King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Academic Council on Monday adopted the foundation year plan by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) to improve medical education in the country, which will be implemented from next month. Due to implementation of the plan, honorary house jobs will be dissolved and every house job doctor would be paid by relevant teaching institutions. According to the plan, a male student after doing MBBS final year, will do house job in paediatrics, medicine and surgery and female students in paediatrics, medicine and gynaecology for three months each in any specialty to complete their one year house job.
Afterwards, they will join minimum six months or maximum one year house job in any discipline according to their interest in which they want to do their specialty in future. The PM&DC approved the foundation year formula with the name Structure Training Programme (STP) in October 2010. It was decided that every house job trainee would be paid for his services and private medical colleges should make arrangements to provide paid house jobs to their MBBS final year students. It was also decided by the PM&DC that every doctor would be registered by the PM&DC only when he will go through the STP.
In the academic council’s meeting, most of the professors insisted that honorary house jobs be ended, as now they did not need private medical college students for house jobs. The academic council approved the formula regarding house jobs in Mayo Hospital observing that they would only prefer graduates from their own institution and if seats become vacant, then 50 percent seats will be reserved for KEMU students and 50 percent seats for other public-sector teaching hospitals of Punjab and if more seats remain vacant, then they will adjust students from private medical colleges.
According to KEMU sources, around 244 students will benefit due to the decision by the KEMU academic council. Sources told Pakistan Today that there are around 204 house job vacancies at Mayo Hospital and 40 seats at Lady Wellington Hospital and Lady Aitchison Hospital but a large number of students from private medical colleges secured paid house jobs in Mayo Hospital. The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and Young Doctors Association (YDA) welcomed the decision by the KEMU academic council regarding the foundation year.
PMA Lahore General Secretary Dr Izhar Chaudhry and YDA General Secretary Dr Salman Kazmi, appreciating the decision, said that now not only students will get equal rights for house jobs but medical education will also improve. They said that it would be necessary for every doctor to get a basic life support certificate.
