RMU working hard to improve medical education, healthcare standards

Rawalpindi : Rawalpindi Medical University that was upgraded as a university from Rawalpindi Medical College on May 5, 2017 has shown exemplary progress since its establishment and it is the first public sector university in Pakistan that started Integrated Modular Curriculum, the latest curriculum in the field of medical education and research.

The RMU launched post graduate university residency program that is in accordance with the guidelines of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, a body responsible for accrediting all graduate medical training programs for physicians in the United States. The program is the first of its kind in Pakistan.

Vice Chancellor RMU Professor Muhammad Umar expressed this while talking to ‘The News’ on progress, the RMU made in last two-and-a-half years in the field of medical education.

He said the university has introduced a new system of research in which it is mandatory for both students and faculty members to conduct research. Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) operational at RMU provides end to end services for all matters pertaining to research & development, innovation, inventions, comm­ercialization, patents,

co­l­l­a­b­orations, arranging seminars, symposium, co­n­f­e­rences, workshops, etc a­nd­ or research publication honorarium. ORIC is established at the University in July 2019 as per guidelines of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad.

Dr. Umar said at present a number of research projects of international standard are being carried out at the university and the university is getting funding from abroad for many projects.

The university has established at least 10 new departments at the three allied hospitals attached with it in town including nephrology, dermatology, critical care and plastic surgery burn, he said.

It is important that the Pakistan Medical Commission has issued no-objection certificate (NOC) regarding recognition to RMU, Nishtar Medical University and Faisalabad Medical University recently, two weeks back after which Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr. Tariq Binori visited RMU.

There has been a lot of criticism regarding establishment of the three medical universities in Punjab province and many critics believe that the institutions that received NOC lack facilities required for recognition as universities. However, according to rules, if the HEC approves the universities, the PMC would allow them to take exams.