Paediatrics

The Residency Programme in Department of Paediatrics, Maternal and Child Health at the Aga Khan University Hospital was started in 1986. Since then, the department has occupied a distinguished place in the history of AKU, with a continuous tradition of excellence in patient care, teaching and research. Our aim is to provide every resident a comprehensive and broad-based foundation in Paediatrics so that they graduate as highly competent paediatricians, well equipped to begin a career in general paediatrics or join a subspecialty or academic fellowship.

Skilled, dedicated faculty and strong subspecialty divisions attract a large number of nationwide and regional referrals. As a result not only the patient load is well balanced but the residents gain experience in a wide spectrum of diseases.

Throughout their four year training, residents gain a broad base of experience in general paediatrics, primary care as well as in exposure in neonatology, paediatric emergency, paediatric intensive care and each of the following subspecialties like Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Haematology/Oncology, Infectious diseases, Neurology, Nephrology and Paediatric surgery.

Eligibility

• MBBS or equivalent degree approved by the PM&DC
• One year internship with six months in Medicine and allied (paediatrics will be given preference) and six months in Surgery and allied disciplines
• FCPS Part I in Medicine and allied is mandatory

Candidates are required to sit for an entry examination in August/September each year. After passing the written examination, candidates are called for an interview before final selection for the programme.

Scope and content

Clinical training

Paediatric training is a graded experience offering more independence, teaching opportunities and supervisory roles as the resident progresses through training.

Year 1

Emphasis during the first year is on direct patient care and acquisition of the basic knowledge and technical skills essential for the care of both sick and well newborn, infants and children. First year assignments include rotations on the general inpatient paediatric services, NICU, a separate normal newborn rotation and Emergency Room. The first year resident is the primary physician on all of the inpatient units and is expected to make daily work rounds, to collect and interpret data and gain experience in patient management under the supervision of senior residents and faculty.

Year 2

During the second year, resident's progress into a supervisory role assisting first year residents, helping students in clerking patients, they are assigned to general paediatric, ambulatory care, neonatal area and Emergency Room. Second year is also the time when the residents are rotated through the subspecialty areas as part of their training. They are assigned in the wards and are primarily responsible for the patients in the team. They are expected to ensure that good quality medical records are being kept, to prepare for clinical presentations and to help in medical audit, mortality and morbidity meetings.

Year 3

This year is structured to permit the resident to function primarily in a supervisory capacity and to further pursue specific career goals. As a senior resident, he/she may be assigned rotations through all the inpatient areas of the department, ambulatory care and Emergency Room. Residents are expected to exhibit leadership skills, independent decision-making and co-ordinate various ward activities.

During this year, they are expected to submit their dissertation to fulfill the requirement of FCPS Part II Examination.

Year 4

During the fourth year, the resident spends more time in supervisory roles. They are assigned to inpatient, ambulatory and intensive care unit. The resident also rotates through one month of community practice. An elective period in a subspecialty of the resident's choice is also part of the fourth year. Flexibility in these rotations and elective assignment allows for individual preference and continued exploration of career goals.

Their role includes teaching junior residents and students and co-coordinating postgraduate sessions. They are also expected to give lectures and tutorials to students and undergraduates.

AKHSP Sites Training

We have also started new rotation at AKHSP sites (Garden, Karimabad and Kharader) which provides primary and secondary level of Paediatric Care. Residents will cover level II nursery, ambulatory clinics and emergency rooms.

Research

The Department of Paediatrics, Maternal and Child Health has extensive clinical and outreach research programmes that provide excellent opportunities for residents to pursue elective rotations at a senior level. A wide variety of basic science research is continuously conducted throughout the department. Residents are encouraged to participate in research projects conducted by our diverse faculty, throughout their residency.

Didactic content

The didactic portion of the curriculum is organised to present the body of knowledge which comprises current and evidence based practices in paediatrics. This comprises two patient care meetings in a week, monthly grand rounds, journal club, case conferences, clinical seminars, long and short case discussions and postgraduate lectures. In addition to these, there are perinatal and paediatric morbidity and mortality meetings, ICU and Radiology conferences. Guest lectures by eminent paediatricians from Pakistan and overseas are arranged regularly. It is the mission of our programme to produce excellent clinicians who are competent to face the challenges of entire range of paediatric population with competence and fundamental modalities of therapy currently available in this contemporary era.

Fellowship

Our fellowship programme recruits individuals interested in outstanding clinical care and multidisciplinary research. We offer a wide variety of research and training opportunities that are tailored to their individual needs. These fellowships support basic and clinical research education. The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health is currently offering fellowship in Neonatology, Cardiology, Infectious diseases, Haematology-Oncology and Neurology.

Evaluation

Residents are evaluated by the faculty regularly after three to six weeks. In addition to continuous evaluation, multiple choice questions, slide test, tutorials and presentations are used for resident evaluation. A Task Oriented Assessment of Clinical Skills (TOACS) format exam is also arranged every year to train residents and evaluate them on regular basis.

On-call duties

There is a one-in-four (or three) nights on-call and weekends on-call rota.

One senior resident Year 1 or Year 2 is on night call in NICU to cover NICU, Labour Room and Operating Room. One Year 3/Chief Resident works as a floater on night call and can be called to any area, i.e. ER, Ward, NICU or wherever the need arises. One Year 4 resident is on call for Paediatric ICU. Each area is supported by our first and second on-call faculty members.

