Dr Zainab Abbas, the Aga Khan University’s candidate for the College of Physicians and Surgeons’ fellowship in family medicine has received the 2014 Burki Gold Medal at the 49th convocation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan on Saturday.
Dr Abbas scored the highest marks in all specialities in the year 2014. In the award’s 46-year history, she is only the fourth family medicine candidate to achieve this distinction.
Born and brought up in Karachi, Dr Zainab Abbas did her MBBS from Dow Medical College in 2007. After finishing her house job, she entered AKU’s family medicine residency programme in 2009, graduated in 2013, and appeared for her speciality FCPS examination in 2014.
“The Aga Khan University has a major role in establishing family medicine as a speciality not only in Pakistan but also in South Asia. I am extremely grateful to my alma mater and my teachers for giving me an opportunity to be a well-rounded physician. I dedicate this gold medal to the Department of Family Medicine,” she said.
“We are proud of Zainab for achieving distinction in a speciality that is changing health care around the world with its holistic approach towards preventive, curative and rehabilitative care,” commented Dr Waris Qidwai, Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine, AKU.
“Because family medicine physicians provide primary care and work in the community, they have a better understanding of issues faced by patients and families. Their presence on the front line allows early detection of diseases that can be better managed with fewer resources and better outcome,” he added.
Dr Abbas is currently practising family medicine at a teaching clinic in Calgary, Canada.
Sponsored by CPSP’s founding president Lieutenant General W. A. Burki, the medal is awarded to candidates with the highest marks in FCPS-II with the proviso that marks are over 70 per cent and all CPSP examinations are passed in the first attempt.
