# Current Pakistani Medical Student Entering 2nd YEAR!



## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

Hey! How are you guys?

I'm visiting America after a year in Pakistan. Finished my 1st year of medical school at Nishtar Medical College, Multan under the PTAP seat. So I got lucky...no self-finance for me 

I'm just hoping I haven't got a supplementary or anything....we'll see. Don't wanna repeat 1st year exams ya know. Anyone here currently in a Pakistani Medical School? Anyone need info? Talk to me.

Humza


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## SalSabeel (Nov 26, 2006)

definately alot of questions here! lol, well first of all, how was ur first yr as an american student? How were the studies- do they require 24/7 studies since some Paki kids are smarter in some aspects? and Congrats on completing ur 1st yr! 

Thanks a bunch


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

I remember my first year. Since it was in Islamabad it wasn't hard to adjust at all. It takes some time getting used to the environment as a whole, but once you've gotten used to it, things aren't bad at all. It's actually really easy to live here, since all the same comforts of home are easily available, and as long as you're set up well, in a nice area and possibly a servant to get some stuff done for you, there shouldn't be any trouble at all. It's definitely not as shocking of a lifestyle change as most people assume it to be.

The studying is far from 24/7. It does require a lot of time, but if you study a few hours a day, everyday, then you'll be well ahead of the rest of the class.

I wouldn't agree that "paki kids are smarter," as a whole, but I would say they are more used to the style of teaching/learning that goes on here because of course they've been exposed to it longer. They're well trained when it comes to rapidly memorizing large volumes of information and still have their parents griping at them at home to do nothing other than study. Which is also why I believe that it doesn't take a genius to get through med school, it just takes a lot of dedicated hard work and motivation.


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## maik7upurz (Feb 28, 2006)

Well said MastahRiz


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## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

SalSabeel said:


> definately alot of questions here! lol, well first of all, how was ur first yr as an american student? How were the studies- do they require 24/7 studies since some Paki kids are smarter in some aspects? and Congrats on completing ur 1st yr!
> 
> Thanks a bunch


Well, unlike most people I didn't move to a big city...I moved from Washington, DC to Multan, Pakistan. None of the comforts of Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi there...

Medical School contrary to popular belief is actually easy if you just study a little everyday. This is not something I am in the habit of doing so it ended up being really difficult. Their writing style is different, get ready for "vivas" -- oral exams. Those are real fun. So basically 1st year was hard because everything was new and different. Exams were during the summer and in Ramadan. Multani summers are an average of 120F with highs of 135F so imagine studying then. Then final exams during Ramadan...imagine that?

Lots of books, lots of readings, lots of mean teachers, but once your used to it it's not so bad. I go to a Government Medical College, not Private. So the type of kids here are totally different then the type of kids in private schools. My equivalence was 850/1100 and I'm on the PTAP (scholarship?) seat as opposed to the self-finance seat. So my payment is Rs. 12,500 a year. Nothing.

I would recommend everyone applying to go for the PTAP as well as self-finance but from what I have heard they have discontinued the PTAP seat, so now everyone is stuck with self-finance. 

Nishtar it self has the most foreingers in a college after the University of Karachi in Pakistan. We have a foreigner building just with their own dorms. People from all Arab countries, Mauritis, Nepal, Bhutan, America, Canada are here. There are 2 Ameriacans and 1 Canadian in my year, and 1 Candaidian and American in the year ahead of us. Lots of kids transfer from here to there so I know kids in Lahore...only a 6 hour busride away...so whenever I head out there I meet kids from Alama Iqbal, K.E., LMDC.

Life isn't so bad. I'm afraid I didn't do to well on the finals, I will have to take repeater finals called suplementary exams, but inshallah...year 2 should go smooth! #yes 

-Humza


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## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

maik7upurz said:


> Well said MastahRiz


what school do you go to?


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

Shifa College of Medicine, in Islamabad, Pakistan


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## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

MastahRiz said:


> Shifa College of Medicine, in Islamabad, Pakistan


Well in DC, MD, and VA they don't accept Shifa Medical School degrees. I hear it is very nice. Is it accepted in the state you're from?


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

Yeah they sure do.


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## maik7upurz (Feb 28, 2006)

I was originally allotted to Nishtar in Multan as well and took a drive there, after realizing how far away it was and how hot the place is I decided it was definetly not for me, but it has a beautiful campus and is one of the better schools in the country. Know what you mean about the studying. There was a saying that if a donkey was admitted to med school in pak it would become a doctor eventually. Its probably changing a bit though hah. Previously 3rd and 4th year were easy relaxing years and 1,2, and 5 being hard, 5 the hardest. But now they have reorganized everything makin 3 and 4 bit more difficult in order to make 5 less difficult, but anyway good luck to us all, we'll need it!


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## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

maik7upurz said:


> I was originally allotted to Nishtar in Multan as well and took a drive there, after realizing how far away it was and how hot the place is I decided it was definetly not for me, but it has a beautiful campus and is one of the better schools in the country. Know what you mean about the studying. There was a saying that if a donkey was admitted to med school in pak it would become a doctor eventually. Its probably changing a bit though hah. Previously 3rd and 4th year were easy relaxing years and 1,2, and 5 being hard, 5 the hardest. But now they have reorganized everything makin 3 and 4 bit more difficult in order to make 5 less difficult, but anyway good luck to us all, we'll need it!


 
multan is def really hot. so wat college are you at now?


