# A Quick Guide on Pakistani Medical Colleges



## stephenasmith (Oct 30, 2018)

This is a guide that I made after months of research and by contacting former students of each individual institution listed below. It is a comprehensive guide, but it reflects the opinions of foreigners who were students at these universities. Therefore, this is not the ultimate truth and should be not referenced as such. 
Not to discourage you, but be prepared for the turbulent ride that you are about to take. Many students have received their medical education in Pakistan and have been accepted to great residency programs in the U.S.A. The problem is that the criteria for applying to medical colleges in Pakistan is different per the region, and has fluctuated greatly this year. If you are an international student, this should be the list of your choice of colleges in Pakistan:

1. Aga Khan Medical College-Private (Karachi)
2. Shifa Medical College-Private (Islamabad) 
Tied. Dow Medical College-Public (Karachi)
4. King Edward Medical College-Public (Lahore)


One. Aga Khan Medical College

This is by far, the best medical college for international students in Pakistan. You could consider everything secondary to this college, as it has many benefits with little to no drawbacks. Aga Khan Medical College is an internationally recognized medical college and is recognized by all the boards of each and every individual state in America. (The other medical colleges are recognized as well, therefore it doesn’t necessarily distinguish Aga Khan in that regard.) Its teaching hospital, however, is internationally recognized, the only other one in Pakistan being Shifa’s. It prepares its students very well for the USMLE, and they have been able to secure top residencies in the US, in very competitive specialties. The residency directors in America regard Aga Khan as a very good college and keen to accept its medical graduates into its programs. They have very good research opportunities with medical colleges all over the world. There is no drawback, possibly it’s tuition (slightly over $17k a year ), but that is the same price for any medical college in Pakistan. It is also inexpensive when considering it with American colleges, where tuition can spike to upwards of $90k a year. 

Another benefit of Aga Khan Medical College is that its admissions criteria are regulated by the college itself, and not by the PMDC. Therefore, if the PMDC decides to act in a bizarre manner, that will not affect the admissions process for the university. Therefore, it is a simple and straightforward admissions process, that is not overly complicated.

It requires that you provide them with:
1. SAT-1 (To be selected, the score should be above 1460.)
2. SAT-II (To be selected, the score should be above 650. The reason why this is low is that they want to see if you have satisfied the requirement, but they mostly consider your SAT I for selection.)
3. Transcript (should be above 3.25, however, you must have above 70% aggregate from the IBCC)

The time they provide you for completing the application is between April to May. The last date for providing your SAT scores is in early July. Check the site for further details. 

Afterward, it will shortlist you for your interview, which is conducted sometime in August. The interview is regarding your extracurricular activities, therefore you should make sure that you have very good activities. 

If you have passed the interview, then you are a medical student at Aga Khan Medical College!

2. Shifa Medical College

This is located in Islamabad, the nation’s capital. It is relatively easy to be selected to the college as a local student, but it is quite difficult as a foreign student. This year, the college is under the SZAMBU admitting university, which means that SZAMBU conducts the entrance test and admissions process for this university. Every other college in the list has an admitting university for its respective institution. The benefits of the college are that its teaching hospital is internationally recognized. As was previously said and applies to every college in the list I provided, it is recognized by the medical licensing board of each and every individual state in the U.S.A. This means that your degree will not be contested by any residency program for suspicion that the medical college is not providing decent medical education. I will now list the propositions in favor and against Shifa Medical College:

Arguments in Favor:

1. The teaching hospital is internationally recognized.
2. They prepare you for foreign board programs such as the USMLE.
3. They have a very nice hostile 
(However, Aga Khan’s hostiles are very good as well.)

Arguments Against:

1. It is a new university. This will obviously be rendered as obsolete over time, however, it is quite a valid one for the time being. The problem is that a new medical college means that there have not been many graduates. If there are not that many medical graduates, that means that there is not enough guidance that the administration can provide regarding clinical electives overseas, or obtaining a residency for that matter. Furthermore, since it is a new college, residency programs do not know much about the quality of the medical college nor its students, which means you have to start everything from scratch. 
2. It is regulated by the PMDC. The problem is that while all universities are regulated by the PMDC, Aga Khan is the only one with much more control over its own admissions process than others. That is if the PMDC decides to go bonkers and is subsequently challenged by the High Court, as it is every year than you be ready for a slightly turbulent admissions process.

