# DIMC Karachi



## lostnconfused (Sep 5, 2018)

How is the med school? Any DIMC med graduates or students can guide me on how the teachers,curriculum, overall work ethic are? How well do students do on USMLE and matching process?


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## dfsff (Aug 31, 2018)

I want to know too, but I will probably not apply there. They have a video on youtube about DIMC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxWh1aDuQJ8 

The guy on this blog describes how it's like, but I don't think he went to DIMC and this is his opinion: "Unfortunately the student caliber is not as great; you’ll find very average students who normally find it difficult to grasp tough concepts." Link: A guide to studying medicine in Pakistan. scroll down to dimc section

Oh yeah I answered your question about Aga Khan before, where are you applying from? Are you doing self finance scheme?


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## lostnconfused (Sep 5, 2018)

dfsff said:


> I want to know too, but I will probably not apply there. They have a video on youtube about DIMC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxWh1aDuQJ8
> 
> The guy on this blog describes how it's like, but I don't think he went to DIMC and this is his opinion: "Unfortunately the student caliber is not as great; you’ll find very average students who normally find it difficult to grasp tough concepts." Link: A guide to studying medicine in Pakistan. scroll down to dimc section
> 
> Oh yeah I answered your question about Aga Khan before, where are you applying from? Are you doing self finance scheme?


I will be applying as an international student from Dubai. AKU hasn’t given out any interview calls yet tho, were you selected last year?


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## dfsff (Aug 31, 2018)

Yeah I was short-listed meaning I was chosen for interview. If you pass the interview then you get chosen I believe. I dropped the interview because I didn't want to live in Karachi.


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## lostnconfused (Sep 5, 2018)

dfsff said:


> Yeah I was short-listed meaning I was chosen for interview. If you pass the interview then you get chosen I believe. I dropped the interview because I didn't want to live in Karachi.


Alrightt Where are you applying this year then?


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## dfsff (Aug 31, 2018)

lostnconfused said:


> Alrightt Where are you applying this year then?


I prefer to live in Kpk because my relatives are close, so I am applying to mainly Khyber Medical College, Ayub, and saidu. Do you have a home in Karachi? I visited Karachi and it was so crowded. Also when I tried crossing the street the cars would NOT stop I was waiting for a while until it was a little empty and I ran.


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## lostnconfused (Sep 5, 2018)

dfsff said:


> lostnconfused said:
> 
> 
> > Alrightt Where are you applying this year then?
> ...


Yes I have family there. And it IS very crowded and congested. That’s Karachi in all its glory for you lol Are you living out of Pakistan as well?


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## dfsff (Aug 31, 2018)

Yeah that's what makes it special lol. I'm from the U.S I have homes in kp and islamabad. Btw my relative went to Dow medical college (not DIMC) and he is now a cardiologist, mashaAllah. This was like 8 years ago, but that's that.


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## Seratonin (Nov 10, 2014)

Yo. 4th year at DIMC . I'll answer the topics OP posted and if anyone else has any questions they want to ask feel free to post them here and I'll get back to them when i can.

So to start off curriculum is fairly simple. Your first 2 years will be a quick run through of foundational material from an undergrad perspective. Stuff like the various systems of the body, basics of pharma, etc. Your year will be divided into 2 semesters each consisting of arounf 3-4 units where you take a test when you finish the unit followed by a gauntlet run of exams at the end of your semester divided into mcq papers for each of your units and a viva session. 

Teachers are useless and vindictive but that is sadly the case for almost every postsecondary grad school. You'll meet one or two who actually take an interest in teaching you but sadly the rest will either drone on or make lectures into quiz sessions to mock people. To add on, the admin here seems to be hellbent on sucking away your time and money. If you do end up coming here photocopy literally everything they ever give you. In the 4 years I've been here , they've lost my transcript and fee payment record multiple times and rather than find a workaround they actually have the gall to ask you to repay your fees. You'll hear similar stories once you get here.

Work ethic varies from student to student. For the most part that blog post that was mentioned above is half right. Most people are only here because their parents have forced them to and so DMC tends to have a negative perception over the entirety of DIMC come semester exam time. Best to focus on yourself and whatever you need to do.

Now as for match rates, DIMC doesn't have any official stats behind it. I however have met quite a few people from senior years who have matched back in the States. They were also quite diverse in terms of their academic scores here as well , some of them were even people who consistently had all retake exams throughout the 5 years here but made up for it by studying for the STEPs since first year or the like.

To sum it up , only come to Pakistan if you have no other option or can't afford the Caribbean or DO route. Focus on taking the equivalency exams for your country of choice. Keep your head down and focus on yourself and leave as soon you can.


