# CMH/Shifa/Army Medical College



## GSM7 (May 19, 2014)

Which one is the best among these?
Please cite reasons accordingly.
And which is better in terms of USMLE etc.


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## Bilal.shah (Nov 5, 2014)

I have been looking into Shifa/cmh/shalamar for a long time so I can share that with you. About Army Medical College, man why are you even putting it in the same category as the other private colleges? Army Medical College is the deal man! 
So from what I have searched the ranking goes like:
1. Army Medical College
2. CMH
3. Shifa
-Army Medical College grooms you into a complete person. It has an amazing environment, scheduling, rules and regulations, co-curricular activities. AMC is a complete and balanced college, without a doubt. If you have that option, DONT let it go at all. I know people leaving UHS and opting AMC.
-CMH I would rate second because it is a more established university, proper campus, proper facilities. The teaching hospital is also more visited and has greater patient inflow compared to Shifa. Number of patients you get to see are the most important aspect of your MBBS degree. AMC is also attached to CMH (Rawalpindi), MH and AFIC. So CMH hospitals are very good for a learning experience. The rumour that students are not allowed to interact with patients in an army setup is baseless. Patients are living beings with precious lives and no teaching hospital is going to 'allot' you patients to do as you wish. Student patient interaction begins in 3rd year and that remains under senior doctors/teacher supervision. Even during you housejob, you are not left entirely on your own. If there is a college allowing you to experiment like that, I would question the ethics standard there.
-Shifa has a good repute but mostly for the federal region. The main reason is alos that Shifa is the only college INSIDE Islamabad city. Wahh and FUMC have better teaching facilities but they move out of Islamabad city so Shifa gets an upperhand. The second con about Shifa was its teaching hospital. I had a thorough round of the Shifa hospital when I went for the interview. If you have visited Shifa hospital and compre it to MH or CMH you will notice there is very little patient inflow at Shifa. The third con is the campus facilities. Shifa really needs to build a proper university atmosphere because no one wants to produce nerds with no personalities.

About USMLE, the best results I have seen are of people having USMLE study groups. The staff at all colleges answers any queries students have. And the best results are only shown when you have a healthy knowledge of patient issues during your MBBS. That you can gain from AMC and CMH. Shifa has a lot of international students which is why it has more of them sitting the USMLE. 

To sum up, I would strongly advice you to forget everything and opt AMC above any other private college. About the other two, if you ask me, I have picked CMH as my priority over Shifa. 

Btw, Shifa list is out. Where do you stand and have you already given them your answer? 
Hope I helped! 
-


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## Ali.warraich (Oct 15, 2014)

I strongly agree with what @Bilal.Shah has said.
AMC is an excellent college beyond doubt. Dont let that go for anything! 
And I asked a few people studying at CMH, they dont have many restrictions during 4th and 5th year. Even if they do, PMDC has asked them to ensure better patient student interaction, so that will surely go away by the time you reach 3rd year. 
About Shifa, yes, the hospital was too empty. I didnt go for the interview but I saw it last year when I was in Islamabad. Sounds like things havent changed around there. As long as you want to be one of those MBBS students sitting in the hallways eating chips all day, I suggest you go for CMH.


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## GSM7 (May 19, 2014)

The thing I am worried about regarding AMC is the strictness/atmosphere there and the fact that it's located in Rawalpindi. And also which colleges did your friends leave to join AMC?


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## RobinAV (Aug 18, 2014)

I would personally rank them as:
(1) AMC 
(2) Shifa 
(3) CMH 
But that's because I'm from Islamabad. Having said that even though I would pick AMC over Shifa had I gotten in, it would only be because of the difference in fees and because of AMC's image, not because I'd be happy there. Quite the contrary really, I think it's a miserable place to be if you're a girl, according to a friend who studies there. And the tales of my brother about sleeping on the floor as punishment and not being allowed to step on grass don't sound fun either.


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## GSM7 (May 19, 2014)

@RobinAV Can you elaborate on the experiences of your brother and your friend who is studying there?


