 | | Over the past many decades, a large number of females, desirous of getting medical education, were unable to get admissions in medical & dental colleges due to the following factors:- |
Firstly, in the past, the number of seats for females candidates were very limited in various medical & dental institutions of the country and consequently most of seats had gone to male candidates with low marks, while female having high marks were deprived of getting admission in these colleges. Later on, all the seats were put on open merit for both male and females for admission in medical and dental colleges. Secondly, our socio-cultural system does not allow the women to study at co-educational medical institutions. There were only two female medical colleges, located in Punjab and Sindh i.e Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore and Peoples Medical College, Nawabshah. There were limited seats for the females of NWFP, FATA, PATA, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Baluchistan and Northern Areas in the said medical colleges.
Thirdly, the population ratio of male and female in Pakistan is 48:52 and on the other hand the number of male doctors is significantly higher and this figure is not adequate for our national requirements.
Keeping in view the above cited facts one comes to a conclusion that there is acute shortage of female doctors in our country. For establishment of a medical college for females in WMC we accepted this challenge and selected an ideal site at Nawanshehr, Abbottabad.
Women Medical College, Abbottabad started functioning on professionally sound and solid footing from 1st March of new millennium. The establishment of this college made a tangible contribution in enhancing the number of qualified female doctors who are serving various parts of the country and particularly deprived community of 51% of women population.
For the acquisition of medical knowledge on modern line, the college has spacious well furnished lecture halls with latest audiovisual gadgets, well equipped laboratories and museums, library, having latest text books, reference books and medical journals and computer section with access to internet and website. The Central Library contains over 5000 books and has direct Medline connection to medical data banks. Besides a central library, there are libraries in all Pre-Clinical departments and a library at BBS Hospital.
A high standard of medical education and discipline has been maintained with good relationships of students and teachers. Although it is an arduous task to find qualified teachers for pre-clinical and clinical subjects, we are proud of having the services of highly qualified, experienced and renowned teaching faculty.
The staff consists of 19 full Professors, 07 Associate Professor, 23 Assistant Professors, 07 Senior Lecturers, 31 Lecturers, 03 Senior Registrars, 06 Registrars and 60 medical officers. In addition, the attachment of District Headquarter Hospital and Women & Children Hospital to Women Medical College is a striding step towards progress of better health and hospitalization facilities. Keeping with the education mission of Women Medical College, the institution has enhanced its goals towards development of skills and research beyond the traditional acquisition of medical knowledge.
The campus is residential and spread over an area of 50 kanals with additional facilities of playgrounds, cafeteria and gardens where students can work and live in an ideal environment. The teaching hospitals are fully functional and within the reach of college and hostels. The pick and drop facilities have been provided by the college.
The college is affiliated with the University of Peshawar and recognized by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and also registered with Higher Education Regulatory Authority (HERA) of NWFP.
For clinical attachments of students, BBS Teaching Hospital is affiliated to the WMC which is 500 bedded hospital fully equipped and fully recognized for teaching purposes.
The first academic session started in the year 2000-2001 with enrollment of 19 students and since then the annual intake gradually increased to 75. The Federal Government has approved Women Medical College in pursuance of section II of PM&DC ordinance, 1962 and has been included in the last column of First Schedule in 2007. In the year 2004-2005 WMC was allowed by PM&DC and University of Peshawar for enrollment of 100 students. Todate by the Grace of Allah the 6th batch of students will be passing out at the end of this year and will be joining stream of doctors already serving in the country.
The establishment of Dental Section in 2010 is going to be a new hall mark in the progress and achievement attained by WMC.
1st batch of BDS is going to be incorporated in session 2010-11. All the required measures have been taken regarding pre-clinical labs like dental material lab, phantom head lab at the college premises: clinical set-up for the training of dental students has been establish within one of our own hospitals. All qualified staff has been appointed according to the rules and regulations of PM&DC. Inshallah! Dental section of Women Medical College would achieve the same heights as WMC did. |
