He was speaking as chief guest at the 11th Post-graduate Medical Education Graduation Ceremony for fellows, residents and interns of the Aga Khan University, Department of Post-graduate Medical Education, held at the Aga Khan University (AKU) on Tuesday.
So far, more than 1,268 doctors have taken advantage of PGME graduates programme. More than 70 percent of these graduates are serving health facilities across the country where the remaining 30 percent graduates have either settled abroad or undergoing extensive training in their chosen fields of higher education and research. About 38 percent of the entire clinical faculty at the AKU comprising PGME graduates.
A total of 105 physicians, including 47 interns, 48 residents and 8 fellows were awarded certificates for successfully completing specialty training in several clinical disciplines.
These included anesthesia, community medicine, diagnostic radiology, family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, neurology, obstetric and gynaecology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology/head and neck surgery, pediatrics, pathology, psychiatry, and urology for the residents. The fellow graduated in adult cardiology, cardiothoracic anesthesiology, gastroentrology, general surgery and vascular surgery, diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism and neonatal pediatrics.
In 2005, four new clinical fellowship programmes in interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, pain management, and pediatrics were introduced.
Medical College Dean Dr Mohammad Khurshid, in his address of welcome, said that the University is committed to its post-graduate programmes and to the need for building lasting beneficial relationships between the graduates and the alma maters.
Facilitating the graduates on successful completion of their one-year programme at the University's PGME programme, AKU Acting Provost Dr David Taylor also lauded the efforts of AKU residents, interns and fellows in participating in the recent earthquake relief efforts.
PGME Associate Dean Dr Nadir Ali Syed said that currently, there are 24 residency and 14 fellowship programmes with a total of 390 trainees on board in various disciplines. These programmes focus on producing skilled technologists - equipped with the highest standard of leadership and management skill as well as clinical practice - so that they are able to function as competent and compassionate academicians, he added.
He said that Master of Science in Clinical Research Programme is the first programme of its kind in Pakistan, adding that it prepares residents and fellows for future leadership in academic medicine and clinical investigators.