It requires that you provide them with:
1. SAT-II 
2. IBCC Evaluation

The aggregate percentage should be above 86% to be selected as a foreigner at Shifa Medical College. 50% of the aggregate is deduced from your SAT-II score, while the other 50% is deduced from your IBCC evaluation.

The admissions process is conducted throughout the entire month of October, and merit lists are released through November and December. Check their site for more details.

3. Dow Medical College

The reason why Dow Medical College is tied with Shifa Medical College is due to a few pertinent reasons. Dow Medical College is a college registered under the admitting university Dow University of Health Sciences, and it has a constituent college for foreigners called Dow International Medical College. It’s teaching hospital, Karachi Civic Hospital, while it is not internationally recognized, it is the largest hospital in Pakistan with over 2,000 beds. I will now list the propositions in favor and against Dow Medical College:

Arguments in Favor:

1. It is the second-oldest medical college in Pakistan. It was made before the end of British imperialism, by Sir Hugh Dow. The benefit of being an old college is that it has a large database of students who have graduated from the college and have obtained residencies abroad. This means that the counselors will be able to aid and assist you with providing you letters of recommendation, research experience abroad, and contacts as well. Due to its age, many residency directors highly regard the institution and are keen to accept their students. A prominent Dow alumnus was Shahbudin Rahimtoola, considered one of the best cardiologists of his time and has been deeply honored for his advancements in that field. He primarily presided in the U.S.A. 
2. They have a clinical electives program with American medical colleges. A problem that is received by many international medical graduates is the lack of U.S. clinical electives in their resume. Since the medical college is located in a foreign country, they provide clinical electives in that respective country. This is a problem for many residency directors, as the student will lack the personal and medical skills that are involved in doctor-patient interaction in a hospital setting. However, Dow Medical College has clinical electives with respected medical institutions in the U.S.A. such as Boston College and Harvard. 
3. They have a very large alumni populace in foreign countries. Most of the doctors that reside in the foreign territories have been educated at Dow Medical College. They have a very proud alumni association and constitute most of the doctors that are a part of APPNA. This allows you to have volunteering and research experience with doctors in the United States and additional contacts that may assist you in 
obtaining a residency in the United States. 

Arguments Against:
1. The hospital is not internationally recognized. This will not necessarily be a prominent hindrance, as its only consequence is in the eye of the beholder, in this situation, the residency director.
2. The hostile is not as great as other medical colleges, but this is expected from a public medical college.
3. The admissions process has changed from year to year, therefore making it very turbulent. It was possible to grain admission through the self-finance scheme for Overseas Pakistanis. However, they introduced a new venue for admissions through the admitting university, DUHS. I am not sure as to which one they specifically follow, but I would place my bets on the latter. The aforementioned problems with the PMDC may be included here as well. 

It follows the same admissions criteria as Shifa Medical College. Since the admissions process is quite turbulent, I cannot provide you with a closing merit for the overseas seats.

3. King Edward Medical College
There are probably many Lahoris that I have angered, by categorizing Punjab’s foremost medical college as no. 4 on this list. However, I am a Lahori myself, and I am trying to be as objective and fair as possible in this assessment. The problem with King Edward Medical College, is that it has many negative aspects, with little to no positives as a foreign applicant and future student. It is more to do with the Lahore-Karachi dichotomy than with the institution itself. Karachi has had a dangerous and dark history, which is why is suffered from many educated professionals leaving the city for abroad. Lahore, however, prospered peacefully, and therefore many of its educated professionals resided within the city. There was no need to live abroad as they were doing quite well in their native territory. Therefore, institutions that are based in Karachi have a larger database of medical students that have obtained residencies abroad than any institution that is based in Lahore. The only point of redemption for King Edward Medical College is its prestige within Pakistan, as aforementioned, Punjab’s most prominent medical institution. However, prestige differs from country to country. In India, AIIMS Delhi is considered the most prestigious medical institution. Therefore, the prestige of the institution does not mean it is recognized similarly in foreign countries. 