Positions available

Regular positions: There are 38 regular positions including that of a Chief Resident.

Flexible Residency programme: A flexible training programme was introduced to benefit those physicians who are unable to attain training because of the inability to adjust to fixed training hours because of well founded individual reasons. Two positions are available.

Administrative set-up

Full-time Faculty

Chairman Department of Maternal & Child Health

Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, T.I
MBBS Peshawar; DCH London; FRCP Edinburgh; FCPS Pakistan; FRCP CH UK; PhD (Karolinska)

Professor and Chairman Paediatrics & Child Health

Dr Iqtidar Ahmad Khan
MBBS Peshawar; DCH Glasgow; FRCP Ireland; FRCP CH UK;
Fellowship in Paediatric Nephrology, Canada

Professors

Dr Mehnaz Atiq
MBBS Marathwada; FCPS Paediatrics FCPS Paediatrics Cardiology Pakistan

Dr Anita Zaidi
MBBS AKU; MS Harvard
Diplomate American Boards of Paediatrics, Infectious Diseases, Pathology and Microbiology

Associate Professors

Dr Ahmed Naqvi
MBBS Karachi; Fellowship in Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Toronto, Canada

Dr Shahnaz H. Ibrahim
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan; Fellowship in Neurology, Toronto

Assistant Professors

Dr Muhammad Sohail Salat
MBBS Karachi; FAAP USA
Diplomate American Board of Paediatrics; Fellowship in Neonatology USA
Programme Director

Dr Zehra Fadoo
MBBS AKU; FAAP, USA; Fellowship in Paediatric Haematology and Oncology USA

Diplomate American Board of Paediatrics

Dr Anwarul Haque
MBBS Karachi
Diplomate, American Board of Paediatrics; Diplomate American Board of Paediatrics Critical Care Medicine

Dr Khalid Ahmed
MBBS Karachi; DCH, MCPS (Paediatrics)
Diplomate American Board of Paediatrics; Diplomate American Board of Neurology with special Qualification in Child Neurology
Programme Coordinator

Dr Shakeel Ahmed
MBBS Karachi; MCPS Paediatrics, FCPS Paediatrics Pakistan; MRCPCH UK

Dr Syed Rehan Ali
MBBS Karachi; DCH Ireland; MRCP Ireland; Fellowship in Neonatology UK

Dr Khadija Nuzhat Humayun
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan

Dr Arshalooz Jamila Rahman
MBBS Karachi
Diplomate, American Board of Paediatrics; Fellowship in Pediatric Nephrology Stony Brook University Hospital NY USA

Dr Sajid Bashir Soofi
MBBS Punjab; FCPS Pakistan

Dr Maqbool Qadir
MBBS Karachi; FAAP
Diplomate American Board of Paediatrics; Fellowship in Neonatology USA

Senior Instructors

Dr Bushra Afroze
MBBS Karachi; DCH Karachi; MCPS Pakistan; FCPS Pakistan; Fellowship in Clinical Genetics and Metabolic Disorders Malaysia

Dr Khalil Ahmed
MBBS; DCH; FCPS (Paediatrics); Fellowship in Neonatology UK

Dr Rizwan Haider
MBBS Sindh; FCPS Pakistan

Part-time Faculty

Dr Abdul Gaffar Billoo
MBBS Karachi; DCH Glasgow; DTM&H London, FRCP Edinburgh

Dr Shaikh Qamaruddin Nizami
MBBS Peshawar; MCPS, FCPS Pakistan

Dr Adina Rihab Sheikh-Sajjad
MBBS AKU; LRCP, LRCS, LMSSA UK

Dr Asma Fozia Qureshi
MBBS Karachi; DCH Glasgow; FCPS Pakistan

Dr Durr-e-Samin Akram
MBBS Karachi; MPh Yale
Diplomate, American Board of Paediatrics; FAAP USA

Dr Farhana Amanullah
MBBS AKU
Diplomate American Board of Pediatrics; Fellowship in Nephrology USA

Dr Iqbal Ahmed Memon
MBBS Karachi; FRCP Canada
Diplomate, American Board of Paediatrics; Fellowship in Paediatric Gastroenterology; FAAP USA

Dr Mohsin Ahmed
MBBS Dhaka; FRCP Glasgow; DCH London; MRCP Glasgow

Dr Najam Z. Sheikh
MBBS Karachi; FAAP USA
Diplomate American Board of Paediatrics

Dr Naseeruddin Mehmood
MBBS AKU; FAAP USA
Diplomate American Board of Paediatrics; Fellowship in Neonatology Canada

Dr Parveen Mufti
MBBS Karachi
Diplomate, American Board of Paediatrics; FAAP USA

Dr Salahuddin Shaikh
MBBS Karachi; DCH England; FRCP Glasgow; MRCP, FRCPCH UK

Dr Sohail Thobani
MBBS Karachi
Diplomate, American Board of Paediatrics, Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition USA; FAAP USA

Dr Zafar Najam Shaikh
MBBS Karachi
Diplomate, American Board of Paediatrics; FAAP USA

Dr Zeenat Isani
MBBS Lahore; FCPS Pakistan; MRCP; FRCP UK

Dr Zohair Ali Nanjiani
MBBS Karachi; Fellowship, Adult and Paediatric Neuromuscular Disorders, Electromyography, Adult Neurorehabilitation and Muscular Dystrophy Research USA