Our curriculum is disease focused; teacher centered
hence nothing is going to change – Gohar Wajid
Plenary Session Proceedings during PAMI Conference at UOL
LAHORE: At Aga Khan University we teach our students principles of ethical practice as we wish to produce good human beings who practice medicine and not bad doctors. This was stated by Prof Adil Haider Dean of Aga Khan University Medical College. He was making a presentation on “Beyond the White Coat” at the Third International Conference of PAMI jointly hosted by Superior University and University of Lahore. This plenary session held at UOL on April 12th was chaired by Dr. Yasir Khan Niazi along with Prof. Razi Muhammad President of PAMI.
Dr. Yasir Khan Niazi along with Prof. Syed Razi Muhammad chairing one of the sessions during the PAMI Conference jointly hosted by Superior University and University of Lahore. On extreme right Prof. Ali Haider from AKU is making a presentation at one of the plenary sessions.
Building the character of future healthcare professionals Prof. Adil Haider remarked was extremely important. He laid emphasis on quality of human mind in education. As regards standard of medical education, he said, AKU graduates have 25% more chances of getting a Residency slot in United States. We at AKU have a BS programme of innovations in medical education. From Bench to Bedside modules are taught by Nurses. We have interdisciplinary Clerkship. The university has an office of Career Counseling and Electives. He also referred to student’s code of conduct, students’ health service plan, dress code, examination and protection policies. We have a very active students society. We train them in humility, compassion, team work and self-discipline. Integrity and, social responsibility are the characters of Seven Star doctors, he added.
Dr. Gohar Wajid an eminent medical educationist from Cairo discussed the role of Pakistan Medical & Dental Council in setting the directions for undergraduate medical curriculum reform in Pakistan. Fear of God, he opined, is part of professionalism in Saudi Arabia. All this is nothing new for us Muslims. Character building starts from childhood. God is Great. PM&DC has to approach medical colleges and medical universities to find out whether students have gone through character building.
Continuing Dr. Gohar Wajid remarked that our curriculum has to be competency based, community based and inter-professional education based. At present there are serious gaps in PM&DC curriculum. It is diseased focused, teacher centered and clinical information based. Hence nothing is going to change. We have to put emphasis on community based medical education. We must develop our faculty and take all stake holders into confidence. Faculty development is not included in PM&DC curriculum.
Prof. Syed Razi Muhammad in his conceding remarks said that it was extremely important to take all the stake holders into confidence and see the ground realities. There is difference in medical education being taught in UK, in big cities in Pakistan and in small cities. There is difference in practice. In effective domain, many qualities have different measures. Diversity was important. We all must sit together and talk to each other before making any policies. Our difficulty is that no one listens to us. If those in authority and in regulatory bodies listen to us, all the problems can be resolved.
Dr. Yasir Khan Niazi in his remarks said that medical education has to be fact based, Trust is important and we have to trust the students. We must build in them confidence. Our problems are that we try to revolutionize everything. There are century old institutions which cannot be compared to a new institution. The new institutions will take time to develop. Don’t compare us with those century old institutions. It needs behavior change. He made a passionate appeal that please do not lie, above everything we must adhere to ethics in life. We have to take care of humanism and emotions as well, he added.