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

blindfury86 said:


> Multani summers are an average of 120F with highs of 135F so imagine studying then. Then final exams during Ramadan...imagine that?
> 
> -Humza


Woah, wait a minute, these last two years have been the hottest Pakistan has ever seen and it still never got higher than 125F max! But anyway, the good thing about the heat is that even with temperatures that high, at least the humidity is really low, so you never really feel it. It feels maybe 90 to 95 I'd say. Heh maybe that's a stretch, but you guys get the idea. Oh yeah, and it's nothing a little a Sabro AC power can't solve.

I for one was glad that Ramadan was closer to winter than summer; the fasts were less than 12 hours! Can't wait to have them in the summer though, where it's easily 15 hours. OH JOY. (hint: Sarcasm)

I hear it gets over 155 in Iraq though... I guess it really can get worse.


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## maik7upurz (Feb 28, 2006)

Rizwan. The humidty gets PRETTY bad in late july, august and september. Temperature wise its always around 110 but feels like 130. This summer in Pak was mild, a few years ago Islamabad was hitting 115-120 a day! Multan and Lahore are a whole different story, they are constantly at 120 and over and their basically hot alllll year around, so hot in fact that the AC's have trouble keeping up. Luckily Islamabad is one of the cooler cities of Pakistan, due to high elevation and less pollution although its changing now.


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

Agree to disagree


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## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

MastahRiz said:


> Agree to disagree


it def got to 54C many days in multan..129.2 F...rounded off to 130


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## Rehan (Jan 26, 2006)

The posts in this thread regarding admissions into Pakistani medical schools have been moved HERE.

Lets all try to keep the thread relevant to its original thread title.
http://medstudentz.com/35-medical-colleges-pakistan-15.html


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## mdterrapin (Jun 24, 2006)

AoA Humza Bhai,
My name is Umer Chaudhry.. I dont know if you remember me but my dad use to be your supervisor when you worked here in D.C. I once came to your office to talk to you about Med. school in Pakistan. Anyways Humza Bhai, if you a chance please contact be back. I have some questions for you regarding the whole process... Hopefully I will hear from you soon. Mashallah it seems like your doing fine in Pakistan. Salam

Umer


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## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

mdterrapin said:


> AoA Humza Bhai,
> My name is Umer Chaudhry.. I dont know if you remember me but my dad use to be your supervisor when you worked here in D.C. I once came to your office to talk to you about Med. school in Pakistan. Anyways Humza Bhai, if you a chance please contact be back. I have some questions for you regarding the whole process... Hopefully I will hear from you soon. Mashallah it seems like your doing fine in Pakistan. Salam
> 
> Umer


 
Assalaamualaikum,

go ahead and email me

I'll fill you in on the whole process. Say salaamz to your father for me. Maybe I'll call you guys soon.


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## ANK (Jul 7, 2008)

AOA Blindfury---I will be starting med school in Nishtar this year inshaallah. So how r the foreign dorms and their accommodations- meaning how are the rooms n the bathrooms? Is there a way to have your own room and bathroom? Are all the teachers mean? n what can u do on the weekends- are there any good facilities (going to the gym, fast food, shopping at imported food n supplies store like in Lahore, parks)??


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## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

ANK said:


> AOA Blindfury---I will be starting med school in Nishtar this year inshaallah. So how r the foreign dorms and their accommodations- meaning how are the rooms n the bathrooms? Is there a way to have your own room and bathroom? Are all the teachers mean? n what can u do on the weekends- are there any good facilities (going to the gym, fast food, shopping at imported food n supplies store like in Lahore, parks)??


Wa'laikumassalaam,

You're starting this year? Good luck!
Bathrooms really suck. Sorry to say haha. They have done improvements on them, so its not so bad now. A few foreigner students and I moved out and rent a small flat near the college, we're pretty happy with the decision. I have my Prof in a week, so pray for me! It was just by chance I logged back in and checked out this post.

You can have your own room, but the rooms are re-alloted every year, it's hard to keep the same room, but it can be done. A kid from NY had his own bathroom made, with a lock and key on the door, but the locals broke in and tore it up...
If you got some connections with the Principal, then you can have your own toilet lol.

Their are a few gyms in the area, not that bad. You can also get imported goods from stores like, Prince, Food Festival, and Mehbob Bakers. KFC and Pizza Hut are the only major fast food chains here. They do have a few other good restaurants, and in time you will probably start hitting the local spin-offs of KFC--like LFC (Lasani Fried Chicken) and MFC (Multani Friend Chicken) when you're short on cash. There is a very nice park called, "Cantonment Garden". They have a 1 km footpath there and some gym equipment set up. There is also a water park here, a bowling alley with 3 lanes, some billiard places as well.

E-mail me if you got more questions.
We have about 7-8 American/Canadian students here in MBBS and BDS. We're all from different parts of the country, 3 are girls, so you'll probably get along with someone. 

-Humza


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## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

Can a moderator edit out my e-mail addresses in this thread? thanks! i can't seem to edit my own posts


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