Arguments In Favor:
1. It is Pakistan’s oldest medical institution, as its namesake is dedicated to English imperials. However, there have not been many graduates in foreign residency programs, as they are more keen on seeking a “house job” in Lahore. As graduates of King Edwards Medical College, they will, undoubtedly, not be denied from any residency of any specialty within Pakistan. However, this pertains to “Pakistan”. They have very few people in foreign residency programs compared to the other medical colleges in this list. This means the counselors, while possibly friendly, will not provide you adequate information regarding admission into a foreign residency program. 

Arguments Against:
1. It is a public college. The problem with many public colleges is that its student body is often derived from poor people. It isn’t because they are smarter, however many are, but because of the rules and regulations pertaining to Pakistani medical colleges. This will be explained a little later. This means that there will be quite the cultural “shock” when you are admitted to such an institution, and probably won’t garner many friends due to your distinctness. Another issue that pertains to King Edward, particularly, is that since most of the students are poor and are native to villages scattered across the Punjab, they want to stay in their ancestral homeland. They do not want to move, especially when they are living comfortably and very close to their family. Therefore, the college will be organized to provide these students with residencies, known as “house jobs” in Pakistan, within Pakistan. Unlike Dow, in which the majority of the students are trying to obtain residencies abroad, and therefore, will organize its teaching around foreign licensing exams such as the USMLE or the PLAB in Britain. 
2. Very few alumnus abroad. It has been mentioned previously. 
3. Doesn’t prepare you for foreign licensing exams such as the USMLE or the PLAB. It has been mentioned previously. 
4. Dormitories are decent, but definitely the worst in the list.
5. Hospital is not internationally recognized.

The admitting university for King Edward Medical College is the University of Health Sciences, which is based in Lahore. The University of Health Sciences is the admitting university for any public and private medical institution based in the Punjab. 

The application begins and ends in the last week of September. 

It requires that you provide them with:
1. SAT-II (It cannot be more than 2 years before the date you submit your application.
2. IBCC Evaluation

The closing merit is approximately 94% for this year, and has been steadily increasing every year. 

An Important Note: 
Besides Aga Khan, each of the medical colleges requires you to submit a few challan in a local Pakistani bank. Aga Khan is the only medical college to allow you to pay the application fee online from a foreign bank. However, UHS requires you to deposit a fee challan, SZAMBU requires you to send them a check (pay order) from a Pakistani bank account, and DUHS asks you to submit a voucher they provide you with. You must be present for this, which is why I recommend you travel to Pakistan for this purpose. UHS specifically requires a BioVerisys at the BoP, therefore they have to scan your fingerprints.

If your questions regarding any other medical institution in Pakistan, please let me know.


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## Zahramalik121 (Nov 14, 2019)

stephenasmith said:


> This is a guide that I made after months of research and by contacting former students of each individual institution listed below. It is a comprehensive guide, but it reflects the opinions of foreigners who were students at these universities. Therefore, this is not the ultimate truth and should be not referenced as such.
> Not to discourage you, but be prepared for the turbulent ride that you are about to take. Many students have received their medical education in Pakistan and have been accepted to great residency programs in the U.S.A. The problem is that the criteria for applying to medical colleges in Pakistan is different per the region, and has fluctuated greatly this year. If you are an international student, this should be the list of your choice of colleges in Pakistan:
> 
> 1. Aga Khan Medical College-Private (Karachi)
> ...


. Can you please also talk about Army medical college Rawalpindi. Can you tell details about life of a foreign civilian hostelite and a foreign civilian student there. Can you also talk about how recognized it is worldwide. And does it have modular system. Hope you can answer as soon as possible as I have to make a decision.


