For enlightened doctors: Need urged for overhaul of medical education

University of Health Sciences confers degrees on 212 graduates at 2nd convocation

LAHORE: Medical education needs to be reshaped for producing technically competent, socially sensitive, ethically sound and ready-to-serve health professionals who can respond to diverse demands of Pakistan’s growing health needs.

Punjab Higher Education Commission’s (PHEC) Chairman Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin said this while speaking at the 2nd convocation of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) in Lahore on Thursday.

He said false hierarchies should be shunned and mutual respect and a sense of shared responsibility should form the basis of effective teamwork. He stressed the need for revising the curriculum so that doctors were trained to look at health in a truly holistic manner and go beyond a narrow clinical and technology-driven approach.

A total of 212 graduates were conferred degrees and awarded medals at the convocation. Four PhDs, 134 MPhils, 43 MS, one MSc (Medical Technology), one MSc (Nursing) and two MDs were awarded to the graduates.

Moreover, 16 graduates were awarded the ‘Best Graduate Gold Medal’ for their exceptional performance in university examinations in various programmes. The ‘Hajvery Foundation Gold Medal’ for overall best graduate in MPhil Basic Sciences was awarded to Amina Akram of Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore and in MPhil  MLS to Madiha Shakoor of University of Health Sciences Lahore.

For overall best graduate in MBBS, MH Mubbashar Gold Medal was awarded to Iqra Arshad of Shalimar Medical and Dental College, Lahore (Session 2009-2014) and Hira Saleem of Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College, Lahore (Session 2010-2015).

In Bachelors of Dental Surgery (BDS), Maliha Mumtaz (session 2010-2014) and Hadia Arshad (session 2011-2015), both from Margalla Institute of Health Sciences, Rawalpindi, were awarded ‘B.A. Yazdani Gold Medal’ for their best performances.

UHS Vice-Chancellor Maj Gen (retd) Prof Muhammad Aslam advised the graduates to have a constructive attitude and focus on positive aspects of everything.

He said that over 75,000 students were registered with the university which offered more than 100 programmes in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, allied health sciences and nursing.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2016.