
• Period after Darolfonoon but before University
of Tehran
• Medical education separated from Darolfonoon,
became independent, with a new Dean, Dr.
Mohamad Hussein Loghman-Adham
• In 1316 (1936) the medical school relocated to
Motamed Hospital at Sheikh-Hadi in northern
Tehran
• First modern hospital (Sina) opened in 1263;
medical director was Dr. Nazem-o-Atteba
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Reza Shah & Medical Education Abroad
• In 1928, Ministry of Education (Vezarat-e
Maaref) oversaw medical education
• Majlis passed an act to send 100 students per
year to study abroad
• Between 1928-35, a total of 640 students,125 in
medicine (84% in France), went abroad
• Among them Azar, Adib, Alam, Chehrazi,
Gharib, Habibi, Hashemian, Maleki, Sohrab &
Vakili
Azizi MH, Azizi F Gov Spon Med Students, Iranian Studies 43:3, 349
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University of Tehran
Daneshgaheh Tehran
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University of Tehran
• Darolfonoon is regarded as the
beginning of the University of
Tehran
• Reza Shah & Majlis approved
plans for University of Tehran in
1313 (1935)
• Ali Asghar Hekmat, the first
university rector, purchased
Jalalieh, 200,000 sq meters of
land for 90,000 tomans
Reza Shah
(1878-1944)
Ali Asghar Hekmat
(1892-1979)
• André Godard, a French
architect, designed the
University of Tehran campus
André Godard
(1881-1865)
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• Reza Shah inaugurated the
university on 15 Bahman 1313
(4 February, 1935)
• Opening ceremony included
the “Salle de Dissection”
(Talar Tashrih)
• University rectors 1313-1332:
Ali Asghar Hekmat; Esmail
Merat; Issa Sadigh; Seyed
Mohammad Taddayoun;
Mostafa Adl; and Ali Akbar
Siassi
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Engineering faculty
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Charles Oberling, MD
1895-1960
• Dr. Charles Oberling, a
French pathologist &
educator, was invited by Iran
to become the 2nd Dean of
Medical School
• He reorganized med school,
introduced a modern, new
curriculum, and appointed a
mostly European-trained
faculty
• New system had 40
departments or Korsi; 28 in
medicine, 8 in pharmacy &
4 in dentistry
• He equipped & redesigned
Tehran hospitals for teaching
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Charles Oberling, MD
• Served as Medical School
Dean twice; 1939-42 & again
1945-48
• When he returned in 1945 he
brought 3 “gifts” for Iran:
penicillin for ID; DDT for
malaria; & kits for blood typing
& Rh
• His only other visit to Iran was
in 1958 (1337) to be named
Honorary Dean of Medical
School
• Oberling’s contributions &
changes brought lasting
improvements in medical
education and health care
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Charles Oberling, MD
New Medical Staff Appointed 1938-1939
• Yahya Adl
• Mohamad Gholi Shams
• Mohammad Gharib
• Mohamad Ali Maleki
• Ahmad Farhad
• Hossein Adib
• Gholamhossein Mossadegh • Sadegh Pirooz Azizi
• Mehdi Azar
• Manouchehr Eghbal
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Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University, 1939
Seated, L to R: Adl(4)–Vakili(5)–Kasemi(6)–Sohrab(7)–Sadri(8) Habibi(9)–Chehrazi(10)–Nematollahy(11)
Ashtiani(12)–Oberling(13)–Amiralam(14)–Motamed(15)–Adib(16)–Saleh(17)–Mossadegh(18)
Shams(19)–Azar(20)–Peernia(21)–Motamed(22)
Standing, front row, L to R: Vartany(2)–Ajir(5)– Golesorkhi(6)– Farzad(14)–Azizi(20)–Gharib(21)–Maleki(22)
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Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS)
• In 1986 the medical
school became
independent as TUMS
under supervision of
Ministry of Health
• TUMS has 13,000
students with 80
postgraduate programs
• In 1332, there were 1400
students; 2% women
• TUMS has 40 libraries &
34 scientific journals
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Iran Medical Graduates (1970-2010)
• Medical schools increased from 13 to 48 while
admissions jumped from 1380 to 18,141
• Practicing physicians increased from 10,000 in
1970 to about 100,000 in 2010
• Total number of graduates migrating to U.S.
