May 24, 2016

Another Milestone for the UM-Ghana Partnership

On March 15, 2016, Dr. Timothy R.B. Johnson, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at UMMS, was a special guest of honor at the matriculation ceremony of the first private medical school in Ghana, the Family Health Medical School (FHMS) at the Family Health Teaching Hospital in Teshie (Accra). The ceremony was attended by several ministers of State, dignitaries, and doctors from across Ghana.

Established by the management of the Family Health Teaching Hospital Limited, FMHS is accredited by the National Accreditation Board and the Medical and Dental Council, and is affiliated with the School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Ghana. It offers a 6 (six) year Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Medicine (MB ChB) programme. FMHS has modern facilities including an E-library (Tim Johnson Library Complex), a telemedicine facility where students can have virtual lectures from abroad, and the House of Anatomy for dissection of cadavers and computerized facilities to view different parts of the human body.

Honored guests at the matriculation ceremony included (left-right): Former President of the Republic of Ghana His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, Dr. Tim Johnson (yellow hood), the Minister of Education Her Excellency Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Current President His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, Dr Susu Kwawukume (light blue tassle), FHMS Founder and President Professor Yao Kwawukume, and Past President His Excellency John Kofi Kufuor.

The Founder and President of Family Health Medical School, Professor Enyoman Yao Kwawukume, said the vision of the school was to be the prime centre for professional medical education and training by 2020 and beyond. Among the school's objectives are to train medical doctors who would provide good medical care to improve the doctor/patient ratio in the country, address the shortage of critical health personnel, fill vacancies for prospective Ghanaian and foreign nationals who would want to pursue medical training in Ghana, and replace existing medical personnel who were leaving active service due to attrition. 

During the ceremony, Professor Kwawukume expressed his appreciation to the Vice Chancellor, the Pro. Vice Chancellors, and the Registrar of the University of Ghana, the Medical and Dental Council, the National Accreditation Board, Deans of Biomedical and Allied Sciences, and the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Ghana for their support, all of who supported the take-off of the school.  He also expressed his appreciation to Professor Tim Johnson, who he referred to as his "mentor," for facilitating his residency at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital, the first private university in the United States, “Where the idea of the private medical school was born.”

Dr. Johnson began building relationships in Ghana during the 1980s, when he partnered with Ghanaian colleagues to develop an in-country post-graduate training program for Obstetrician/Gynecologists that is still going strong today.

View related articles below:

http://www.ghananewsagency.org/health/family-health-establishes-first-private-medical-school-95995

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/health/Family-Health-Medical-School-officially-outdoored-407445

http://fhms.edu.gh/2016/03/22/fhms-holds-first-matriculation-ceremony/

http://fhms.edu.gh/2016/04/03/fhms-signs-mou-with-university-of-michigan-usa/

http://fhms.edu.gh/2016/03/13/prof-tim-johnson-interacts-with-medical-students/