KARACHI, July 13: About 435 graduates of two batches were conferred degrees of MBBS by Karachi University at the millennium convocation of Sindh Medical College (SMC) here on Saturday.
Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro presided over the convocation, which was the 7th since the establishment of the college in 1973. During a span of 29 years the college has produced 6,200 doctors.
The convocation, which brought together students of the 2000 and 2001 classes, provided the graduates an opportunity to rejoice over their academic achievements.
The best graduate of class 2000, Tamseela Ahmed, said she was proud to be an SMCian, because it had fulfilled her dream of becoming a doctor. “Wherever I am standing today is due to the well wishes of my parents and teachers who have helped me tirelessly in achieving my goal,” she said.
The best graduate of 2001, Rahat Wahid Bawani, was of the view that Pakistani graduates are considered to be below average due to the impression that almost all the government sector medical colleges in the country are not up to the international standards.
She urged the government, heads of all medical colleges and departments to formulate and implement strong strategies to ensure international standards.
Sindh governor, who is also the chancellor of the public sector universities in the province, gave away gold medals, merit certificates to students securing positions and earning distinctions. The vice-chancellor of the University of Karachi conferred the degrees.
Mr Soomro said the SMC, which was established about 29 years ago to meet the shortage of doctors, has been making a sizable contribution towards human resource development. He asked the graduates to uphold the noble tradition of medical practices and not to forget or neglect the importance of serving humanity.
He observed that convocation in educational institutions should be held every year. He urged the alumni of the colleges to contribute and bring endowments for the colleges, which ultimately would result in the better management of the institution and ensure autonomy to the college.
Earlier, Sindh health minister Ahsan Ahmed expressed his feeling that chairman and the faculty members of the SMC and the JPMC deserved due appreciation for their efforts to improve the academic standard of the college.
He said medical education had three dimensional approaches: guiding the students through the process of imparting knowledge, grooming them as responsible professionals, and enabling them to achieve the optimum as per potential of each student.
While congratulating the graduates, KU vice-chancellor Dr Zafar Said Saify said they should realize their social and moral responsibilities. “Your decisions and actions will set the direction and dignity of the nation as well,” he added.
The principal of the college, Dr Akbar H. Soomro, recalling the history of the college mentioned that it was established in 1973 along with the Chandka Medical College to improve the health-care facilities and meet the increasing demand of doctors in the province. At the time of launching of the college, he said, the patient-doctor ratio was 35,000:1, which has surely improved now.
He mentioned that apart from the country, the SMC graduates were serving in the UK, USA, and Gulf as well. The college has regularly hold seminars, symposia and workshops for students during the last many years, he added.
Among others, Sindh health secretary Khalid Latif Chaudhry and director of the JPMC, Dr Kazi A. Shakoor, also spoke.
AWARDS: Dr Tamseela Ahmed of 2000 batch was awarded gold medals and merit certificates for her outstanding performance and overall first position among the students. She was also declared the best graduate of class 2000.
Other recipients of gold medals in the 2000 batch were Farah Amir Ali (2nd position) and Munza Adil (3rd position).
Dr Rahat Wahid Bawani of 2001 class was given gold medals for her outstanding performance and for securing first position. She was also declared the best graduate of class 2001.
Name of students who got distinctions in two or more subjects examinations:
Batch 2000: Tamseela Ahmed, Farah Amir Ali, Munza Adil, Saira Nisar Shaikh, Zeenat Banu, Nasir Baig, Mubashira Hashmi, Ahmed Ameen Waheed, Asma Naz, Muneeza Nasim, Arshia Haji Haroon, Atefeh Amouzegas, Dania Mahmood, Erum Jahan and Farhana Tabassum.
Batch 2001: Rahat Wahid Bawani, Subheen Kanwal, Kailash Chandwani, Shaista, Seema Shafiq, Ambreen Kanwal, Veena Kumari, Omar Ghaznafar, Aliya Irshad, Amber Fatima, Idress A Qadri Mogri, Mufiza Farid, Asim Chughtai, S Sabeen Naz Rizvi, Wajiha Khan, Shakir Syed, Yasmeen Akhtar, Kiran Kalam, M Asif Nizami, Mansoor Akhtar, Naseer, Ayesha Aziz, Erum, Faiza Idress, Farzana Ehtisham, Kanwal Akbar, Lalita Jagani, Ainul Varah, Shagufta Naqi, Uzma Beg, Mukesh Kumar, M Alauddin Sarwar and Kehkashan Khurshid.