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## dfsff (Aug 31, 2018)

Hey, do you really think DIMC prepared you better than if you had gone to another college that wasn't solely for international kids? Or is it just self-study wherever you go
Also I hear Dow has connections with a lot of U.S hospitals, so did you do electives there?


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## Seratonin (Nov 10, 2014)

It's self study regardless of where you go. I have yet to hear of any school that actually advises you on how to approach the STEPs and that actually helped them.

I actually am.one of the few people who has no intention of going to America but am familiar with the elective process since i had to go through it this year for Canadian apps. Dow is affiliated with two med schools, one in Chicago and another Massachusetts I think. The catch however is that Dow only sends the top percentage of their students based on your total GPA by the time you are in 4th/5th year. So DIMC students are flat out luck since DMC is favored for the most part. Your best bet on getting electives is to be done with step 1 by 4th year so that you can apply for university affiliated electives in final year. Alternatively if you don't give step 1 you are flat out of luck and will either have to rely on your own connections to somehow get one or settle for one of the numerous companies who offer you electives but are really just shadowing/observerships with limited patient interactivity.


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## lostnconfused (Sep 5, 2018)

Wow thanks for an incredibly thorough review. I am interested in applying to DMC as well as an overseas Pakistani not local, any idea if that’s possible? I have heard it’s not impossible but very difficult. I want to apply to DMC before DIMC.


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## Seratonin (Nov 10, 2014)

It's possible though the intake for foreign students in DMC is quite small. I've maybe seen 2 or 3 per year though this was 2 or 3 years ago. No clue if any foreign students are still being accepted. It's a good route to take though if you want to go self finance but just keep in mind that the school itself is in the middle of "downtown" so managing transportation and housing should be something to keep in mind if you get in.


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## dfsff (Aug 31, 2018)

lostnconfused said:


> Wow thanks for an incredibly thorough review. I am interested in applying to DMC as well as an overseas Pakistani not local, any idea if that’s possible? I have heard it’s not impossible but very difficult. I want to apply to DMC before DIMC.


 Getting into DMC on a foreign student is really easy, did you check the 1st provisional merit list?? They have 16 foreign seats, and you can get in with low merit. Why are you saying it is hard? Most people don't go since it's $18,000 per year.

- - - Updated - - -

Here, you must not know about HEC Self-Finance Scheme, read everything on this page and the side pages: http://hec.gov.pk/english/services/students/Admission%20of%20Foreign%20Students%20Under%20Self-Finance%20Scheme/Pages/Intro.aspx

Read this page: http://hec.gov.pk/english/services/students/Admission%20of%20Foreign%20Students%20Under%20Self-Finance%20Scheme/Pages/Distribution-of-Seats.aspx

This is important too https://twitter.com/hecpkofficial/status/1031200980371681283
Deadline is Oct.12 (might be extended)


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## Waleed90 (Jan 15, 2011)

Hey there,

I graduated from DIMC earlier this year. I'll try to clear some things up for you from my perspective.
First, let me talk about USMLE and Residency. How well you do on USMLE exams and matching into any residency is 100% your own effort. Your choice of medical school has very little play in this. Want a high score on Steps? Well, you better start studying for them as early as possible. I won't give out names but many of my seniors and classmates have taken their steps and have done very well on them. Some of the people I know even scored 240+ and 250+. Also, many are matching into residency including Internal Medicine and Surgery! You won't hear too much about people matching mostly because most of the students at DIMC tend to study and take their steps after they graduate, which can take some time obviously. I too am currently studying for Steps and hope to take them soon. But for the past couple years, DIMC grads are applying and many are successful in matching. 

As far as DIMC itself, pretty much what seratonin said is true. Most of the lecturers suck but there is the occasional good even great one. Doesn't matter though anyway because its all about your own efforts. Study consistently and you will do great. Administration there sucks really bad. Typical Pakistani stuff. Still, be stern yet polite to them and you'll get your stuff done. Make copies of and hold on to all documents. 

Compared to my first year the campus has expanded a lot, and it is continuing to grow. You should go there and have a tour before you make your final decision.

Oh and one more thing about Electives. DIMC is a part of VSAS (Visiting Student Application Service) by AAMC. Many students don't know about this because the school doesn't really advertise it. I found out about it on my own. But this is a great tool for DIMC students to apply for electives in the USA and many other countries for that matter. Check out the link for more info. https://students-residents.aamc.org/attending-medical-school/electives-and-make-courses/
The only catch is that you have to wait till your a final year student before you can actually apply and most of the programs on there also require Step 1 to be taken. So plan ahead. I have personally used this program and got accepted for an elective at Boston University.


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## lostnconfused (Sep 5, 2018)

How is the course at DIMC? Is it traditional with lectures, labs or is it more PBL? Do students have good tech facilities for learning? Like simulations, video lessons?


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