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## Ch Ammar (Nov 29, 2018)

stephenasmith said:


> This is a guide that I made after months of research and by contacting former students of each individual institution listed below. It is a comprehensive guide, but it reflects the opinions of foreigners who were students at these universities. Therefore, this is not the ultimate truth and should be not referenced as such.
> Not to discourage you, but be prepared for the turbulent ride that you are about to take. Many students have received their medical education in Pakistan and have been accepted to great residency programs in the U.S.A. The problem is that the criteria for applying to medical colleges in Pakistan is different per the region, and has fluctuated greatly this year. If you are an international student, this should be the list of your choice of colleges in Pakistan:
> 
> 1. Aga Khan Medical College-Private (Karachi)
> ...


Can you tell about pakistani students which clg is better? if they want residency abroad, shifa or cmh lhr.


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## stephenasmith (Oct 30, 2018)

I mentioned 4 medical colleges and ranked them accordingly based upon the intentioned of the student obtaining a residency abroad after a receiving a Pakistani medical education. You have asked me wether Shifa or CMH Lahore is a better medical college. I have ranked Shifa as the 2nd best medical college for obtaining a Pakistani medical education with the future intention of obtaining a residency in the US or UK. I have not included CMH Lahore because it is substandard. CMH Lahore does not have an internationally recognized attached teaching hospital as Aga Khan or Shifa, nor does it have partnerships with American medical colleges for clinical electives abroad. It is a very recent college, as it was established in 2012, which means that very few students have graduated from the college, and even fewer have obtained residencies abroad. There is literally no comparison. A student at CMH Lahore does not have the perks or privileges entitled to the students at Shifa Medical College.


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## stephenasmith (Oct 30, 2018)

I am not familiar with Army Medical College, Rawalpindi. I have met with a professor at CMH Lahore, but I have not met with any student or any faculty member from that college. Therefore, I can’t answer most of your questions.

As for its international recognition, it is recognized by the licensing board of each and every state in the US. This would be the same for any of the medical colleges I listed above. However, the only public medical college I would every recommend is Dow Medical College. As I mentioned in the original post, there is a large number of Dow alumnus in America. It is not even contestable. Furthermore, they are the only public medical college in Pakistan to have partnerships with American medical colleges for clinical electives, which are ESSENTIAL for obtaining a residency abroad. The only medical college I would recommend in the Islamabad-Rawalpindi area is Shifa Medical College. The hospital is internationally recognized and they prepare you very well for the USMLE. Furthermore, it is well regarded by American residency directors and is craving for students from this medical college.


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## h.haris (Jun 30, 2019)

stephenasmith said:


> This is a guide that I made after months of research and by contacting former students of each individual institution listed below. It is a comprehensive guide, but it reflects the opinions of foreigners who were students at these universities. Therefore, this is not the ultimate truth and should be not referenced as such.
> Not to discourage you, but be prepared for the turbulent ride that you are about to take. Many students have received their medical education in Pakistan and have been accepted to great residency programs in the U.S.A. The problem is that the criteria for applying to medical colleges in Pakistan is different per the region, and has fluctuated greatly this year. If you are an international student, this should be the list of your choice of colleges in Pakistan:
> 
> 1. Aga Khan Medical College-Private (Karachi)
> ...



do you know anything about khyber medical college in peshawar...the pros and cons and where i can get this year’s merit list??


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## Kasing (Jul 24, 2019)

How much of an advantage does a shifa student have over a cmh lahore student. Also elaborate in terms of reputation amongst us residency directors


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## shanelowney (Jan 23, 2020)

According to news most of the Pakistani medical students studies at US, Canada and UK and also prefer Clinical clerkship in the US and Canadian hospitals, for a better future. That is right or not?


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## Bumblebeez (Jun 22, 2020)

Wow first off, thanks so much for this post! It really helped. Are you applying to a medical school in pak? or are you from there? I’m looking to apply this year but mainly in punjab/lahore because karachi isn’t possible for me for living. So applying through UHS is hard? Seems like you know a lot that could help me.


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## Hamzellll (Sep 1, 2020)

Bumblebeez said:


> Wow first off, thanks so much for this post! It really helped. Are you applying to a medical school in pak? or are you from there? I’m looking to apply this year but mainly in punjab/lahore because karachi isn’t possible for me for living. So applying through UHS is hard? Seems like you know a lot that could help me.


you applying for Public Or Private Colleges?


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