Thread: MEDICAL COLLEGES IN PAKISTAN

AGHA KHAN MEDICAL COLLEGE,KARACHI
ALLAMA IQBAL MEDICAL COLLEGE ,LAHORE
BAQAI MEDICAL UNIVERSITY ,KARACHI
BOLAN MEDICAL COLLEGE,QUETTA
CHANDKA MEDICAL COLLEGE
DOW MEDICAL COLLEGE,KARACHI
FATIMA JINNAH MEDICAL COLLEGE ,LAHORE
KING EDWARD MEDICAL COLLEGE ,LAHORE
KARACHI MEDICAL & DENTAL COLLEGE,KARACHI
kHYBER MEDICAL COLLEGE ,PESHAWAR
LIAQAT MEDICAL UNIVERSITY,JAMSHORO
NISHTAR MEDICAL COLLEGE ,MULTAN
PEOPLES MEDICAL COLLEGE ,NAWABSHAH
PUNJAB MEDICAL COLLEGE ,FAISAL ABAD
QUAIDE AZAM MEDICAL COLLEGE ,BAHAWALPUR
RAWALPINDI MEDICAL COLLEGE
SIND MEDICAL COLLEGE,KARACHI
ZIAUUDDIN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Originally Posted by inspired

AoA, I found this site like two days ago and i've seriously read every single post from page 1..lol...thats like a years worth of stuff...n ive learned a lot so to everyone who contributed to this thread, thanks a bunch! i have a few questions i was hoping someone would be able to help me out with..my parents seriously asked me to consider going to pakistan for med school..like aga khan university or king edward medical college...but the thing is for aga khan i need to write my SAT I and submit them before May 30 which is kind of a strict deadline bcuz im not american..i live in mississauga, canada and i have very lil knowledge about the whole SAT process so i guess if i want to consider AKU ill have to step it up and work like crazy...plus i think you also need SAT II scores for bio chem and physics for the 2nd stage of the admission process if im not mistaken..anyhow i was reading about how you dont really save much time going through the pak system...cuz you have to come back and self study for the exams which usually takes a while and in the end its more or less the same as doing it the long way..is that true or what? like for example mcmaster university in hamilton wil accept some select students after 3 years of undergrad provided they have an awesome GPA...and the mac MD program itself is only 3 years...so in 6 years you can become a full fledged doctor ready for residency..so is it really worth going to pak? similarly university of calgary will even accept you after 2 years of undergrad...n their program is 4 years so again within 6 years you complete what you need to..but then like sara said its a risk to find out whether or not you're going to get into med school or not..also, has anyone heard about the canadian gov't keeping aside several seats for students who complete high school in canada but go abroad to do medicine? i've heard that the medical council is well aware of the number of people who go overseas either because they get rejected in canadian schools or they jus want to save time or whatever...so if i do go to pak, will i get any preference over lets say a person who has been in his pak al his life? like i said ive only heard about it, and im having a hard time finding out how true it really is..i know that aga khan is really good for giving rotations in the states and i also know that states are a great place for IMG's..how is the scope in canada? if i WANT to practice in canada...is going abroad a feasible option for me, since i know they are very strict with IMGs and docs end up as security guards here...alsooo...if i start studying for SAT's il be compromising my day school studying jus a tiny bit..IS IT WORTH IT? i mean i dont want my overall gr12 average to drop..but then again lol if i plan to go to aga khan i HAVE to write the SATs...and plus i think their last session for this year is in June...so ill have to write bio/chem/physics in june (right before my high school exams which means significant sacrifice in either SATII or HS average) does anyone have any advice for me, if i dont get residency in US/CAN what is the scope of actually my pakistani MBBS degree to practice in pakistan itself? n ive aga khanians (is that what you call them?? lol) are set for the most part..but i also heard that aga khanians are not competitive for certain select specializations...which residencies are suitable for the pak route? are there certain residencies that if i wnna consider i should never think of going to pak for? KE doesnt have an entrance exam..yayy..but they reduce my avg..nooo...what about aku does that IBCC system work with aku too? sorry if some of my questions have really obvious answers but im a SERIOUS newbie...so im hoping ill be able to get some help from you guys...thanks!!! May Allah SWT help you achieve your goals

