How to Become a Doctor in Pakistan?

Job Introduction or What They Do?

Doctor, it is a profession which is highly respected and highly honored from people in all walks of life. It is the job of saving lives, aiding new life to come into the world and providing hope to the sick and distressed. There are many types of doctors and they try and make life better. There exist various diseases and disorders that plague this earth and at times natural and man-made accidents (gun shots, car accidents) also occur, hence different medical problems are taken care of by different types of doctors according to their specialization. Medicine is one of the most pursued professions in the world and it is one of the highest paying jobs as well.

How to become a doctor in Pakistan?

1. Learn all you can about how to become a doctor through internet sources and interviewing doctors in Pakistan. If you find the profession interesting and feel that you can cope with the large study load, then only continue to pursue it. Find out about employment opportunities, scope for new doctors, annual incomes, specialization and other such factors as well.

2. If you are really interested then also go for a summer internship at a hospital to get a better idea of how it feels to be in the field.

3. The next step is to apply to 2 or 3 medical schools of your preference and ensure that they are suitable to your specialization requirements and highly reputed medical schools. Also learn about scholarships if you can’t afford to pay much as studying to become doctor can be expensive even in Pakistan.

4. After passing the admission process and the tough admission test (like an MCAT), you do 5 years of studying and clinical training followed by one year of internship in different specialties known as a house job.

5. You officially become a doctor after your MBBS degree and you can apply for a medical license in PMDC. Then you can decide whether you want to be a general practitioner or in order to specialize you pursue special training.

6. You can also go into Family Medicine Training Programs – Ziauddin University and Aga Khan University are good places to pursue such training.

Course Structure:

The course structure is such that for 5 years you study anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, Biochemistry, community health science and others as you study the different systems of the human body – respiratory system, central nervous system and etc. Examinations are on a semester basis or on a yearly basis depending upon the Medical College you go to. Clinical training is also a part of your course structure which usually happens in the last 2 years.

Recognition of the Course:

This medical course is recognized all over Pakistan, after completion of your 5 years of studying and one year of internship, you become a recognized doctor all over Pakistan and can practice legally. However as is the case for every country in order to practice being a doctor or being a practicing physician in a foreign country you would have to give an additional test to meet requirements. For example in order to practice in Canada, you would have to pass a test made by the Canadian Medical department to do so. Same way to practice in the US you have to give a test known as USMLE, which has three steps, or three modules that you have to pass.

Job Opportunities:

There are numerous job opportunities for doctors of Pakistan, especially the ones that specialize. Moreover if you specialize from well reputed teaching hospitals abroad, your chances of getting a highly paid physician job increases greatly. There are opportunities for Pakistani Doctors not only nationally but outside the country as well, like in US, UK and Canada.

Eligibility:

To become an eligible doctor you have to pass the admission test, get into medical school, finish your 5 years of studying and medical training and then only you can get a MBBS degree. This degree is actually bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery. After you acquire this degree from PMDC which is the Pakistan Medical and Dental council in Islamabad, only then would you be eligible to become a doctor. You also have to do a year of internship to get the MBBS degree.

Remuneration:

In Pakistan according to a new law passed post graduate doctors doing their house jobs are supposed to be paid around Rs.18000 to Rs.50000 a month. Moreover they also get health allowances of around Rs.2000 to Rs.45000 monthly. For doctors who specialize, their salaries increase as their work experience is greater, experienced doctors can also charge very high amounts per surgery.

Top 10 Medical Schools of Pakistan:

1. King Edward Medical college (Lahore)
2. Agha Khan Medical college (Karachi)
3. Allama Iqbal Medical college (Lahore)
4. DOW Medical college (Karachi)
5. Fatima Jinnah Medical college (Lahore)
6. Sind Medical college (Karachi)
7. Chanka Medical college (Quetta)
8. Nishtar Medical college (Multan)
9. Rawalpindi Medical college (Rawalpindi)
10. Quaid-e-Azam Medical college (Bahawalpur)