LAHORE: The second convocation of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) was held on Thursday where 212 graduates were conferred degrees and awarded medals. They included four PhDs, 134 MPhil, 43 MS, one MSc of medical technology, one MSc of nursing, two MDs, four MDS, and seven masters in health profession education.

Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Prof Mohammad Nizamuddin said: “Medical education should be imparted to produce technically competent, socially sensitive, ethically correct and ready-to-serve health professionals who can respond to the diverse demands of country’s growing health needs.”

He said there was a need to revise the curriculum so that doctors were trained to follow ‘technology-driven’ approach.

UHS Vice-Chancellor retired Maj Gen Prof Muhammad Aslam advised the graduates to have a positive attitude and serving people should be their priority.

He said the university had 113 publications and more than 1,500 citations in indexed journals during 2015-16.

More than 75,000 students are registered with the university which offers over 100 programmes in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, allied health sciences and nursing.

Those awarded doctorate degree included Dr Taquayya Sultana Abidi (anatomy), Dr Nadia Naseem (morbid anatomy and histopathology), Dr Abdul Mannan Babar (surgery) and Dr Azhar Qayyum (morbid anatomy and histopathology).

Some 16 graduates were awarded ‘Best Graduate Gold Medal” for their exceptional performance in examinations and they are: in master of surgery, Mudassar Riaz Khan (neuro-surgery) and Yasir Iqbal (orthopeadics); in master of dental surgery, Muhammad Imran Saleh (oral and maxillofacial surgery); in MSc of nursing, Kamran Manawar; in MHPE, Nadeem Hafeez Butt; in Pharm-D, Sara Arif; in BSc allied health sciences, Muhammad Ayoub (2011-2014) and Azra Javed (2011-2015) and in BSc of nursing, Rida Zainab Zafar (2010-2014) and Farzana Bibi (2011-2015).

The “Hajvery Foundation Gold Medal” for overall best graduate in MPhil Basic Sciences was awarded to Amina Akram of the Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, and in MPhil MLS to Madiha Shakoor of the University of Health Sciences, Lahore.

For overall best gradate in the MBBS, “Prof MH Mubbashar Gold Medal” went to Iqra Arshad of the Shalimar Medical and Dental College (2009-2014) and Hira Saleem of the Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College, Lahore (2010-2015).

In the BDS, Maliha Mumtaz (2010-2014) and Hadia Arshad (2011-2015), both from the Margalla Institute of Health Sciences, Rawalpindi, were awarded “BA Yazdani Gold Medal” for the best performance.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2016