increased 3-fold, from 1600 in 1974 to 5,000
post-revolution in 2012, but % decreased from
15% to 5%
Ronaghi et al, Arch Iran Med 16:590, 2013
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Dr. Mohammad Gharib
1288-1353; 1909-1975
• Born in Tehran in 1288;
eldest son of Haj Ali Asghar
& Fatemeh Gharib
• Educated at Darolmoalemin
• Travelled to France in 1307
(1927); medical school at
Reims & later Paris
• Externe 1931
• Interne des Hopitaux de
Paris (1935)
• Worked with famous
professors like Sezary,
Lemiere & Ribadeau-Duma
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Razi Hospital
1938-1950
• Returned home in
1938
• Appointed First
Professor & Chief of
Pediatrics at Razi
Hospital
• Started the first
hospital unit and
outpatient service for
children in Iran
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Pahlavi Hospital
1950-1968
• Pahlavi Hospital, a
500-bed teaching unit
of the University of Tehran
opened in 1328
• Pediatrics ward had
50 beds on 2nd floor, west
wing – known as “Bakhshe
Gharib”
• Daily rounds followed by
case presentations &
discussion
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Pahlavi Hospital
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• Students (Stagier)
• Interns (Karvarz)
• Residents (Assistant)
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Markaz Tebbi Koodakan
1969-1975
• With his close friend and colleague, Dr. Hassan Ahari,
he cofounded the 150-bed teaching children’s medical
center in 1969
• He served as its medical director 1970-75
• In recognition of his medical service, the city of Tehran
in 1992, named the street in front of Imam Khomeini
Hospital (old Pahlavi) & Markaz Tebbi, Dr. Gharib
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1953 Coup d’etat
28 mordad 1332
Dr. Mossadegh is PM
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1953 Coup d’etat
In power
In prison
Mohammad Reza Shah
& General Zahedi
Mohammad Mossadegh
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1973
1980
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After Coup d’etat
• Majlis quickly ratified a new oil contract with “oil consortium”
• Bazargan & Sahabi declared this illegal
Mehdi Bazargan
1907-1995
Yadolah Sahabi
1905-2002
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After Coup d’etat
• With the leadership of
Mehdi Bazargan, a few
signed an open letter
declaring new oil
contract unacceptable
• Among signatories, 12
university professors
were expelled by
Shah’s orders
7 of 12 professors
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Expulsion From Tehran University
• Shah ordered Zahedi to expel 12 Tehran
University professors
• Zahedi ordered Dr Ali Akbar Siassi, TU
President, to implement HM’s orders
• When Dr Siassi refused to comply, Mr. Jafari,
Culture Minister, carried out orders
• Reaction at TU, as well as from the public, was
swift and huge
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Reaction to Expulsion
• Dr. Gharib received
considerable sympathy
and support
• His story was published by
the press
• Weekly magazine
Khoosheh featured him in
a 5-page article in 1335
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Return to University
• The government, under public
pressure, reconciled & asked
M. Eghbal, the new University
President, to invite Gharib to
return to work
• 6 months after expulsion,
Dr. Eghbal personally
accompanied Dr. Gharib
to Pahlavi Hospital
• A huge crowd of students
& Pahlavi Hospital staff
welcomed Dr. Gharib
Manouchehr Eghbal
1909-1977
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Mohammad Gharib
1288-1353
Photo by
Ahmad Mossadegh
1971
Died of complications of
bladder cancer at Markaz Tebbi on
January 21, 1975
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Major Accomplishments
• Taught several thousand medical students; trained
several hundred interns & residents; mentored
scores of pediatricians
• Published the first Iranian textbook on pediatrics
(1941)
• Founder & First President of Iranian Pediatric
Society (1960)
• Through his efforts, pediatrics was recognized as a
specialty with boards (1950)
• Simultaneously maintained a very active pediatric
practice at 34 Meidan Kakh
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Honors & Awards
• Anatomy Prize, Reims Medical School, 1928
• Interne en Medecine des Hopitaux de Paris,
1935
• Chevalier de la Legion D’Honneur; French
Government, 1954
• Neshan Danesh; University of Tehran
• Neshan Farhang; Ministry of Culture
• Stamp; Government of Iran, 1991
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Stamp
Issued by Iran October 10, 1991
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Gharib Congress
Every year since 1979 (Islamic
Revolution) his colleagues & the
Iranian Pediatric Society
commemorate him by a week-long
seminar entitled “Dr. Gharib
Memorial Pediatric Conference”
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Notable Students of Ostad Gharib
• Sadegh Mokhtarzadeh*
• Abolghasem Farhoodi*
• Morteza Mashayekhi
• Ahmad Siadati*
• Abbas Nekofar*
• Gholamreza Khatami
• Hassan Ahari*
• Esfandiar Bodaghi
• Hassan Zamani*
• Gholamreza Baher
• Ahmad Ghane Bassiri*
• Mohamad H. Soltanzadeh
• Reza Moazzami
• Mohamad Ghofrani
• Ali Akbar Hassanalizadeh*
• Mansour Bahrami
• Javad Feiz
• Ali Akbar Velayati
*Deceased
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Roozegar Gharib
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My Favorite Picture
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We Remember Him
“Khedmat beh khalgh va jalbe rezayeh khalegh”
• For high integrity, dedication, and patriotism
• As a role model & mentor
• As a master clinician
• As a caring, compassionate and humble man
• For his admiration of Persian culture & literature
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Summary
• Many people deserve credit for improved
medical education in Iran in this century
• Amir Kabir pioneered a new system of higher
education in Iran
• Dr. Charles Oberling introduced modern
medical education
• Dr. Gharib’s legacy is his long, distinguished
service, inspiring generations of Iranian
physicians
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In Memory of Dr Mohammad Gharib
“Va man ahyaha faka-annama ahya-alnas
jamiaan”
“…And whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be
as if he had saved the life of all mankind…”
Qu’ran 5:32
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Thank You!
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