UHS changes exam pattern

LAHORE:The 196th meeting of the University of Health Sciences' (UHS) Advanced Studies and Research Board (ASRB), held under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore on Thursday, approved changes in the pattern for intermediate module exam (IMM) of MS and MD postgraduate clinical degree programmes.

The meeting included senior faculty members and heads of specialty advisory committees. Under the new system, a common paper will now be set for all specialties in general medicine or general surgery. The IMM will no longer include specialty-related questions. Intermediate exams for 4-year programmes are held after 12 months, and for 5-year programmes, after 18 months. Currently, separate papers are taken for each specialty of Medicine and Surgery.

The approved pattern now entails a single paper of general surgery for surgery and allied specialities and general medicine for medicine and allied, consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions. For Surgery, apart from Anesthesia, the paper will comprise 70 questions on principles of general surgery and 30 from basic sciences including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology.

For Anesthesia, the paper will comprise 40 questions each for general medicine and general surgery, and 20 questions from basic sciences. Similarly, for medicine and allied, there will be one paper consisting of 70 questions from principles of general medicine and 30 from basic sciences including physiology, pharmacology and pathology.

In Paediatrics, however, the IMM theory paper will have 70 questions of principles of paediatric medicine and 30 of basic sciences. The new clinical examination format will consist of 10 OSCE stations of 10 marks each. This change aims to streamline and standardise the examination process.

The ASRB members unanimously endorsed the new exam format. On this occasion, the UHS Vice-Chancellor directed all specialty committees to promptly develop new curricula for MS and MD programmes, ensuring timely implementation in the upcoming session.