Whilst adhering to the course of study prescribed by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council and the Higher Education Commission, the university has brought about changes to reflect the changing circumstances in which today’s medicine is practiced.

1. Both science and medicine have seen an exponential growth in knowledge during the past few decades. Medical students cannot learn all there is to know, so careful thought needs to be given to deciding what is needed as the foundation for practicing medicine. The ability to understand and apply key principles of biomedical and clinical science needs to be emphasized over factual detail.
2. The continuing growth of knowledge also means that the education of a doctor is never complete, and we must train graduates who will continue their own education throughout their professional life. This means they must become independent learners who are able to identify and solve new problems, and are skilled in critically appraising and evaluating new information.
3. Changes in health care delivery have meant more complex highly technical treatment environments, more involvement of other health professionals working within multidisciplinary teams, and to partly overcome increasing hospital costs, a greater use of ambulant settings. With a progressively aging population there is an increasing emphasis on managing chronic illness.
4. There is increasingly critical scrutiny of practitioners by a more aware and better educated public, backed by a strong consumer rights movement.
5. There are growing and reasonable public expectations that doctors will listen accurately to patient concerns and communicate effectively to form a therapeutic partnership.

Thus, we have an obligation to train medical students not just to produce graduates who can function safely and effectively as a medical practitioner, but also to produce doctors with an understanding of their capabilities and limitations, with the motivation and skills to continue to learn throughout a life of medical practice.

ALL OF OUR UNDER-GRADUATE MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS, NAMELY DOW MEDICAL COLLEGE SINDH MEDICAL COLLEGE AND THE DOW INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL COLLEGE WILL CONDUCT EDUCATIONAL TRAINING BASED ON THE SEMESTER SYSTEM, AND ADOPT INTEGRATED TEACHING METHODOLOGY. THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION AND THE APPROVAL OF THE PAKISTAN MEDICAL & DENTAL COUNCIL.

DOW MEDICAL COLLEGE AND SINDH MEDICAL COLLEGE ARE OLD INSTITUTIONS AND HAVE FOR MANY YEARS PRODUCED DOCTORS SOUGHT AFTER THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AT, THE DOW INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL COLLEGE, WHICH IS THE YOUNGEST OF OUR THREE UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS, WE HAVE INTRODUCED AN INTEGRATED OBJECTIVE BASED CURRICULUM SINCE ITS INCEPTION. IT HAS ALSO SWITCHED TO THE SEMESTER SYSTEM OF EDUCATION FROM THIS ACADEMIC YEAR.

AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM CAN BE DEFINED AS COURSES WITH SUBJECT MATTER CLASSIFIED BY ORGAN SYSTEMS RATHER THAN ACCORDING TO DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY OR BIOCHEMISTRY. SUCH A CURRICULUM FOSTERS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND IS COUPLED WITH SYSTEMATIC AND COHERENT DEVELOPMENT OF CLINICAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS.

EDUCATIONAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The following three goals make up the foundation of the undergraduate medical education programs at Dow University. Program-level objectives have been identified within each of the three educational goals. Educational activities build upon the foundation provided by these program-level goals and objectives to ensure that our graduates develop into competent, caring health professionals for individual patients and society.

1) SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND LIFELONG LEARNING SKILLS

Physicians will need to acquire knowledge and learn skills to stay current with the constant changes in medical practice. Continued dependence upon science and technology learned during medical school will be insufficient. Development of the motivation and skills to learn throughout one’s professional life is an essential part of undergraduate medical education. Prior to graduation, students will demonstrate the capacity to recognize limitations in their own knowledge and skills and a commitment to continuously improve their knowledge and ability, an understanding of the need to engage in lifelong learning to stay abreast of relevant scientific advances, and the ability to understand and apply the results of scientific research to patient care.

2) CORE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE EDUCATION

The basic sciences should create a foundation for learning the patho-physiology of disease. Skills in identifying and resolving clinical problems are derived from this solid foundation in the biomedical sciences and will be acquired by all graduates. Prior to graduation, students will demonstrate knowledge of the normal structure and function of the body and of each of its major organ systems; molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms that are important in maintaining the body’s homeostasis; causes (genetic, developmental, metabolic, environmental, microbiologic, autoimmune, neoplastic, degenerative, and traumatic), pathogenesis, and altered structure and function of the body and its major organ systems that are seen in common diseases and conditions; clinical, laboratory, and radiologic manifestations and treatment options (pharmacologic, physical, psychological, and nutritional) of common maladies; behaviorl, social, and cultural factors associated with the origin and progression of disease; approaches to the organization, financing, and delivering of health care; and the epidemiology of common illnesses within a defined population and systematic approaches useful in reducing the incidence and prevalence of these maladies.

3) SKILLS TRAINING

Three years ago the teaching of requisite skills, was introduced at these institutions of the University, right from the first year MBBS.