Inspired

Welcome to the forums inspired. You stated that you want to come back to Canada and practice. Canada does accept FMGs; however, it is virtually impossible to make it their as an FMG. The rules for FMGs are so complicated and the process is so tedious that most just give up. I seriously still don't know anyone who has successfully made it back to Canada. If you do go to Pakistan for med school, your best bet is to practice in USA. As for the specialties, most of the FMGs usually end up in primary care. You might ask what primary care is, primary care includes Family practice, Internal medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and OB/Gyn. The reason for that is there are a lot more residency spots for Primary care than applicants. In fact, even after spots filled by American gradutes and FMGs, there are still plenty of slots left. Matching into specialties could be harder for FMGs, mainly because American graduates compete for those spots and hospitals prefer them over FMGs. But it is not entirely impossible. If you get good grades in med school and do well in your USMLEs, you have a chance of matching into competitive specialties. It's comparing apples and oranges, but getting a competitive residency is easier than getting back to Canada to practice after going to foreign med school.
My suggestion, do not give up on Canadian schools just yet. If you are a good student, go to a college in Canada. Get your B.S and apply to med schools. If you don't get in the first time, improve your application and try again. I am sure you can make it. However, if you still dont make it, then go to a foreign med school as your last resort. But don't give up on your goal yet. If you want it bad enough, you will. Trust me, it's a lot easier to get into Canadian med school than coming back and trying to practice as an FMG in Canada. Good Luck!

As for preference to Canadian citizens, I don't really know about Canada since it's almost impossible for FMGs to get a spot in Canada, but US hospitals usually give preference to US citizens and permanent residents over foreign citizens. The reason for that is that Hospital doesn't have to sponsor the resident and it cuts a lot of paper work for the hospital.

salam inspired!

welcome to the thread! Heeey ur from mississagua...awesome!!!

Ur right us Canadians we dont have SATI but for Aga Khan u need to write it...And university of toronto (St.george campus) offers it in May...and the test is not that bad its only composed of three parts reading, writing, and math...math is very easy but the reading part is hard and u have to write one essay too...me and egale we both wrote it on jan 28...its was crazzzy cuz we decided to write the SATI the day before...hehe...so we didnt study for it but allhamdulilah eagle scored sooo high on it cuz eng and math are her favourite!!! and as per me...I didnt do good cuz all my years of high school... english was my worst subject!!! But if eng and math are ur strong subjects then u wont even need to study for SATI..just go over some sample questions... But for SATII... I heard thats hard!

And about residency...hmm...like sam said its very very hard to get residency in Canada, I only know one doctor who came from India and made it here but that too she first went to the states first and then came here...

Did u know that the USMLE is now recognized by the Candian government so that means write the USMLE and apply to Canada and US for residency!!!

And about the time...I think its the same but if u can keep up with a really good GPA (over 3.8) than stay in Cnada also if u dont get into Canadian med schools then u can always try for US med schools...all my friends who tried here couldnt make it but some got in the States ....but if u cant keep up with a good GPA then dont waste time and money on ur BSc ...only then go to pak...

So its up to u to decide whats best for u...wish u all the best in ur studies...May Allah always help u (Ameen)

Sara

Sara00,

Great to see that Canada is finally recognizing the USMLE!

BTW Sara, are you still in the process of applying to Pakistan?

Originally Posted by itihad

what is the rules of transfer?

is transfer possible into the third year of a pakistani university from a recognised university?

what are the requirements?

can someone please provide any information regarding the above.

from some information i was provided, i heard transfer in pak is only possible mainly in third year.

but i want to ask what are the conditions and subjects needed.

thanks.

I see that my reference to oxford/harvard and transfers has mesmorised some people. I used them as a means to highlight that you must be of high calibre to attain a transfer into 3rd year of a decent medical school in pakistan. Some where like Aga khan or King edward would not look at a transfer student with easy assesment.

The admissions people should be contacted, do not rely on every piece of info given on this forum.
Skipper--Your arguments are futile and lack any credibility. Your like a propaganda machine.

Hello inspired,

Welcome to the forum!

I've read your post and understand your problem. Currently, I'm in first year in UofT. Since I'm not getting a 3.8-4.0 GPA, I decided to have Pakistani med schools as a 2nd option. However, I still think that I have the potential to get a high GPA, maybe not in first year, but for the remaining years.

