TWO of my cousins are studying for their MBBS; one at Chandka Medical College (CMC), Larkana, and the other at Aga Khan University (AKU) in Karachi. The difference between the two individuals is of course reflective of the difference between the two institutions.

The AKU is one of the top universities, ranked 473rd in the world, according to the United States News and World Report, and stands top among medical schools in Pakistan.

With modern and sophisticated infrastructure and a safe and secure environment, the private university has only two months of vacation spread over the five-year MBBS course; with a 15-day break for each of the initial four years, and no vacations for final-year students.

The CMC, on the other hand, does not have modern equipment and sophisticated technology, infrastructure is crumbling, and, to make matters worse, the college after the rains has been closed for an indefinite period. This is in addition to the two-month break every year.

The medical students of public-sector institutions will also be granted the same degree at the end of five so-called academic years. One wonders how it is possible in the face of the colossal gap in learning and academic environment between the two sets.

Manzoor Ali
Gilgit-Baltistan

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2022