UK team of physicians visits Pakistan to oversee clinical exams

MRCP PACES clinical examination was conducted at Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi, says ISPR

A team of UK physicians visited Pakistan to oversee “MRCP PACES” clinical examination, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.

“After mutual collaboration, conferences and memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Surgeon General of Pakistan Army and Royal College of Physicians UK, the Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians UK's five members team – headed by Dr Donald Farquhar, the International Medical Director for MRCP – visited Pakistan to conduct MRCP PACES clinical examination,” it added.

According to the military's media wing, the MRCP PACES clinical examination was conducted at Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi which is the first ever centre established in Pakistan by Royal College of Physicians UK.

This has been the 15 year journey to open a "MRCP PACES Center in Pakistan". From now on, MRCP PACES Clinical Examination (UK) will be held regularly at least twice a year in Pakistan, the official statement said.

The panel of examination from UK – Dr Donald Farquhar, Prof Charles Twort, Dr Peter Newman, Dr Tanzeem Raza and Dr Roderick Harvery – was joined by team in Pakistan included Prof Aamir Ghafoor Khan lead examiner for MRCP in Pakistan, Prof Imran Fazal, Prof Khurshid Muhammad Uttra, Prof Wasim Alamgir, Prof Zafar Ali Qureshi, Prof Shazia Nisar, Prof Azmat Hayat, Dr Asim Yousaf, Dr Muhammad Salim, Dr Haroon Hafiz and Dr Mohsin Saif.

The exam lasted three days and 45 candidates were examined, the ISPR said.

Dr Donald Farquhar said, "MRCP exams are offered in 36 countries around the world at more than 100 locations and over 25,000 doctors take the exams each year. The advent of these high level medical exams in Pakistan will provide doctors with the opportunity to take this examination locally”.

Pakistan is the first country in the world where these international exams have been held in an era of Covid-19 pandemic, according to APP.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar last month hailed the advent of highly prestigious first ever MRCP (UK) PACES exams in Pakistan.

She was speaking as a chief guest at a dinner hosted by the British Council in honour of the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians UK team for bringing first ever MRCP (UK) Clinical exams, PACES to Pakistan.

Dr Sania who herself is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, congratulated the federation team and said, “PACES is the largest international clinical exam for post graduate doctors in the world.