KARACHI: Over 800 medical specialists representing various disciplines were awarded degrees at the 57th convocation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) at its headquarters on Thursday.

The recipients included over 700 and 137 doctors who were awarded FCPS (Fellow of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan) and MCPS (Member of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan) degrees, respectively.

Congratulating the graduating fellows, Prof Mike McKirdy, president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow, who was the chief guest at the ceremony, emphasised the need for a multidisciplinary approach in healthcare.

He also spoke about the importance of training and assessment serving as essential tools for professional development.

“Effective training ensures that healthcare professionals acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and competency to deliver high-quality care. Similarly, assessment helps identify areas for improvement and maintain standards of proficiency and competency,” he observed.

In his remarks, Prof Graham McMahon, president of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the guest of honour, acknowledged the CPSP’s role in shaping the future of healthcare by fostering a culture of lifelong learning and research.

Earlier, Prof Syed Khalid Ahmed Ashrafi, CPSP councilor, administered the oath to the postgraduates.

CPSP President Prof Khalid Masood Gondal traced the institution’s journey over the past six decades, highlighting its transformation from a fledgling organisation to a globally recognised postgraduate medical educational institution under the dynamic leadership of retired General Wajid A. Burki and Prof Zafarulllah Chaudhry.

“Today, it offers 79 fellowship and 22 membership programmes. Ninety per cent of specialist doctors in the public and private sectors in Pakistan are graduates of the CPSP, while in the armed forces, it is almost 100 per cent,” he said.

Prof Gondal also shed light on the various milestones achieved by the CPSP, such as extending its training network to Saudi Arabia, Nepal, and the UK, and getting recognition from the ACCME, which was accepted internationally.

“The CPSP’s department of medical education has been a WHO Collaborating Center in the Eastern Mediterranean Region for Education and Research since 1996,” he told the audience while mentioning the institution’s academic linkages with reputed organisations in the world.

The gold medal recipients were: Dr Shahrukh Shah (chemical pathology), Dr Maryyam (anaesthesiology), Dr Alka Rani (histopathology), Dr Shahrukh Shah (chemical pathology), Dr Rameesha Khalid (pulmonology), Dr Mishal Zehra (cardiology), Dr Areeba Tariq (neurosurgery), Dr Areej Fatimah (otorhinolaryngology) and Dr Faryal Afzal (dentistry).

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2024