MEDICAL COLLEGES IN PAKISTAN

Hi guys,
I have some questions about medical schools in pakistan. I am currently living in NewYork for 6 years. I graduated from high school two years a go. I am in college right now but now plan to pursue my education in paksitan. So when I will be applying to medical colleges, I will not be applying as a foreign student because I don't have citizenship here. I want to know what are my requirements? Which documentations do I need? Would I use high transcript or college transcript? I never took physics here, so what should I do? Also how my grades will be converted?

Hi hiftikhar,

Nice to know ur in NY, so am I. About your problem...I am not so sure because I never really came across someone in the same situation as yours. I think they might still treat you as they treat the foreign students with US Citizenship, and calculate your subject grades like they do for the rest of us. However, if you want to apply to Pakistan MEDICAL schools, then it's crucial for your admission that you take Physics. I'd recommend that you take a physics course and pass it during the summer or some time before you apply.
If, however, they don’t consider you a foreign student because of this Citizenship problem, then you’ll have to go to Pakistan with your current grades-all records of high school grades & college grades, and then you’ll have to take a test for whatever school or college/university you want to apply for. Your score on that test will determine what level they should put you at. Almost all the people I know, who went to Pakistan and applied to school from there, had to take the test- and on top of that, they were placed 1 to 2 years back…sometimes even 3 years back, because as they call it, “our public school education is not at the level of their schooling.” Since you’re not a US Citizen, and you want to apply to med school, they might ask you to come to Pakistan and like everyone else there, take the entrance exam. Now the thing is…foreign students with US citizenship don’t have to take the entrance exam…but you’ll have to if you go and apply from there. I will stress again, that if you’re applying for medical college, whether you do it as foreign student or end up going there to take entrance exam, you must have taken physics in order to gain admission.
I am sure someone else on this site can better assist you. If you have questions about the equivalency of the marks, you can visit the Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen website, or call them up to ask specific questions.
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-285-2041
URL: http://ibcc.edu.pk

Hope some of this information helps
Best of Luck!

yea, you should definitely check with the IBCC, however as I understand it (and I may be totally wrong about this), the IBCC and the medical college admission system in Pakistan does not look at your citizenship but rather which style of education you have completed.

Meaning, if you did grades 9-12 of high school, you will be applying as a high school candidate and they will convert your grades to the Pakistani format and deduct some percentage off of it (common practice when converting American grades to Pakistani grades).

Moazzma is right---you are REQUIRED to take physics. Sign up for it at a junior college and start taking it now before you apply or take it at your current college, but either way you need to have taken a physics course.

So yeah I don't think it matters whether you have a pakistani or american passport---it just has to do with which type of education you completed. You did American High School, so you'll just send your high school transcript + any transcript showing you have taken physics.

Hope this helps

But Rehan...don't they ask for some stuff like with the transcript, they say you gotta include a copy of US Passport, proof of citizenship...at least one of your parents also need to have citizenship. Hmm...not sure...but I think you gotta provide some papers like that- remember we discussed this stuff on the other Shifa form--where we talked about the stuff you need to send with your transcript-and I believe the Citizenship paperwork and passports are one of those things.
I could be wrong.

Thankyou so much for the information guys. But the thing is that I was going to apply for this year. So I don't know if that would be possible, cu'z like you are saying that I would have to take physics here? So in this case what should I do?

It depends how quick you can complete the Physics course. If you can obtain the resuly quickly, like say before August, something like that, then you should be able to apply.

yeah, try to see if you can join a class starting sometime soon--or look into taking a summer course and applying later on.

If you don't want to waste a year and feel that you won't be able to submit your scores in time for govt colleges because of no physics, I'd recommend looking into some private colleges as their admissions deadlines are usually after govt college entrance results have been published.

Just Sit for ur SATs...get a good score..and apply to AKU for 2007 session...if thats too late...then all u need to do is apply to Shifa medical, Fauji medical (all universities that take their entrance test in october ) ,

dont mind me asking but why wud u wanna come back for education out here? ... unless its Aga Khan Med.Uni, why ?

lolz, Sherry,
it's faster and cheaper. We finish our medical studies in 5 years so we're ahead of everyone else who studies medicine here in USA. In the US, they take 8 yrs plus 2 yrs of residency. Also if you get into Pak med college, it's like a free ticket to becoming a doctor...it's all about the admission. You just gotta try to get in some how, because once u get in...you're gonna come out of there as a doctor -if you don't drop out. Unlike here in USA, up to 12th grade is high school...so first we gotta study till 12th grade, and then apply for college...so we're already behind. After 12th grade, we go to college for FOUR YEARS...and there is no guarantee that you will get into medical school later on. After completing college for four years THEN we apply for medical school, which is an extra 4 years + 2 for internship. YEA...soooooo the smart thing is to save money, save time, get into med school in Pak...finish early, come back to USA and make lots n lots of dollars

Wow! Moazzma,

You're a smart girl. What you just said applies to me. It seems, to me, that the system that you guys have in Pak. is the same down here in Dominican Republic... The only difference is that here in the D.R. it takes 6 to 7 years for medical schooling (depending on the student) all together (including the internship). I attend Universidad Autonoma De Santo Domingo (UASD).


P.S. Here is the link, but just warning, the site is not done yet!
http://www.uasd.edu.do/index.html

ol thanks Natacha... I was just telling it straight up. I know that most of the students, who go to study in pak, do come back and practice in USA, well obviously...why shouldn't they? They worked so hard and now it's time for them to enjoy the fruit- and make some $$$.

However, for me it's not like that. I do love USA coz it has taught me so many things and shaped me into the person I am today. However, I am not becoming a doctor for the money. I am just fulfilling my parents greatest and one n only wish- which is for me to become a doctor.

There are many things I don't like about Pakistan...like for example, the racist thoughts of some people there, and how corrupt the culture has become each day...but I guess it's like that all over the world. Despite these negatives, I love Pakistan (can’t blame my country for the actions of some of its people). So I think I'll be working in Pakistan when I graduate from there and serve my country and its poor people.

I actually wanna open up a hospital there (yea I am thinking way ahead lol....haven't even gotten into medical college yet- but still...) If God gives me a chance to become a doctor, I really want to open a hospital in Pakistan where those who can't afford it (like the low-income families) will get their medication for free or for less--whatever the circumstances-but it'll be a hospital and home of the poor people in Pakistan- where they will be given good medication, and be treated with the utmost respect.

INSHALLAH

That is a very nice concept.

MashAllah nice post.

Every country has it's positives and negatives, at the end of the day each country has a different positive, and maybe different negative.

But Pak is a beautiful country, it seriously has many beautiful places to see, Swat, Kalam, Gilgit, Chitral, Skardu e.t.c.

The people are generally nice too. The atmosphere in Pak is different than in a Western country.

I havn't lived in Pak like for long but only been there for holidays, and when i go there for holidays I really like it.

Home country is home at the end of the day. No place like home.