PMDC frames new rules for appointment, promotion

LAHORE: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has framed new regulations for the appointments and promotions of faculty professional staff, examiners, principals, dean and administrative staff in undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental institutions of Pakistan.

The regulations have been framed by the council under Section 33 (2) of PMDC Ordinance, 1962. The regulations would come in to force from August 1, 2017.According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, the regulations would be applicable to fresh appointments and next promotions in all the medical and dental institutions recognised in Pakistan.

All appointments already made as per previous PMDC regulations will not be disturbed and titles already accrued will be held. However, all future appointments and promotions will be made according to these regulations.

Medical education today is under revolutionary changes all over the world. The decades old discipline/subject-based medical curriculum is being replaced by the system-based integrated modular curriculum, and learning environment is continuously changing in the medical/dental institutions. In order to meet the rapid changes to the medical education the faculty needed to redefine their role as mentors and facilitators and to equip themselves with the latest instructional/communication skills and techniques.

In the context of globally changing environment of medical education, the council has reviewed/reframed its regulations so that implementation of medical curriculum is ensured only by competent, capable and qualified faculty.

To ensure the improvement in the medical research by the faculty members, the promotion criteria has been revised, and under the new regulations, all the under graduate medical and dental colleges have been directed to establish a medical education department in their colleges with fully functional department of medical education and duly qualified full time faculty with at least three full time faculty members with effect from December 31, 2017. The medical education department will play a pivotal role in steering the educational activities of the medical/dental institution. This department will have a counselling cell with at least one qualified psychologist.

PMDC President Prof Dr Shabir Lehri, in a statement, said that to promote the culture of research in medical education and encourage the medical/dental faculty to conduct research and get it published, the number of mandatory original articles for promotion towards assistant, associate and professor had been increased. For assistant professor, at least two research papers will be required after December 31, 2018 on relevant subject. For assistant professor to associate professor, a total of five research publications in the relevant subject of which three as assistant professor are required after December  31, 2018 and five years of teaching experience.

For promotion from associate professor to professor, at least three years teaching experience as associate or 9 years teaching experience as assistant professor will be mandatory and at least eight eight research publication in the relevant subject of which three should be during last three years are required.

The holder of FCPS in clinical subjects and non-medical faculty are no more eligible for appointment in the basic medical science subjects.