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## RobinAV (Aug 18, 2014)

Well things that applied to him won't apply generally because he lived in the hostel. And hence cadet things like drills, and being made to stand all night as punishment, cruel behaviour from the seniors etc etc. As far as my friend is concerned she isn't happy with the environment, as in a lot of her classmates and the way the teachers treat you. For example, last year there was an incident where the professor made the girls stand on their chairs for not knowing some answers. Unfortunately some guys at the back took pictures and posted them to Facebook. My point here is just because it's strict, doesn't mean it's a place you'll be respected. And being made to stand outside in the morning because you failed to answer questions is also pretty routine from what I hear. I guess if you're not terribly sensitive, it won't be a nightmare or anything, because despite everything my brother still loved his college


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## GSM7 (May 19, 2014)

@RobinAV I'll be living in the hostel aswell if I do go. I am really worried about the level of strictness there and the general environment aswell.


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## RobinAV (Aug 18, 2014)

GSM7 said:


> @RobinAV I'll be living in the hostel aswell if I do go. I am really worried about the level of strictness there and the general environment aswell.


Oh.. Well if you're a girl, they should be less tough on you. If you're a guy, then be prepared for the worst. However my brother studied there like AGES ago, so maybe it's not so bad now. I would also like to add that my brother had studied in a cadet college previously, hence it was 'kind of' easy to adjust, I don't know if it's like that for everyone.


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## Rida_E_Fatima (Nov 4, 2014)

What is the expected last merit of nust pc list?


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## nidarasul (Sep 23, 2013)

My sister graduated just last year and she spent the first 2 years in the hostel. The ragging situation at NUST colleges is strictly under control since there was news of some other university where a boy broke his backbone, falling down the stairs. I just asked her about the ragging for boys. She said that it only lasts about the first 2-3 weeks, after that when normal classes commence, everyone is friends and life is really normal. The most she had to complain about was being told by female seniors to rush back to the dorm room, switch into the sari dress in 3 minutes and report back to them. For the males she said, the most common was running laps around the track, a few pushups, singing, dancing. All for fun and laughs. 
But she said that teachers will never punish the female students in class in a way to humiliate them because the army is too strict about such behavior. The teachers actually treated the Nustian cadets best because they come in on merit. If you are a hostelite there are 8am fall-ins. My sister had to move back home after we returned to Pakistan but untill her last days, she wanted to return to hostel. 

All in all, even if one is not joining the army, an experience about the environment is nothing harmful. The ragging situation is nothing to be afraid of. All universities have now begun to keep a strict check on ragging. Enjoy it on yourself and take revenge on the next batch is how the cycle works. But no one is going to hurt you because that is not allowed. The army set up gives you more justice, more people following the rules and in short, building your personality. 
I dont get why everyone goes like AMC is hell with the rules. It was my dream college from how my sister talks about it... And we are no army family so we dont have a soft spot for it, but trust me its pretty cool!

I dont know about CMH so I cant say anything there.


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## RobinAV (Aug 18, 2014)

Ah well my friend studies Bds, not MBBS, maybe that's why the college sounds so different from her perspective. Bottom line is even I would advise you to not pass up the chance to go to AMC, not because I think it builds character and personality, but because it has other pros like a good teaching hospital, faculty, reputation and being less costy. And those pros outweigh any cons enough for a person to suck up anything thrown their way.


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## cefspan (Dec 25, 2011)

AMC guys have a 5 year routine in which you are made into a stereotypical army personnel, let you be a paying cadet or mc
shifa is good if you want to settle abroad, otherwise, cmh is the best shot


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## RobinAV (Aug 18, 2014)

cefspan said:


> AMC guys have a 5 year routine in which you are made into a stereotypical army personnel, let you be a paying cadet or mc
> shifa is good if you want to settle abroad, otherwise, cmh is the best shot


I believe it's actually four years there instead of five, or it was a few years ago anyway. Another pro. I think they cut back on holidays or something to save time.


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## nidarasul (Sep 23, 2013)

Your description sounds more like PMA Kakul. AMC is making doctors, I dont see how they become that way. The cadets who go on to join the army as doctors are not given half the sort of training that is given to plain army people. Doctors treat patients kindly, and army doctors are also very kind. Try visiting MH or CMH in Rawalpindi, they are all army doctors and they are very nice people.

@RobinAV, i think its 5 years now. My sister spent 5 years there


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## Rida_E_Fatima (Nov 4, 2014)

My brother just passed out from pma and the situation is similar like described in nust! But you are living there so you have to undergo these things.


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