SOVEREIGN MEDICAL ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS HOSPITALLER

   La Orden Soberana de Caballeros Medicos Hospitalarios de San Juan de Jerusalen

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The School of Medicine

The Sovereign Medical Order of the Knights Hospitaller, the ancient benevolent society of medical knights, formally announced the opening of its School of Medicine in Cuenca, Ecuador, October 13, 2007. After long negotiations, the Sovereign Council approved the Charter of member affiliates participation, SOMA Institute of Ecuador, and the Pan-American School of Natural Medicine.

Since the invasion of our Order by Napoleon on Malta, 1798, the Medical School was closed and for more than 200 years the Order has not resurrected its school. The Council recognizes that popular medicine is not suited to convey primary care to poverty-stricken regions, and a medical program must be custom tailored for effective training of medical personnel. There are many practitioners in the Americas that would readily volunteer medical services and for that purpose the Sovereign Council of SMOKH voted to initiate its new school of medicine.

The new school will emphasize the biological sciences, bedside diagnosis, tropical medicine, laboratory, emergency medicine, minor surgery and rural primary care. Academic learning will work in concert with clinical rotations in the rural clinics sponsored and operated by the Order. Already, 16 students are resident in Cuenca ending its first year of classes. This newsletter is announcing its post-graduate program for doctoral candidates interested in this unique medical degree (M.D.) program. 

More about the School download

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE OPENING OF THE SCHOOL - Newsletter No. 2

the above says:
KNIGHTS HOSPITALLERS WILL CREATE A PRIMARY HEALTH CENTER
To take medicine to the most needed, but a whole one, not only treating physical aspects of the human being is the care of the Internatioional Order that is present in Cuenca.
The order is made up of medical professionals, nationals and foreigners specializing in phytotherapy, natural mediciine, said Dr. Fernando Pinto, one of the members.
Projects
As of one year ago, the Order has anticipated the creation of the School of Medicine, with undergraduate and post graduate programs that was officially inagurated last saturday. There are already 16 students that after 5 years of courses they will become Missioinary Doctors.

Another project is to create Primary health centers that will become reality next year, and they are in search of locals and places and in conversations with the City Hall of Cuenca. Dr. Pinto said that it will be areas of nutrition, specialized laboratory, dentistry an so forth , with speciaiized doctors from overseas as well as nationals. The main office is in Quito and they are planning to open one in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, they already have the land to do so.
And then it tells about the History of the Order on the right column... translation courtesy of Grand Bailiff Dr. Jaramillo

The School of Medicine will begin in Cuenca Ecuador at its primary clinic with full participation of a number of professors. The faculty consists of professors from areas of expertise, who volunteer commitment to the goals of the School and dissemination of natural medicine worldwide.

Ecuador
Organic Chemistry: Dr. Horacio Quinast
Botanica: Dr Eduardo Granja
Antropology: Dr. Rodrigo Proano
Medicine History: Dr. Fernando Pinto, Prof. Charles McWilliams
Anatomy I: Dr Paul Rivera
Histology I: Dr. Javier Loyola
Embriology I: Dr. Victor Arevalo
Biochemestry I: Dra Rocio Carrasco
Basics of Natural Medicine: Ing Santiago Backach
Phytotherapy: Dr. Fernando Pinto
Diagnosis of Natural Medicine: Dr. Patricio Guerrero; Dr. Mentor Sanchez
Tradicional Anden Medicine: Dr. Fernando Pinto

Anatomy II: Dr Paul Rivera
Histology II: Dr. Javier Loyola
Biochemistry II: Dra Rocio Carrasco
Physiology I: Dr. Pablo Dominguez
Reflexotherapy: Dra. Ma Cecilia Freile
Masajetherapy: Dra. Ma Rosa Crespo
Medical Web Training: Ing Fabricio Vargas

Nevis
Clinical Medicine: Prof. Charles McWilliams
Medical Web Training: Dr. Daniel Zetouny
Laboratory Medicine: Dr. Eric Carter
Clinical Psychology: Dr. C. Gigante McBaine

A resident degree program is already in service for students in ecuador. Simultaneously, a distance education post-graduate program will be available to health care practitioners with a Bachelor's degree or better. Online courses will be balanced with semi-annual courses in cadaver anatomy, emergency medicine, minor surgery and clinical medicine. Candidates will also have to complete a minimum number of weeks of clinical rotations in hospitaller facilities and programs for the poor and needy.

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