Islamabad
To the smiles and cheers of family members, teachers, class fellows, and friends, 279 medical and dental graduates collected degrees during the second convocation of Islamabad Medical and Dental College at Jinnah Convention Centre here on Saturday.
Gold medals were given away to high-achievers from the MBBS 2010 and 2011 and BDS 2011 and 2012 courses.
The privately-owned college recognised by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council in August 2007 and affiliated with Bahria University, Islamabad, had the first convocation in March 2014.
For the event generally considered a celebration of educational performance, the high-spirited graduates both girls and boys walked to the hall wearing mortarboards, gowns and academic regalia.
Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry distributed gold medals and degrees to the graduates declared best in their respective batches and those who secured top positions either in professional examinations or subjects, amid a huge round of applause from the audience.
Among ‘best graduates’ were Maria Rauf (MBBS 2010), Umair Naeem Khan (MBBS 2011), Mehwish Pasha (BDS 2011) and Waheed Ghaffar Bari (BDS 2012).
While owing their accomplishment to parents and teachers, they said they’re happy to see their hard work spanning over five years finally pay off.
The high-achievers said they’re committed to excelling in the profession to contribute their bit to good patient care in the country.
After congratulating graduates on successfully completing their respective courses, Dr Tariq Fazal, whose ministry oversees health facilities in the federal capital, said the government understood the country's health issues and challenges and was making every effort to improve healthcare, especially service delivery to the people on their doorstep.
He however said accomplishing that mission wasn’t possible unless healthcare professionals offered selfless services to the people.
The minister said health sciences were going through rapid changes with the advancements in the field of biological sciences and allied technologies and therefore, medical institutions, faculty and students should work together to upgrade the curricula, skill sets, pedagogical approaches and their environment to be more learner-friendly and research-oriented.
“If that happens, only then the country could reach the pinnacle of success,” he said.
Dr Tariq Fazal said convocation marked the entry of graduates into the practical professional life, so it was time to give back what they had received, and deliver the benefits of their knowledge to the nation.
“I am confident that the graduates while embarking on professional careers will remain focused and guided by the canons of ethics in the medical and dental profession,” he said.
IMDC Chairman Dr. Ghulam Akbar Khan Niazi also congratulated graduates on completing their courses and asked them to make every effort to provide best care to patients, increase their knowledge, and remember that there is no shortcut to experience.
“Young doctors should look forward with pride and yearning to the sleepless nights and the hard days that go into making of a good doctor. You must learn new techniques and new methods of treatment to serve the people irrespective of caste, creed or colour,” he said.
The IMDC chairman said the college had got own 500-bedded teaching hospital on the premises, which would be functional soon catering for the nearby population on their doorstep.
Bahria University Rector Vice Admiral (r) Tanveer Faiz, IMDC Principal Professor Khalid Hassan and Principal of the college’s dental section Professor Muhammad Saleem Khurram also spoke on the occasion.
