Brief History of the DMI and its objectives

Libya is located along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It is bound by Tunisia to the northwest, Algeria to the west, Niger to the southwest, Chad to the south, Sudan to the southeast, Egypt to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. Tripoli is the capital city of Libya. In Tripoli, Alfateh university is the main institution for higher education.

The faculty of medicine of Al-Fateh University was founded in January 1972. In October 1973, the first batch of students (holders of the General Certificate of High School Education) enrolled in the premedical year. At that time, teaching commenced in the Faculty of Science with four major departments; namely, Anatomy, Histology, Physiology, and Biochemistry departments. The first dean was appointed in March 1974.

Teaching in the DMI started in the academic year 1976. The department provided lectures and laboratory courses to both 2nd year Dental and 3rd year Medical students. Few years Later, the DMI concentrated on giving lectures only to medical students, after the new Dental School had opened. In 1995, the first postgraduate course granting MSc degree to physicians and dental surgeons commenced.

The DMI aims at providing undergraduate medical students with the basic knowledge regarding major micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi), and to help them understand the role of Microbiology in the development of infectious human diseases. The DMI also aims at developing the understanding of the principles of Immunology as they apply to infectious diseases, and to consider the relationship between virulence factors and host defense system in the genesis of infection.

Moreover, the DMI provides postgraduate clinicians and scientists interested in infectious diseases with a modern scientific training in both theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline. Last year, the DMI celebrated the 10th anniversary of commencing the MSc program (which started in 1995). This year's patch of MSc students (started March 2006), include physicians currently working at Hospitals in different specialties such as Intensive Care Units (ICU), General Surgery and Pediatric Cardiology. Some of the students are Dentists who wish to extend their knowledge in Dental Microbiology. Most of the MSc holders in Microbiology who graduated from the DMI are either working in a hospital or perusing a higher degree in their field.