PMDC approves national medical, dental curriculum

KARACHI: The Academic Board of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has approved the National Medical and Dental curriculum in its first meeting for this year 2023 to 2024.

The Academic Board has unanimously decided to constitute committees to review all the regulations and matters referred to the board entrusted under Section 13 of the PM&DC Act 2022. Chairman HEC and President College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) extended their full cooperation and assistance to the PM&DC Council to achieve quality medical education in Pakistan to further upgrade the standards across the world.

The Academic Board will formulate the first-ever criteria, regulations and proforma for CME/CPD which will help to reinvigorate doctors. CPSP has also ensured full support to assist and share measures taken in this regard at their end. The committee will also devise CME/ CPD credit hours for general and specialist medical/ dental practitioners critical for the renewal of their PM&DC licenses.

The efforts of President PM&DC Prof. Dr Rizwan Taj along with its team were appreciated for taking a significant step towards international recognition by applying to the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) for its accreditation programme in due time along with organizing workshops to improve relations with medical and dental colleges for recognition of WFME.

The Academic Board is constituted of highly qualified professionals from all provinces of Pakistan, known nationally and internationally. The 21-member board will serve a four-year term in terms of section 11 of PM&DC Act 22.

The meeting was presided by the Chairman Academic Board Prof.Dr.Zahid Aman Dean Khyber girls medical college Peshawar. Dr Syed Azhar Ali Shah assisted the August forum as Secretary to the Board. The meeting was attended by all the respectable members of the Academic Board who participated in the meeting.

Dr Mukhtar Ahmed (Chairman Higher Education Commission), Prof.Dr. Khalid Masood Gondal (President College of Physicians and Surgeons), Maj.Gen.Muhammad Suhail Amin (Principal Army Medical College Rawalpindi), Prof.Dr.Muhammad Umar (Vice- chancellor Rawalpindi Medical University), Prof.Dr.Imran Hassan Khan (Principal Sahiwal Medical College Sahiwal), Prof.Dr.Ayesha Shaukat (Principal Continental Medical College Lahore), Prof.Dr. Waheed ul Hameed (Principal de Montmorency College of Dentistry Lahore), Prof.Dr.Waqar Hussain (Principal Bakhtawar Amin Medical & Dental College Multan), Prof.Dr.Saba Sohail (Principal Dow Medical College Karachi) Prof.Dr.Arshad Abro (Professor of Surgery Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro, Prof.Dr.Rizwan Khan (Associate Dean of postgraduate medical education at the Aga Khan University Karachi), Dr Permanand (Principal of Bhitai Dental & Medical College Mirpurkhas), Prof. Dr. Zia ul Haq (Vice Chancellor Khyber Medical University Peshawar), Prof. Dr. Syed Nasir Shah (Dean Khyber College of Dentistry Peshawar), Dr Zia ul Islam (Dean Mardan Medical College Mardan), Prof. Dr. Ghulam Rasool (Principal Rehman Medical College of Dentistry Peshawar), Prof. Dr. Shamsullah Bazai (HOD Ophthalmology Bolan Medical College Quetta), Prof. Dr. Hanif Mengal (HOD Pathology Bolan Medical College Quetta), Prof. Dr. Rukhsana Majid (HOD Community Medicine QIMS Quetta), Prof. Dr. Syed Abdulah Rauf Shah (HOD Oral and Maxilla-facial Bolan Medical College Quetta).

It is pertinent to mention that since the Academic Board was not constituted, PM&DC adopted the policies framed by the previous academic board in the broader interest of the students and doctors, which included the MDCAT/ NRE and NEB examinations.