AKU's 11th Postgraduate Medical Education Graduation Ceremony

Professor Masood Hameed Khan, Vice Chancellor, Dow University of Medical Sciences, was the Chief Guest at the 11th annual graduation ceremony for fellows, residents and interns of Aga Khan University's (AKU) Department of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME).

A total of 105 physicians including 47 interns, 48 residents and 8 fellows were awarded certificates for successfully completing speciality training in several clinical disciplines. These included anaesthesia; community medicine; diagnostic radiology; family medicine; general surgery; internal medicine; neurology; obstetrics and gynaecology; orthopaedic surgery; otolaryngology/head and neck surgery; paediatrics; pathology; psychiatry; and urology for the residents, while the fellows graduated in adult cardiology; cardiothoracic anaesthesiology; gastroenterology; general and vascular surgery; diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism; and neonatal paediatrics. In 2005, four new clinical fellowship programmes in interventional cardiology; interventional radiology; pain management; and paediatric were introduced.

Congratulating the graduates and their parents, Professor Masood Hameed Khan acknowledged the positive impact of systems and processes of AKU's PGME programmes in the areas of health care and education in Pakistan.

In his welcome address, the Dean of Medical College, Dr Mohammad Khurshid, said that the University is committed to its postgraduate programmes, and to the need for building lasting beneficial relationships between the graduates and the alma mater.

Felicitating the graduates on successful completion of their rigorous years at the University's PGME programme, Dr David Taylor, Acting Provost, AKU, also lauded the efforts of AKU residents, interns and fellows in participating in the recent earthquake relief efforts .

Dr Nadir Ali Syed, Associate Dean, PGME, said, "Currently, there are 24 residency and 14 fellowship programmes with a total of 390 trainees on board in various disciplines. These programmes focus at producing skilled technologists ? equipped with the highest standards of leadership and management skills as well as ethical practices ? so that they are able to function as competent and compassionate academicians." He specifically mentioned AKU's Master of Science in Clinical Research programme, saying that, "this is the first programme if its kind in Pakistan and would prepare our residents and fellows for future leadership in academic medicine as clinical investigators."

The programme also included valedictory speeches, and a certificate distribution ceremony.

To date, AKU has graduated 1,268 young men and women from its internship, residency and fellowship programmes in 38 different medical specialities. AKU's PGME graduates have already had an impact on ther health care delivery in Pakistan over a relatively short period of time. Almost 70 per cent of these are working in Pakistan, while several are senior faculty members at the University ? 38 per cent of the entire clinical faculty at AKU comprises of PGME graduates.