College of Physicians and Surgeons: Indian professor applies for Pakistani qualification

Prof Jayaprakash currently works in Saudi Arabia.

LAHORE:

An Indian professor with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and 28 years of experience has applied to the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) for enrolment in its fellowship programme.

Prof B Jayaprakash is currently working as a specialist/registrar in cardiology at the Prince Abdul Azeez Mussaed Cardiac Centre in Saudi Arabia, according to CPSP officials. They said that this was the first time that an Indian professor had sought admission to the CPSP fellowship programme

In his application, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, Prof Jayaprakash has sought enrolment in the Fellowship of College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS) programme for cardiology. He asked to be exempted from FCPS-I and be allowed to sit the FCPS-II cardiology exam in two years after completing his dissertation.

Prof Jayaprakash has published eight research papers in international journals and has served as head of the medicine department at public hospitals in India. He has 28 years of experience, according to his application.

“In Saudi Arabia, doctors with FCPS degrees are paid much better,” said CPSP Chief Examination Controller Dr Muhamamad Sharif. “To have top doctors from abroad applying for the fellowship programme is a matter of pride for us and for Pakistan.”



He said that the CPSP Council would consider whether Prof Jayaprakash should be granted an exemption.

The regular training period for the FCPS-II exam is four years. Candidates can sit the FCPS-I exam after graduating with MBBS degrees. After the FCPS-I exam, they must complete four years of training in a speciality at a teaching hospital after which they can sit the FCPS-II exams. Doctors with postgraduate degrees and two years of post-degree experience are eligible for exemption from FCPS-I, but the concession is granted on a case to case basis.

CPSP officials said doctors with postgraduate degrees from many countries had applied to the college, but this was the first time an Indian professor had sought its qualifications. A doctor of Pakistani origin with a PhD in molecular biology and working at the Department of Pathology at the University of Cincinnati has also applied for the FCPS, for example. Dr Zeeshan Pasha has also requested exemption from FCPS-I.

CPSP Director General for International Relations Prof Khalid Masood Gondal said every year hundreds of doctors with postgraduate degrees applied to the CPSP for the FCPS-I exemption. The college has so far granted such exceptions to 47 doctors with MPhil degrees, 20 with MS degrees, three with MD degrees, and 48 Members of the Royal College of Surgeons or Physicians.

“In Pakistan, the CPSP has built up a centralised specialisation programme, while in India they are still in the developmental stage. The universities in India have MS/MD programmes, but they don’t have a centralised programme like the FCPS,” he said.

He said if Prof Jayaparakash was exempted from FPCS-I, he would get training at a hospital registered with the Saudi Health Council.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2013.