A SKILL CURRICULUM HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR EACH YEAR AND IS BEING IMPLEMENTED PHASE-WISE. FOR THIS PURPOSE A DEDICATED “UNDER-GRADUATE SKILL LABORATORY” HAS BEEN FORMED IN EACH OF THESE INSTITUTIONS, WITH SEPARATE SECTIONS FOR MEDICAL& ALLIED AND SURGICAL & ALLIED SKILLS, FOR HANDS ON PRACTICE BY EACH STUDENT.

THESE SKILL LABORATORIES HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH THE LATEST TRAINING SIMULATORS AND MANIKINS AND POSSESS VIDEO’S OF ALL PROCEDURES. THIS WILL GIVE THE STUDENTS THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A STRUCTURED HANDS ON TRAINING IN ALL SKILLS REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH ACTUAL HUMAN BEINGS, AS PATIENTS.THESE SKILL LABORATORIES HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH THE LATEST TRAINING SIMULATORS AND MANIKINS AND POSSESS VIDEO’S OF ALL PROCEDURES. THIS WILL GIVE THE STUDENTS THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A STRUCTURED HANDS ON TRAINING IN ALL SKILLS REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH ACTUAL HUMAN BEINGS, AS PATIENTS.

The curriculum of skill is based on the current needs of our own health setting and includes proficiency in essential skills like monitoring vital signs, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, common procedural skills, infection control skills as well as the needed communication skills, necessary for physicians.

With this added component of hands-on training, it is expected that these graduates will be much more competent and effective

A) CLINICAL SKILLS:

Students must develop skills in problem solving and clinical reasoning. Prior to graduation, students will demonstrate the ability to.

1. Reason deductively and inductively in solving clinical problems;
2. Define clinical problems derived from patient encounters;
3. Integrate patient information with clinical and basic
4. Integrate patient information with clinical and basic science knowledge;
5. Formulate a differential diagnosis;
6. Derive a therapeutic plan for addressing the defined problem;
7. Recognize patients with life-threatening conditions and to institute appropriate initial therapy;
8. Recognize and outline an initial course of management for patients with serious conditions requiring critical care; and
9. Identify factors that place individuals at risk for disease or injury, select appropriate tests for detecting patients at risk for specific diseases or in an early stage of disease, and determine strategies for appropriate response.

B) SKILLS OF INTER-PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS

For the purpose of gathering information for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, all students should develop skills in interviewing and communication. Prior to graduation, students will demonstrate the ability to obtain an accurate and complete medical history that includes issues related to age, gender, and socioeconomic status and the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with patients, colleagues, and others with whom physicians must exchange information in carrying out their responsibilities.

C) SKILLS FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Physicians will need to develop information management skills to support patient care decisions and to continue as lifelong learners. Prior to graduation, students will demonstrate

1. The ability to retrieve (from electronic databases and other resources), manage, and utilize biomedical information for problem solving and decision making with respect to the care of individuals and populations, and the fundamental knowledge and skills to fulfill the following roles of a physician:
2. Lifelong Learner - knowledge of a broad range of medical information resources and their relative value, the know-how to use them, and the motivation to use them routinely;
3. As a Educator/Communicator - ability to teach in various contexts: with peers and students, with patients, and with the public at large.
4. As a Researcher - an understanding of sources of data and ability to employ methods of decision theory to formulate testable hypotheses and collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data;
5. As a Clinician - acquisition of information about the patient, making clinical decisions on the basis of available information, and documenting and relaying findings; and
6. As a Manager - understand and manage costs, manage and work effectively in groups, and effectively manage oneself within the context of the overall healthcare system.
7. To have Professional Attitudes Behavior Medical knowledge and skills among sufficient to make them a good physician. Therefore, students will learn the basic values and attitudes of the medical profession.

PRIOR TO GRADUATION, STUDENTS WILL DEMONSTRATE:

1. Knowledge of the theories and principles that govern ethical decision making and of the major ethical dilemmas in medicine, particularly those that arise at the beginning and the end of life;
2. Reverence for human life, understanding that sympathy for suffering is the fundamental concern of the medical profession, and that the needs of the patient are paramount and should govern a physician’s actions.
3. Understanding of and respect for the roles of other healthcare professionals, and recognition of the need to collaborate with others in caring for individual patients and in promoting the health of defined populations;
4. Adherence to the highest standards of integrity and discretion while treating all with equal honor, respect, and compassion; and
5. Grace to admit mistakes and lack of knowledge and the desire to learn and improve continuously.

For Regular Students:

On getting admission, Tuition fee for Semester 1 and Semester 2 shall be charged. Tuition fee for subsequent semesters will be charged at the time of obtaining admit cards for 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th semester examinations.

Examination Fee for each semester shall be collected at the time of submission of examination form.

For Repeater Students:

Both tuition and examination fee shall be charged as per the number of repeat courses undertaken

Assessment Policy

Continuous evaluation will constitute 20% of total marks.

Semester Examination will constitute 80 % of the total marks.

All the practical, viva and clinical examinations will be Objective Structured