As for you, you haven't even been to university yet. I suggest that you take a go in Canada before thinking of Pakistan. Once you make it here, you'll be among the stars! Did you know that UTM is opening a medical school in Mississauga by 2007?!! There's new chance and hope. Medical schools just don't look at your marks, they want a whole rounded person - so start volunteering in various places (YMCA, hospitals, clinics etc...).

By the way, you probably cannot take the next SAT 1 since you will miss Aga Khan's deadline. Therefore, don't jepordize your high school marks. Research into Aga Khan and King Edward before applying. For international students in Aga Khan, you have to pay $20,000 US in tuition fees alone! For King Edwards, the tuition fees is $10,000 US, and students have gotten positions in US medical schools.

This is a big decision that you alone can take! Once you've graduated in Pakistan, there's a whole lot of rejection and waiting to get back in Canada. Make your decision based on where you want to work in the future, your family etc...

Feel free to ask for help anytime.

eagle

salam friends,

Rehan: So after 100 years we met again! U know what happened...I applied last year but my school didnt give me my offical transcript so when I send it to the IBCC ppl they refused to convert my marks and the sad part was I thought my marks were getting converted yet they were not and no one even informed me either... so after several weeks later... I told my uncle to go to Islamabad to check out what happend and later I found out my transcript was not in a sealed enveloppe so I had to re-send everything!!! As a result I wasted so much time and when my marks did fianlly got converted it was tooo late...so the EAD ppl put me in their "waiting list". But u know what my IBCC marks were pretty good too they were in 800's and ppl who had lower marks than I did got in this year! So then I joined university of toronto...I guess...its all part of "kismet" ....maybe there was sumthing good in it... But inshalla I'll apply again this year and lets see where I'll end up!

By the way since ur in pak med school why not share ur experience with all of us... I mean when u first went to pak how was it? did u have hard time getting use to the environment, like the heat, insects, food, water, etc.. Also what were some of the challenges u faced? Ur good times? and ur worst momments? things u like and dislike.... And also any advice for us future students who are thinking of pak med schools? and one more thing..most gurls have one thing in mind... "safety"...is it pretty safe down there?

It would be sooo good to hear from u! Wish u all the best in ur studies!

itihad: We kinda forgot about u ...listen friend... from what heard usually a student can transfer after there 2nd year and that transfer is acceptable within the province, and I heard even getting a transfer from one province to another is IMPOSSIBLE... so now the question is regarding international transfer...so u can probably predic the answer to that question, right? But since I'm not 100% sure ...u should go to the king edward website and email them and aks them if is possible to transfer from an international med school to a pakistani med school and the uncle-jee who'll know the answer to this question his name is "Abdul Hmeed" so ask them to give u his email address and talk to him directly...

Hope this help...if u still dont get ur answer PM me and I'll try to contact uncle Hussain, who's in charge of the EAD admissions!

eagle: heeey they opening a new med school at UTM??? woo hoo! why u going then?? stay here and work hard! ...by the way I asked the Aga ppl and they said u can write the SATI on may 6 too and just fax us ur online marks before may 30...so if someone wishes to write in May is still possible!

take care,

Sara

help me PLZ!

I am a high school student in USA. I got 95 in biology, 95 in chemistry, 90 in physics. (7 in AP biology, 95 in AP chemistry. 90 in almost all the classes I have taken in math. In english i got an 80 and in history 70. What are my chances of getting into ALLAMA IQBAL MEDICAL COLLEGE. I also took ESL classes for 2 years in high school and for the rest of the 2 years I was in regular. Does this have a negative impact on me? PLZ let me know

Hello docforlife123456789,

Your chances are next to perfect. You could get into King Edward Medical College too (the best government college in Pakistan). I heard people get in with lower marks than yours.

I'm not sure if you know the procedure of applying i.e. IBCC. They make an equivalent certificate for the Pakistani Education System (by cutting your marks off by 10-20%). I don't think that ESL classes for the first 2 years will do you harm because you did have regular English in your senior years. Just in case, here's their website: http://www.ibcc.edu.pk/.

Just out of curiosity, you have incredible marks, why do you want to apply for medical school in Pakistan? A degree from the US can do you wonders!

eagle