The education process at AKU goes far beyond the traditional acquisition of medical knowledge and procedural skills. It is important that the scope of education encompass attributes such as communication skills, biomedical ethics, teaching skills, research methodology and critical thinking. Critical thinking and analysis is the keystone of scientific thought, and the most basic prerequisite of meaningful scholarship and research. PGME strives to instill these qualities in its graduates through carefully structured programmes. The objective is not to produce a skilled technologist but to facilitate a process of broad professional and personal development.

All the programmes are overseen by the Postgraduate Medical Education Executive Committee of AKU, which sets common goals and objectives for the trainees. The objective of the University is to educate young men and women to evolve into humane, ethical and competent genera lists, specialists and scientists who will help improve the health care systems of Pakistan and contribute to the generation of new knowledge. Research is of particular importance at AKU, and we have developed special courses and programmes to assist all PGME students in building their research capacity. These include lectures, workshops and brief courses. For those residents interested in a career in academic medicine, we offer an MSc in Clinical Research programme that is integrated into their clinical training. The objective of the programme is to produce clinical investigators equipped with the tools to conduct research relevant to our country's needs.

At Aga Khan University, our PGME programmes are rigorous and trainees are pushed to the limits of their potential. Each of our trainees represents the University in his or her interactions with patients and colleagues and is expected to carry himself or herself in a manner befitting their responsibilities. PGME has graduated over 1,475 physicians. Our programmes have had a major impact on AKU and 38 per cent of clinical faculty at AKU are graduates of the University's PGME programmes. It is expected that many future academic leaders of teaching institutions in the country will be from among our graduates – a review indicates that the University is beginning to achieve this goal. Many graduates are now serving as faculty and staff of teaching institutions in various provinces. Others are practicing in towns and cities that extend from Sindh to the Northern Areas of Pakistan. AKU's PGME programme is undergoing internationalisation and has established residency training programmes in Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Radiology and Family Medicine in East Africa. Several others are being planned for teaching sites in East Africa as well as Afghanistan.

AKU residency programmes are structured to provide residents with increasing responsibilities under the supervision of full-time faculty members. Each programme has a designated Residency Coordinator and a Departmental Committee which includes a representative from among the residents. This Committee helps ensure that the programme follows the objectives laid down by the University. Residents are evaluated and debriefed periodically about their progress and are encouraged to develop a life long habit of self-learning. The University facilities include an excellent library and a Learning Resource Centre equipped with computers. Most current programmes are approved by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan, and several by the Royal Colleges of the UK.

More information about the current and future programmes can be obtained by calling the PGME Office at 486-4583/486-4534 or by writing to Aga Khan University, Office of Postgraduate Medical Education, Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi 74800, Pakistan (Email: pgme@aku.edu).

Dr Nadir Ali Syed, MBBS (AKU), ABEM, ABPN
Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education
Chief of Neurology, Aga Khan University

May 2008