Islamabad: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited as a chief guest at a dinner hosted by the British Council in honour of the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians UK team for bringing first ever MRCP(UK) Clinical exams,PACES to Pakistan. Dr. Sania who herself is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London was pleased to see the highly prestigious MRCP exam starting in Pakistan. Congratulating the federation team, Dr. Sania stated, “PACES is the largest international clinical exam for post graduate doctors in the world. It is a matter of great pride and achievement for Pakistan that our medical training has been recognised at an international level.”
Other distinguished guests included Amir Ramzan Country Director British Council, Lt.Gen. Nigar Johar Surgeon General and Maj.Gen. Imran Fazal Director General Medicine Pakistan Army. From the Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians UK, a very senior team of examiners led by Dr. Donald Farquhar International Medical Director for MRCP Exams, Prof. Charles Twort, Dr. Peter Newman, Dr. Tanzeem Raza O.B.E. and Dr. Roderick Harvey were joined by their team in Pakistan including Prof. Aamir Ghafoor Khan Lead Examiner for PACES in Pakistan andHead of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, Prof. Imran Fazal, Prof. Khursheed Muhammad Uttra, Prof. Wasim Alamgir, Prof. Zafar Ali Qureshi,Prof. Shazia Nisar, Prof. Azmat Hayat, Dr. Asim Yousaf, Dr. Muhammad Salim, Dr. Haroon Hafiz and Dr. Mohsin Saif.
In Pakistan, the Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians UK conducted the clinical exam of the MRCP UK between Nov 6-8, 2020. The MRCP exam was conducted at Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi. The exam lasted three days and 45 candidate places were examined.Pakistan is the first country in the world where these international exams have been held in an era of COVID-19 pandemic.
Lead Examiner for PACES in Pakistan and Head of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, Prof. Aamir Ghafoor Khan said, “PACESis an important step in the path for physicians’ training to advance in their careers and progress to higher specialist training and eventually to consultant status. This has been the 15-year long journey to open a PACES Centre in Pakistan.”
Dr. Donald Farquhar, Federation International Medical Director for Assessment shared, “MRCP exams are offered in 36 countries around the world at more than 100 locations and over 25,000 doctors take the exams each year. The advent of these high-level medical exams in Pakistan will provide doctors with the opportunity to take this high-level examination locally.”
From now on, MRCP (UK) clinical exams will be held regularly at least twice a year in Pakistan.