Foreigners in Pakistan

Well whether you're going SMC, RMC, KMC, AKU, KE, etc etc, med school in Pakistan is really a whole different world. I'm not talking about the studying, though if you want to know how that goes too, feel free to ask. For foreigners, this place is a far cry from home!

Luckily, if you play your cards right and have good people around you, you'll be surprised at how close to the western world this place really is underneath.

One thing every foreigner needs for sure though, is the "what in the hell do I bring from America" List. For any questions on how we get accustomed to life out here, let's get the ball rolling with anything you all might be wondering.

How is the studies in a Pakistani medical school? How do the professors teach? How do you get examined?

Are the resources good?

what about clinical experience?

also how is the atmosphere in class?

thanks

Majid,

The studying in a Pakistani med school is pretty intense, but nothing you can't handle. It just takes a lot of time and concentration to memorize a million different things. Some people try cramming, although I've found the best way to do well is study a regular amount every day of the week. Regular study schedules range from 3hrs a day to 7hrs a day average.

The professors teach really well, and almost always use a Power Point presentation to supplement the vast knowledge they possess.

Final examinations take place once a year, covering about 10 months worth of material, while interim exams are held approx. every 12 weeks, consisting of written exams, multiple choice questions, oral examinations, and lab exams.

Clinical experience is some of the best the world has to offer, as a developing country gives us the opportunity to deal with common problems of the poor, that are otherwise extinct in nations like America.

And as for the atmosphere in class, well, it's something you've gotta see for yourself!

Ill have to give you the "public med school" vantage now. The studies are a complete joke really, classes are just a formality, they dont explain anything simple and the teachers/professors/doctors, whatever they are, they get paid the same no matter what and most of them are uninterested, they just want to ramble off as much as they can and say they covered that. Basically, your not taught, just dictated too. In RMC, powerpoint or "the multimedia" is rarely used.

We get examined once in a while with short tests, like 5 questions and they expect you to write 20 pages for those and with that your lucky if they even give you a 60% score.

In RMC, the resources ... what resources. We dont even have proper chairs to sit in, sometimes we sit on the floor of the stairs. I'm assuming your talking about computers.. maybe the internet. Hey man, this is govt education!

The ONE thing we have bragging rights in govt school over all the other schools? CLINICAL EXPERIENCE. At rmc we are affiliated with three hospitals, we have TONS of patients and its all hands on do whatever you want and the training is actually pretty decent.

I'd say the atmosphere in class is odd. You cant smile, chew gum, look away from the teacher, they like to pick on you, make you stand up and ask you random questions. Its basically just find a good thing to stare at and act like your paying attention.

may i ask what is RMC??

thanks for the information.

RMC = Rawalpindi Medical College

well maik i have studied form rmc too..n things u sed abt teaching at rmc are exaggeration..dnt knw wat period u were at rmc but things have changed then if u were from old lot...yeah agree with u lecture halls arnt that good but the thing they teach u in those 4 walls arent tht bad the way u sed....
also u ddnt tell about the frdnly envoirnment they have in rmc ..which very rare in other institutions in pakistan...
n rmc's clinical side is heaven for learners i wuld say...

Im in the recent lot actually and nothing I said was an exaggeration whatsoever, if anything I was under exaggerating. All my comments are from a foreigners perspective, maybe for a local pakistani RMC is all Hoo Haa and awesome! But basically going to class is all a formality to confuse you more. In the entire time I've been at RMC I dont think I've ever received a hand out or syllabus for each class saying what would be taught and when exams were. There really is no organization and you have to figure out everything on your own. Maybe its friendly, because your comparing it to the rest of pakistan medical schools but all in all thats up to your own personal experiences. I find that people are friendly as much as their [------] equally everywhere you go. Clinically it may be good but all in all I see tons of areas for major improvements that wouldnt take any effort at all just no one takes any initiative or follow though. And dont say there is no money, when a governor comes to visit or some other high ranking official, the entire school is painted and fixed up and all the air conditioners are in working order. So the money just sits in someones pocket. But hey wont complain, it could be worse!

Does it really matter guys? RMC graduates go on to get some of the most rare and difficult residencies at the best hospitals in the US. Their USMLE scores are also worth bragging about.

u are rite mastahriz...medical students of rmc have achieved a lot both internationally n in pakistan..even in usa thier is an organization of rmc drs ...n they have made great contribution in health in usa..
im not advocating only rmc but whole of public sector schools...n evidence i have to present is 2day result of final yr was announced n it was depressing to see most of the students in private medical colleges have failed...
as maik was complaining abt facilities like seating ...but there are other things which makes a school better...n i feel if u have to study medicine in pkistan then join some govt run medical school...i shuldnt b mistaken wrong i accept there are good private sector colleges but jst 1 or 2..
or if u jst wanna become a dr n u have a lot of $$ ....then u can become 1 without opening a book in some private school..
you can see results of some private schools by clicking www.uhs.edu.pk

I'm just arguing the foreigners perspective here of someone from abroad wants to come here will go through. I know lots of people who get picked on by the teacher for simply smiling. Just want to put the real picture out there that for the first 2 years your basically sitting like a zombie in a tight class room of about 250 people while some goofnut who has never received any formal teaching training mumbles for about 50 minutes.

As far as the RMC doctors being great, yes they are good no ones arguing that, but thats because of their huge potential. They could be ten times better. You cant compare an rmc or a shifa student to an aga khan student though, let alone to other major intl medical schools around the world. We dont even have soap in our bathrooms. I mean get real, the only reason pakistani doctors do so well is because we have poor patients we can do anything we want with, and after graduating we spend 2 years preparing for the USMLEs, we make it a TON more complicated, and in the end its around 8 years since first day of medical school that we may start a residency most likely.

It can be ten times more simple if everything was organized, taught properly and students had a better atmosphere. At the end of 5th year they would be totally ready, unfortunately a fresh pakistani graduate will admit himself that hes as confused as ever.

But I would like to agree to one thing that zia and MastahRiz already pointed out, RMC is better than Shifa... even in football!

[Mod Edit: Language]

Everyone, the experience for foreigners in medical schools abroad are what you make of them. It's true the teachers will give you a hard time in the beginning, but as long as you're in class regularly and study seriously then they all respect you.

If you want to compare students from Shifa/RMC to Aga Khani students, all you have to do is compare the right people. Between the students of Shifa + RMC who actually study like they want to become doctors that day and Aga Khani students, there's no difference at all. Again, it's what you make of the situation at hand.

Oh and as far as football goes Yoseph, if I remember correctly, there were only two players on your whole team that actually attended RMC.