THIS is with reference to the letter, ‘VCs: plea against extensions’ (Oct 30). I am disappointed regarding the lack of awareness and confirmation of facts and statistics on the writer and PMA’s part.

I am a postgraduate student of medicine who completed his MBBS from Dow University of Health Sciences last year. I enrolled in the University in 2004, the same year in which Dr Masood Hameed Khan was appointed as the Vice Chancellor.

Over these seven long years I have been witness to the exponential growth in the university’s academic standards.

A few weeks back, another respected doctor mentioned in an article that using funds for the building of additional academic buildings is used nowadays as a measure of a university’s progress. This is incorrect. The DUHS has completely transformed from that half-damaged rubble that it was to a well-constructed university campus today.

Not only the Dow Medical College but also the Sindh Medical College, the DIMC, the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases, the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Institute of Medical Technology and several other educational institutions come under the umbrella of the DUHS.

It is not the number of institutes or their amazing campuses, but it is the kind of standard set up and the service being provided in each of them which make us, the products of this university, so proud.

I have come across students passing out in 2004 and then each passing year till date that I can tell, rather anybody will be able to see and appreciate the drastic increase in the understanding of the subject and its clinical application among today’s students and new doctors.

This is all due to the change in teaching methods and the curriculum with clinical side being introduced early so that theoretical knowledge can be practically applied in a medical student’s early learning years.

The introduction of Clinical Skills and Workshops on Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support and several emergency manoeuvres has taught young medical students to tackle such emergency situations wherever they face them.

They even go out to help as volunteers in the flood-affected and other disaster-stricken areas. The examination pattern has changed from the old ‘true and false’ and biased viva-based pattern to Multiple Choice Questions and OSCE, which gives each student a fair chance to demonstrate their skills.

I can still picture 2004, those politicised benches and each party’s student groups dominating each other and endless strikes and protests with buses (points) being stopped; students harassed by members of political parties. Today in 2011, there isn’t a single political party or bench or member in the DUHS.

We enter the university fearless and tap our digital cards at the entrance which further minimises any security lapse or any non-medical personnel’s entry.

I request all respected doctors and readers to acknowledge such remarkable achievements made by an individual and his dedicated team, learn from them and pass on to juniors who will soon become leaders in their respective fields, be it medicine or other, regardless; because in the end, it is for your own country and its progress; and that is all that matters.

DR B. KHALID Karachi