PSIM inaugurates federal chapter

Rawalpindi : Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine (PSIM) has inaugurated its federal chapter here in a simple ceremony held at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) though the office-bearers of the PSIM have expressed diverse opinions on options of following MCPS (Pakistan) or MRCPUK for young doctors.

In the inauguration ceremony, central President PSIM Professor Javed Akram who is serving as Vice Chancellor at University of Health Sciences Lahore announced Head of Medicine Department at PIMS Dr. Rauf Niazi as President of Federal Chapter of PSIM while Councillor and Regional Director of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan Dr. Muhammad Shoaib Shafi as Vice President of PSIM Federal Chapter.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Niazi said as President of PSIM Federal Chapter, he would work hard on organising medical workshops and seminars for public awareness and for educating young doctors on various aspects of internal medicine.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Javed said he is working on bringing MRCP UK (Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom) course in Pakistan so that young Pakistani doctors can be able to become MRCP.

A number of specialists in Pakistan however are of the opinion that instead of opting for MRCP, the young doctors in the country should opt for MCPS through CPSP examination. It is important that the CPSP is the highest degree awarding institution in Pakistan on post-graduate medical education in over 70 disciplines. It was established in 1962 under the act of parliament. The CPSP is an autonomous body that covers nearly 95 per cent of the total specialists in medical profession in Pakistan.

Professor Shafi who is also working as Director General International Relations while speaking to young doctors at the inauguration ceremony of PSIM Federal Chapter said the young doctors should opt for MCPS in Pakistan and if they are willing to specialize through Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom, they should do so while staying in UK.

By getting MRCP in UK, the young doctors would get degree of MRCPUK while following it in other countries like Pakistan, they would be given degree of MRCP International and there is a lot of difference between the two degrees while in profession, he said while talking to ‘The News’ on Sunday.

Head of Dentistry at PIMS Dr. Ansar Mehmood who has been given charge of Executive Director of PIMS on Friday also attended the ceremony along with head of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University.