Pathology Residency Programme

Aga Khan University Hospital has a well-established Department of Pathology and Microbiology with highly qualified and experienced faculty. Very unique in its core, Department of Pathology and Microbiology caters for four different residency programmes under one roof.  The disciplines of Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Histopathology and Microbiology are imparting training for higher diplomas and quality research. The Residency Programme is recognised in all the above-mentioned disciplines by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan.

Objective

The main objective of the Residency Training Programme in Pathology is to produce knowledgeable and competent pathologists catering to the service, education and research needs of Pakistan.

Facilities for training

A candidate spends five years in the field of choice, i.e. Chemical Pathology, Microbiology, Haematology or Histo-pathology. The residents are encouraged to participate in administrative affairs of the laboratory. Strong emphasis is laid on quality control and quality assurance practices.

The clinical laboratory is computerised and equipped with up-to-date instrumentation throughout. It includes special services such as plasma pheresis, platelet pheresis, special coagulation, cytogenetics, molecular patho-logy, immunochemistry, flow cytometry, frozen sections, immuno-fluorescence, fully automated blood culture and tuberculosis system, dark field microscopy and advanced mycology.

The clinical laboratory is open 24 hours daily and provides care to Aga Khan University Hospital and outside referrals. The laboratory facilities are accessible through multiple phlebotomy centres, nationally and internationally.

Duration of training

Five years for Microbiology, Histopathology, Haematology and Chemical Pathology

Eligibility

• MBBS or equivalent degree approved by PM&DC, with 55 per cent or above marks in the final examination
• One-year internship, with six months in Medicine and allied and six months in Surgery and allied disciplines
• FCPS Part I (Pathology specific)

Final selection is based on written examination and interviews.

Scope and content

Clinical training and didactic teaching

Self-learning and hands-on training under supervision is the key for resident training. However, formal academic sessions in the form of journal clubs, slide seminars, tutorials and tumor boards are also held. Residents participate in various interdepartmental meetings, clinicopathological conferences, along with seminars held in other hospitals of the city.

There is a gradual increase in responsibility from the first through the final year of residency and the development of personal initiative is stressed upon with opportunities for presenting case reports, disease summaries, research papers, etc. Besides, the residents are encouraged to involve themselves in research projects in their field of choice under the supervision of divisional heads or other faculty, in order to utilise the huge pool of data and patient's material available.

Other duties include teaching medical students and medical technology students.

Evaluation

Besides formal assessment the residents are regularly evaluated on the basis of their intellectual approach, professional skills, organisational capabilities and personal attitudes. At the end of every rotation, overall evaluation of the residents is conducted by the faculty of the section.

On-call duties

Residents take up on-call duties on rotation, including Saturdays/Sundays, in which they carry out various procedures like bone marrow aspiration, plasma pheresis, fine needle aspiration, Pap smears, hormonal tests, etc, besides responding to the interpretation of various test results and other queries.

Administrative set-up

The Chief Resident looks after the day-to-day problems of the residents and coordinates with the coordinators of Chemical Pathology, Histopathology, Haematology and Microbiology and the Programme Director, who in turn briefs the Departmental Chair as and when required about the activities of the residents. The current Residency Coordinators are Dr Zubair Ahmed, (Histopathology), Dr Salman Naseem Adil (Haematology), Dr Erum Khan (Microbiology) and Dr Aysha H. Khan (Chemical Pathology). Dr Imran Siddiqui is the current Programme Director. They all meet regularly as Departmental Residency Committee (DRC). This committee is responsible for the residents' related issues.

Full-time Faculty

Professor and Chairman

Dr Rumina Hassan
MBBS London; MSc London; PhD London; FRC Path UK

Professors

Dr El-Nasir Lalani
BSc (Hons); MBChB; FRCPath; PhD FHEA

Dr Mohammad Khurshid
MBBS Karachi; D Path UK; FRC Path UK; FCPS Pakistan, FRCP London

Dr Naila Kayani
MBBS Punjab; FCAP USA
Diplomate American Board of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology

Dr Rabia Hussain, T.I.,S.I.
MSc Karachi; PhD Canada; FRC Path UK

Dr Shahid Pervez
MBBS Balochistan; DCP, PhD London; FCPS Pakistan

Dr Sheema H. Hasan
MBBS Punjab; FRC Path UK

Associate Professors

Dr Afia Zafar
MBBS Karachi; DCP UK; FRC Path UK

Dr Bushra Jamil (Joint Appointment)
MBBS Karachi; MRCP UK

Dr Farooq Ghani
MBBS Karachi; MD, PhD Path USA

Dr Imran Siddiqui
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan
Director, Residency Programme (All disciplines)

Dr Rashida Ahmed
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan; MHPE Netherlands

Dr Salman Naseem Adil
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan
Programme Coordinator (Haematology)

Dr Tariq Moatter
MSc Karachi; MPhil Karachi; PhD USA

Dr M Asim Beg
MBBS Punjab; PhD UK

Dr Zahra Hasan
BSc (Hon) London; PhD UK

Assistant Professors

Dr Ayesha Habib Khan
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan
Programme Coordinator (Chemical Pathology)

Dr Bushra Moiz
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan

Dr Erum Khan
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan
Programme Coordinator (Microbiology)

Dr Kauser Jabeen
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan

Dr M Raihan Sajid
MBBS; FCPS Pakistan

Dr Romena Qazi
MSc Peshawar; MPhil PakistanPhD Scotland

Dr Seema Irfan
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan

Dr Usman Shaikh
MBBS Punjab; FCPS Pakistan

Dr Zubair Ahmed
MBBS Karachi; FCPS Pakistan
Programme Coordinator (Histopathology)

Dr Zahid Bashir
MBBS Punjab; FCPS Pakistan

Dr Abrar Barakzai
MBBS Jamshoro; MPhil Lahore; FCPS Pakistan

Senior Instructors

Dr Kanwal Aftab
MBBS, FCPS Pakistan

Dr Romana Idress
MBBS, FCPS Pakistan

Dr Saira Fatima
MBBS, FCPS Pakistan

Instructors

Dr Mohammad Kashif
MBBS, FCPS

Dr Shireen Mansoor
MBBS

Part-time Faculty

Assistant Professor

Dr Yasmin Bhurgri
MBBS Karachi; MPhil Karachi; PhD EQ; Fellow UICC

Lecturers

Dr Muhammad Arif
MBBS, FCPS Pakistan

Dr Afsheen Ayaz
MBBS, MSc (Epidemiology)