PMDC tells varsities to set up cells on continuous medical, dental education

Islamabad: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council on Monday directed all nationwide universities to establish special cells for continuous medical and dental education (CME/CDE) at their respective medical and dental colleges before appointing staff there in adequate numbers. The universities were told to inform the PMDC about their respective standard operating procedures. The directions were issued during a meeting of vice chancellor of the country’s all medical university at the PMDC main offices in Islamabad.
PMDC president Professor Masood Hameed Khan chaired the meeting, which was called to discuss the SOPs of medical universities for standardisation and improvement. The PMDC president later told reporters that all vice chancellor of medical universities were invited to the meeting so that they could ensure the best possible educational standards at their constituent medical and dental colleges or those affiliated with them. He said besides ordering the establishment of CME and CDE cells in their respective educational institutions, the PMDC had asked medical universities to hold conferences, seminars and workshops on continuous medical and dental education through their constituent colleges to the benefit of doctors and dentists.
Professor Masood Hameed Khan said his organisation won’t renew any registration of any doctor or dentist without CME/CDE credit points. He said the PMDC had also asked universities to ensure that their medical and dental colleges standardise their examination system and the criteria of examiner to hold transparent examinations. The PMDC president said all vice chancellor of the universities had been directed to submit details of their internal and external examiners to the PMDC for examination. He said the PMDC and medical universities had unanimously decided that certification of examinations should begin next year for fresh doctors and registered doctors after 10 years. Professor Masood Hameed Khan said there would be zero tolerance about the standards and working of medical universities and their respective constituent and registered medical and dental colleges and if that didn’t happen, the PMDC would take strict disciplinary action under the law or through the HEC.